Transpetro , a subsidiary of Petrobras, has launched a tender for the acquisition of four barges (3,000 DWT), four pushers and one ASD tug, marking its official entry into inland waterway navigation.
The move is part of a broader plan to contract 20 barges, 20 pushers, and four ASD tugs by the end of next year. The objective is to position Transpetro among the leading operators in Brazil for the transportation of oil, oil products, and biofuels via barges.
The first units in the tender will be used for fuel transport, with the four barges expected to enter service in the first half of 2026. Brazil’s inland barge market currently moves around 10 million tons of oil and fuels per year.
“Inland waterways refers to rivers, lagoons, and sheltered waters. waters. This is a new frontier for Transpetro, which has never operated in this segment before. Given the growing demand for marine fuel distribution, the company is expanding its service offerings. These barges will load product at Transpetro terminals and supply vessels directly in barge-to-ship operations, such as Guanabara Bay,” explains Daniel Buckley, Chartering Manager and tanker expert at WSB Advisors.
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Transpetro bid
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Official Commendation
Fernando Vilela Receives Official Recognition from Teresópolis City Council
This week, Fernando Vilela, CMO – Chief Marketing Officer at Westhon and WSB Advisors, was honored with an official vote of commendation by the Teresópolis City Council. Since moving to the city in late 2023, he’s consistently highlighted the region in his videos through Café na Trilha, one of Brazil’s leading cycling channels with nearly 250,000 subscribers.
He was recognized for promoting sustainable mobility, ecotourism, and sports, while consistently highlighting the natural and cultural attractions of Teresópolis. The commendation reflects his impact beyond the business sphere, where content creation intersects with purpose-driven advocacy for active living and environmental awareness.
“This recognition means a lot. Sharing the highs and lows of life, sport, and career has always been a genuine way for me to connect with people. This recognition is a reflection of that, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s been part of the journey.” said Fernando.
Our heartfelt thanks go to Councilman Raimundo Amorim and to our dear friend Adevaldo for this meaningful tribute.
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Petrobras: local content plans
Petrobras President Magda Chambriard announced on Monday (May 26) that the company will contract 48 vessels, all with significant local content in their construction. The initiative will require a BRL 118 billion investment in Brazil and is expected to generate 180,000 new job opportunities. The announcement was made during the “Productive Sector Initiatives and Green Transition” panel at the Nova Indústria Brasil Forum hosted by BNDES in Rio de Janeiro.
Chambriard emphasized that this is not Petrobras’ total investment figure but the portion specifically tied to the national industry. According to the executive, this move reinforces Petrobras’ commitment to reindustrialization, job creation and technological advancement within Brazil’s maritime and offshore value chains.
“We’re also talking about 180,000 new jobs being created as a result of these investments. These are vessels that will be contracted or will have their tenders launched by December 31, 2026,” said Magda Chambriard. -
FPSO starts operations
FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão Begins Production in the Mero Field
The FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão officially began operations last weekend in the Mero Field, part of the Libra Block in the Santos Basin. Built by SBM Offshore and chartered by Petrobras, the vessel departed China in December 2024, arrived in Brazil in March, and commenced production slightly ahead of the revised schedule.
With a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day and the ability to compress and reinject 12 million cubic meters of gas daily, this new unit brings a substantial boost to the field’s output. The Mero Field now has a total installed production capacity of 770,000 barrels per day, an increase of 31%, reinforcing its strategic role in Brazil’s pre-salt development.
The charter agreement spans 22.5 years and solidifies SBM Offshore and Petrobras’s long-standing partnership. The Alexandre de Gusmão is now the fifth FPSO to operate in the field, joining the Guanabara, Sepetiba, Marechal Duque de Caxias, and Pioneiro de Libra. -
WSB Advisors in Norway
WSB Advisors Heads to Europe for Nor-Shipping 2025
Pedro Pellegrini, Shipbroker Intern, and Raphael Montes, Proposals Manager & Partner, are gearing up for a two-week business trip to Europe, where they will represent WSB Advisors at the 60th edition of Nor-Shipping, the industry’s most prestigious offshore and maritime event, taking place in Oslo, Norway.
Scheduled from 2nd to 6th June, Nor-Shipping 2025 will bring together global leaders to explore market trends, share insights, drive innovation, and strengthen the international partnerships shaping the future of the maritime sector. One of the highlights of this edition is the seminar “Brazil Nor-Shipping 2025: Future-Proofing Maritime Collaboration Between Brazil and Norway”, scheduled for the third day of the event. The session will feature key voices such as Felipe Meira, Dino Antunes Dias Batista, Heloisa Borges, Wilson P. Lima Filho, and Lars Peder Solstad, among others.
Pedro and Raphael’s journey begins this weekend. Before and after Nor-Shipping, they will also conduct high-level meetings with executives and shipowners in both Oslo and Kristiansand, reinforcing WSB’s role in fostering dialogue and business between Brazil and Europe’s maritime markets.
Stay tuned for more updates from the field. -
WSB Advisors at Camorim’s party
Camorim marked its 30th anniversary yesterday (May 21) with a special event at Espaço Costa Hall, in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together leaders and professionals from across Brazil’s offshore and maritime industries. The evening was filled with celebration and optimism, and featured a vibrant performance by samba icon Dudu Nobre.
The event highlighted Camorim’s impressive trajectory and continued growth. Headquartered in Niterói, the company now operates a fleet of over 150 vessels, including tugboats, PSVs, AHTSs, barges, launches, and LHs, underscoring its leadership and responsiveness to market demands.
WSB Advisors was represented by Raphael Montes, Proposals Manager & Partner, and Pedro Pellegrini, Shipbroker Intern. Beyond celebrating this important milestone, it was also an opportunity to strengthen connections with long-standing partners and key industry stakeholders.
Our sincere thanks go to Eduardo Adami and Carlinhos Camorim, as well as the entire Camorim team. -
WSB Advisors – Staff Announcement
New Talent at WSB Advisors: Meet Maria Eduarda Camba and Paulo Cantergiani
WSB Advisors is proud to welcome two promising new talents to our team: Maria Eduarda Camba as a Shipbroker Intern and Paulo Cantergiani as a Market Analyst Intern. Both joined our Rio de Janeiro office this week and are embarking on their professional journeys in the offshore energy sector.
Maria Eduarda, or Duda, as she’s known by the team, is currently studying International Relations at UFRJ and brings strong communication skills, global perspective, and notably interest in international trade. At WSB, she will support chartering activities, assist with contract management, and be responsible for the daily updates of WSB. One, the most comprehensive offshore market database available today.
Paulo Cantergiani, a student of Electronic Engineering at IME, brings a strong foundation in programming and robotics. Passionate about technology and innovation, Paulo will focus on optimizing WSB. One and supporting broader digital transformation projects across the Westhon Group. His technical expertise will play a key role in the evolution of our internal systems and tools.
We’re excited to have Duda and Paulo on board and look forward to their growth within the group. Welcome to the team! -
Marechal Duque de Caxias: peak production
The FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias has reached its peak production yesterday (May 19), hitting 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). Located in Mero field, Santos Basin pre-salt, the unit sits 180 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in 2,000 meters of water depth. The ramp-up took just 201 days, a remarkable milestone for a project of this scale.
The vessel began operations in October 2023 and is the third unit of its size installed in Mero in the last 30 months. It will be connected to 15 wells, eight producers and seven injectors for water and gas, via a comprehensive subsea infrastructure. With this unit now fully operational, Mero’s production capacity surpasses 590,000 bopd, alongside the FPSOs Pioneiro de Libra, Guanabara, and Sepetiba.
According to Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras’ Director of Exploration and Production, this performance reflects the dedication of the company’s teams and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies.
Starting in 2028, it will be the first FPSO in the world to deploy HISEP (High Pressure Separation), a groundbreaking technology that allows for subsea oil and gas separation. High-CO₂-content gas is re-injected into the reservoir directly from the seabed, significantly cutting emissions while optimizing oil production.
Mero is a unitized field operated by Petrobras (38.6%) in partnership with Shell Brasil (19.3%), TotalEnergies (19.3%), CNPC Brasil (9.65%), CNOOC (9.65%), and PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo S/A), which holds 3.5% as the government’s representative in the non-contracted area. -
Petrobras: agreements with Prosafe and DOF
Market Update: Major Contract Awards for Prosafe and DOF with Petrobras
Petrobras has awarded Prosafe a significant tender for the provision of the Safe Notos, a semi-submersible accommodation and maintenance vessel (UMS). The total contract is valued at approximately USD 204 million and includes a firm four-year commitment beginning in September 2026, directly after the conclusion of the vessel’s current contract initiated in Q3 2022. The Safe Notos will continue supporting offshore safety and maintenance operations for the Brazilian oil giant.
Meanwhile, DOF has confirmed the award of four new vessel charter contracts with Petrobras. A standout in the announcement is the Skandi Iguaçu, an AHTS unit currently in operation for Petrobras, which will enter a fresh four-year charter starting in February 2026. The Skandi Angra, Skandi Paraty, and Skandi Urca have also secured new four-year deals, set to commence in January following the expiration of their current agreements. As WSB previously reported, these contracts involve ROV operations at depths reaching 3,000 meters. The combined value of the four charters is approximately USD 480 million. -
Brazilian Equatorial Margin: new phase
Ibama has approved Petrobras’ Oilspill Wildlife Protection and Response Plan, a key component of the company’s Individual Emergency Plan for offshore exploration in Block FZA-M-59, located in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. This approval marks an important procedural step but does not yet authorize exploration in the Equatorial Margin but rather to proceed with research, considered Brazil’s most promising post–pre-salt frontier.
With this phase cleared, Petrobras will now proceed with inspections and wildlife rescue drills to validate its response capabilities in the event of an oil spill. These activities aim to demonstrate the company’s preparedness in managing potential environmental impacts.
While progress remains slow, industry voices remain optimistic. “This approval does not mean that Ibama is granting permission for oil exploration in the Equatorial Margin, which is seen as the major successor to Brazil’s pre-salt fields. There’s still a long way to go. The process is moving slowly, but I believe it’s only a matter of time. Petrobras has an exceptional technical team and unmatched expertise, and it has already demonstrated, on multiple occasions and in various ways, that sustainable exploration is indeed possible,” said Anidio Correa, R&D Environment Projects Lead at WSB Advisors. -
Investment to boost Rio de Janeiro
The Merchant Marine Fund (FMM), managed by the Ministry of Ports and Airports, has approved R$6.6 billion in investments for the state of Rio de Janeiro. The funding, announced last week, focuses on naval and port projects, particularly those supporting the oil and gas industry.
Among the 14 projects approved is the construction of four Handy-class vessels for transporting oil byproducts for Petrobras. This initiative, valued at R$1.5 billion, will be executed by a consortium involving the Rio Grande shipyard in Rio Grande do Sul and Mac Laren shipyard in Niterói. Additionally, the Green Port shipyard in Niterói received R$242.2 million to build a new floating dock, reinforcing its role in the industry’s ongoing revival.
The FMM plays a critical role in financing Brazil’s merchant marine and shipbuilding sectors, which have recently seen renewed momentum, with several shipyards reopening and new OSV bids emerging.
Is this a signal of a lasting recovery for the industry? -
WSB Market Updates
Petrobras has awarded contracts to the Asso Trentuno and Asso Ventinove. The Asso Trentuno has already begun operations under a four-year firm contract with extension options, while the Asso Ventinove is awaiting final clearance to commence.
Navship continues its impressive growth. The shipyard recently submitted bids for the latest RSV newbuilding tender, competing alongside two other companies. If both bids are successful, Navship will have a remarkable 14 newbuilds in its pipeline, six PSVs and eight RSVs, slated for delivery over the next six years.
Stay tuned