Announcement of investment of US$ 5.2 billion by Petrobras to expand the supply of gas was made by Jean Paul Prates in an event at Fiesp.| Photo: Pedro Torres/disclosure

The president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, announced this Monday (17) an investment plan of US$ 5.2 billion (R$ 25.6 billion) to expand the supply of gas production and flow, during a seminar at the headquarters of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp).

The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan provides for the development of new fields and infrastructure that will add 55 million cubic meters of gas per day to the Brazilian market. Among them are projects in partnership with Sergipe Águas Profundas (SEAP), with a capacity of 18 million m³/day, and BM-C-33, in the Campos Basin, with a capacity of 16 million m³/day; in addition to the Rota 3 Integrated Project, scheduled for 2024 and with a capacity of up to 21 million m³/day.

Prates also explained the need to reinject part of the extracted gas back into the fields, due to the decarbonization process and increased oil production. According to Petrobras, the pre-salt gas contains a large amount of CO2 that needs to be reinjected back due to the pressure conditions in the reservoirs – “this process provides greater oil production”, he says.

According to the state-owned company, approximately 40% of the reinjected gas was due to CO2 in 2022, and another 40% to the increase in oil production. The rest is due to the lack of a consumer market (Northern system) and temporary limitations on the flow infrastructure, which “will cease to exist with the start of operations on Route 3 next year”, completes the company in a statement.