Brazil Achieves Record Oil Production in 2025, Solidifying Position Among Major Global Producers

Brazil’s 2025 oil and gas output averaged 4.897 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, a 56% increase from a decade ago when production stood at 3.14 million barrels. Of this total, 3.77 million barrels were crude oil, while the remainder was natural gas converted to equivalent barrels. This volume represents approximately 4.8% of the world’s crude oil production, which reached around 78 million barrels per day in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The United States led global output at 13.6 million barrels daily, followed by Russia and Saudi Arabia. China’s 2024 production of 4.2 million barrels closely matches Brazil’s scale.

Pre-salt reserves, concentrated in the Santos and Campos basins off Brazil’s southeast coast, underpin about 80% of national production. Petrobras continues to operate close to 90% of domestic output, with main fields including Tupi, Búzios, and Mero. The state of Rio de Janeiro accounts for 87.8% of Brazilian oil extraction, with Espírito Santo surpassing São Paulo to reach second place at 5.12% in 2025.

Brazil’s crude oil exports generated revenues of $44.5 billion in 2025, doubling volumes from ten years prior. China absorbed 45% of these exports, maintaining its position as the largest buyer, followed by India (8%) and the United States (7%), the latter reducing imports by 26% as it shifted some purchase volumes back to Venezuela. Heavy fuel oil ranked second in export revenues, with $7 billion from 15 million tons sold, tripling exports from a decade earlier.

Despite export growth, Brazil imported significant volumes of diesel and gasoline in 2025. Diesel imports hit a record 14.4 million tons, worth $9.5 billion, covering over 20% of domestic consumption. Gasoline imports also rose to comprise about 10% of national demand. Conversely, Brazil reversed a historical deficit in aviation kerosene, achieving net exports worth $1.1 billion in 2025.

Brazil’s petroleum, derivatives, gas, and coal exports totaled $55.9 billion in 2025 against imports of $30.5 billion, producing a $25.4 billion surplus, a marked improvement from a $12.8 billion deficit ten years earlier. This shift to trade surplus, first realized in 2018, reinforces the sector’s growing contribution to Brazil’s public budgets, with royalties and special participations totaling 98 billion reais in 2024.

In Latin America, Brazil is projected to lead oil production growth in 2026, supported by new offshore FPSO units and substantial investments in pre-salt developments. The region’s overall output is forecast to exceed 8.8 million barrels per day, with Brazil, Argentina, and Guyana contributing the majority of incremental volumes. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s production remains constrained despite holding the largest proven reserves. Projects in Brazil, including those operated by Petrobras and Equinor, remain economically viable even amid fluctuating oil prices, reinforcing the country’s competitive position in the global oil market.