The Rio–Niterói ferry service launched a new route in early November: a two-hour tour across Guanabara Bay. The trip takes place on the first Sunday of each month, departing from and returning to Praça XV in downtown Rio.
Rio-Niterói ferry
The route covers key landmarks such as the Rio–Niterói Bridge, Museum of Tomorrow, Ilha Fiscal, Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer and Niterói’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Passengers also gain close views of ships and shipyards, supported by guides who provide context and commentary throughout the tour.
In 2025, Rio–Niterói ferries moved to a new operator under stronger state oversight. Over the past year, the system has seen meaningful changes, including a 50% fare reduction and upgrades across the fleet.
The new tour is part of the celebrations for the system’s 190th anniversary. Its history will be featured in the next edition of Westhon One Energy Magazine. Don’t miss it.
Petrobras Unveils its 2026–2030 Business Plan, Signaling a New Growth Cycle with Direct Impacts on the Naval and Offshore Industry
Petrobras presented its official 2026–2030 Business Plan last Friday, December 5, at the Firjan headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The event brought together company executives, industry representatives, institutional leaders and numerous guests from across the energy sector. The presentation, delivered by technical specialists and managers from multiple business units, outlined not only the company’s strategic direction for the next five years but also a clear view of the role that oil, natural gas and low-carbon fuels will play in Brazil’s energy matrix through 2050.
The plan reinforces Petrobras’ ambition to maintain a leading position in the nation’s energy supply, combining growth in oil and gas output with increasing investments in biofuels, petrochemicals and low-carbon energy solutions. The company also reiterated its firm commitment to a “just” energy transition, aligned with national energy security and the competitiveness of Brazil’s industrial base.
A plan launched in a challenging market environment
The presentation began with a pragmatic assessment: market conditions in 2025 proved more challenging than anticipated, with Brent prices falling below the assumptions adopted in the previous plan. Even so, the new plan is anchored in operational discipline and capital efficiency, projecting a breakeven Brent of US$ 59/bbl as early as 2026.
Source: Petrobras
Despite this scenario, Petrobras reaffirmed ambitious targets for production growth, supported by structural improvements in efficiency, governance and cost optimization.
Oil and gas production accelerates and underpins new investments
Petrobras expects to deliver consistent growth in oil and natural gas production throughout the five-year period. The updated forecast points to approximately 2.4 million barrels per day in 2025, stabilizing between 2.6 and 2.7 million barrels per day by 2030.
This expansion is driven by a robust portfolio of pre-salt and post-salt projects, including new FPSOs, upgrades to existing systems and around 100 additional development wells by 2030. Among the highlights are the Búzios 6 through 11 projects, Atapu 2, Sépia 2, Raia and the Mero Extension, which form the core of pre-salt production growth.
Source: Petrobras
Natural gas output is also set to expand, with domestic availability projected to reach 67 million m³/day by 2030.
US$ 109 billion in investments and a portfolio built for resilience
Combined, the investments outlined in the plan reach US$ 109 billion. The largest share — US$ 91 billion — is already in the implementation phase. The capital is allocated primarily across:
Exploration & Production;
Refining, Transportation and Marketing;
Gas and Low-Carbon Energy;
Corporate Projects.
The company emphasized that, even under lower oil-price assumptions, it will maintain a gross debt ceiling of US$ 75 billion, converging to US$ 65 billion by the end of the decade, ensuring its dividend policy and long-term self-funding capacity.
Maritime logistics, fleet renewal and direct impact on the naval sector
One of the most anticipated segments of the presentation involved the Mar Aberto program, a comprehensive initiative to overhaul Petrobras’ maritime logistics and modernize its fleet. The plan allocates approximately US$ 2 billion to new vessels, which may translate into nearly US$ 4 billion in domestic shipbuilding activity.
The package includes:
20 coastal navigation vessels;
18 barges and pushers for bunker operations;
12 PSVs;
10 OSRVs;
16 RSVs;
2 AHTSs.
This initiative — one of the most significant naval-sector announcements made by Petrobras since the early 2010s — has the potential to reactivate shipyards, revive suppliers and restore operational capacity across a supply chain that has remained largely underutilized for nearly a decade.
The company also confirmed the continuation of its offshore vessel chartering program, noting that roughly 40 new offshore support vessels will be contracted to sustain E&P activities throughout the period.
For a sector that has endured almost ten years of subdued activity, the message was explicit: the pace of exploration and production planned for the coming years will require renewed and expanded capacity within Brazil.
Source: Petrobras
Expansion of refining capacity and new industrial projects
Petrobras also outlined its portfolio of structural investments in refining, logistics and natural gas. Key highlights include:
new biorefining projects at REPLAN, RPBC and Boaventura;
expansion of HDT and HDS units;
increased export and propylene handling capacity;
new pipeline infrastructure in Brazil’s Center-West region;
modernization and construction of vessels for refined-product transportation.
Together, these initiatives reinforce the company’s objective of increasing domestic processing of Brazilian crude, reducing import dependence and boosting the supply of higher-quality fuels.
Energy transition: focus on biofuels and low-carbon solutions
Petrobras has earmarked US$ 13 billion for low-carbon and bioproduct initiatives — the largest investment ever allocated to this area in the company’s history.
The funds target:
ethanol, biodiesel and biomethane;
renewable diesel (R5);
SAF and biobunker;
hydrogen projects;
carbon capture, utilization and storage;
onshore solar and wind;
innovation and R&D in clean energy technologies.
The company emphasized that, while Brazil’s energy mix remains significantly more renewable than the global average, fossil fuels will continue to play a relevant role in the decades ahead. The strategy, therefore, is to expand oil and gas production while laying the foundation for a diversified portfolio of sustainable, higher-value energy products.
Employment, economic impact and social value
As a final highlight, Petrobras estimated that the investments under the plan could support 311,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country. Projected tax contributions — spanning federal, state and municipal jurisdictions — total R$ 1.4 trillion, underscoring the company’s role not only as an energy producer but as a critical driver of economic and social development.
WSB is pleased to provide an update on the current long-term tenders that are open to offer.
Open tenders:
What has changed?
Transpetro Acquisition of 18x Barges and 18x Pushers: Opportunity 7004521370 new deadline December 12th, 2025.
What else is happening?
Petrobras cancels three tenders:At least 1x LH — Opportunity 7004497614 At least 1x FSV — Opportunity 7004492292 At least 1x LH — Opportunity 7004484466
CMM Offshore expands its presence as EBN,scoring vessel management contractsfor two Heavy Lifters to be employed in the Raia Project, in a partnership with Saipem and Equinor.
Petrobras presents today (December 5th), at Firjan-RJ, its 2026–2030 Business Plan, already approved by the Board of Directors. The session, running from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., brings together suppliers, public-sector leaders and representatives from across the oil and gas market.
With planned investments of US$109 billion for the next five years, the plan maintains volumes seen in previous cycles and reinforces a clear direction: expansion of the renewable energy portfolio and low-carbon initiatives.
The presentation outlines priorities, opportunities and perspectives that will guide company actions over the coming decade, highlighting its energy transition strategy and integration with the supply chain.
Astro Tamoio, a OSRV built in 2016 and once part of Astromaritima’s operational fleet, stands today as a stark reminder of how governance failures can erase an entire asset. Her trajectory changed irreversibly after a fatal incident in 2021 while contracted to Petrobras, leading to her lay-up and gradual degradation. Creditors and lien holders were left increasingly exposed as management under heir Renato Cabral failed to advance any effective resolution. Even an attempted auction in the BRL 40 million range — a figure arguably defensible in a heated market — did not progress, likely incompatible with the vessel’s visibly deteriorated condition.
Market observers have also pointed out the disappearance of key components, raising questions about whether parts may have been redirected to sister vessel Astro Tupi — now operating as Atlas Z. Despite ANTAQ records still listing Astromaritima as the owner of Astro Tamoio, Tribunal Marítimo registers no record of the supposed renaming to Astro Mero, and the listing for Astro Tamoio itself now appears as “expired.”
What remains is, in practical terms, a formal ghost ship — a hull decaying in tropical waters on the edge of Guanabara Bay, preserved not through stewardship, but through the gaps and inconsistencies of public records, while debts continue to accumulate under Astromaritima. Every Thursday a new “Por onde anda?” — stay tuned.
WSB One has just reached a milestone unmatched in this sector: almost 2,000 fixtures logged since 2008 — 17 years of contracts mapped line by line, tracking how the market evolved, where demand concentrated, which players led each cycle and how chartering strategies shifted over time.
This is not just a number — it is operational memory. WSB One allows users to identify patterns, understand price movements, anticipate opportunities and compare commercial decisions with real historical and statistical depth, not assumptions.
And this is only part of what the platform delivers. WSB One tracks more than 660 vessels in operation or ready to work in Brazil — OSVs, drillships, FPSOs, tankers and specialized units. Each asset brings a wide data set: position, availability, technical details, operational history, contracts, yards and, above all, market context. Everything updated daily and validated by WSB Advisors with support from official sources.
The result is a platform that shows not only where the market stands today, but where it came from — and where it is heading.
Datamatters — In a competitive, fast-moving environment, clarity depends on data that actually makes a difference.
Explore the platform, review access plans and see how WSB One can elevate your decision-making: wsb-one.com or connect directly with the team: commercial@cms.oneenergynews.com
1. Equinor reinforces Brazilian portfolio with Bacalhau and Raia
Equinor enters 2026 focused on Bacalhau, now producing up to 220,000 bpd in Santos Basin, and on the Raia gas project in Campos Basin, planned to deliver up to 16 million m³/d from 2028. Combined, the projects may generate up to 100,000 direct and indirect jobs over their lifecycle as well as sustained demand for offshore support, subsea services and long-term logistics capacity as both assets expand operational activity.
2. Brazil sets new oil and gas production record in October
Brazil reached 5.255 million boed in October 2025, its highest historical level. Oil output totaled 4.030 million boed (+23.2% year-on-year), while natural gas reached 194.78 million m³/d. Pre-salt fields produced 4.276 million boed, representing over 80% of national volumes. Higher throughput increases requirements for vessels, maintenance campaigns, export infrastructure and downstream gas-handling capacity.
3. HOS Taurus begins undocking at Dock Brasil
Dock Brasil Engenharia e Serviços S.A. confirmed that offshore-support vessel HOS Taurus has entered its undocking phase, marking completion of scheduled drydock activities. The vessel has been moved to the quay under safety protocols ahead of returning to offshore operations.
New deadlines were released across ongoing Petrobras opportunities. Below are the latest changes monitored by WSB Advisors.
What has changed?
• Petrobras — At least 1x LH: Opportunity 7004497614, new deadline December 03rd, 2025 • Petrobras — At least 1x FSV: Opportunity 7004492292, new deadline December 03rd, 2025 • Petrobras — At least 1x LH: Opportunity 7004484466, new deadline December 03rd, 2025
What else happened?
– MODEC announced the merger of MODEC America and SOFEC effective 1 January 2026, forming the Mooring Solutions Business Unit. SOFEC’s mooring portfolio will remain available to the market under the SOFEC brand while operating fully inside MODEC’s structure.
– Petrobras held a press briefing today, 1 December, in Recife, focused on the planned expansion of the Refinaria Abreu e Lima S.A. (RNEST). Leadership and technical teams presented updates on processing capacity and next steps for the unit.
– Petrobras also outlined highlights of its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, including cost-optimization measures estimated at US$ 12 billion between 2025 and 2030, reinforced focus on low-carbon initiatives and investment projections across E&P, refining, logistics and energy-transition programs.
– Shell spected to receive second round tenders for subsea intervention vessel this week
– Equinor are overloaded with fuel deliveries demands but so far managing to schedule operations to avoid any extra charters.
WSB is pleased to provide an update on the current long-term tenders that are open to offer.
Open tenders:
What has changed?
Petrobras At least 1x LH: Opportunity 7004497614 new deadline December 1st, 2025;
Petrobras FPSO for Albacora Revitalization: Opportunity 7004415516 new deadline May 25th, 2026.
What else is happening?
Transpetro has completed the scheduled dry-docking of the Oscar Niemeyer gas carrier at Vard Promar, Pernambuco. The vessel underwent structural, electrical, and machinery maintenance, along with an upgrade to its ballast-water treatment system;
Solstad Offshore secures new Petrobras contract: The AHTS Normand Topazio is locked into a four-year, USD 73 million deal, starting Q1 2026, further consolidating Solstad’s role in Brazil’s offshore support fleet;
SBM Offshore’s proposals were officially approved by Petrobras’ committee in the tender for the SEAP (Sergipe Águas Profundas) FPSOs. SBM submitted the lowest bids: US$ 4.1 billion for SEAP II and US$ 4.3 billion for SEAP I. Competing offers included Shapoorji (USD 4.3 b for SEAP II / USD 4.6 b for SEAP I) and MODEC (USD 5.2 b for SEAP II).
The contract will follow the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model, with one firm FPSO for SEAP II and an option for a second FPSO for SEAP I. Each unit is designed for 120,000 bpd of oil and up to 12 million m³/day of gas, with full gas-export infrastructure. Petrobras expects to finalise commercial negotiation in early 2026 and aims for first oil around 2030.
Shell has finalized the concession agreements it secured during ANP’s 5th Permanent Offer Cycle in June, reinforcing its strategic footprint in the Santos Basin and broadening its deepwater operations. The S-M-1819, S-M-1821, S-M-1912, and S-M-1914 blocks give the company full (100%) ownership, along with a seven-year exploration period followed by 27 years of production rights.
The signing bonuses amount to roughly R$ 21.3 million. According to the company, this move underscores Shell’s dedication to Brazil’s energy security and brings its portfolio in the country to a total of 72 contracts.
