Brazil Offshore Vessels

Sector Info

Argentera OIL & GAS

Brazil’s offshore support vessel sector is a critical backbone of the country’s deepwater oil and gas operations, reflecting both the scale of national production and the maturity of its maritime supply chain.

With Brazil positioned among the world’s leading offshore producers and most activity concentrated in deep and ultra‑deep waters, demand for specialized vessels remains consistently high.

Brazil: a dynamic market for maritime support vessels

The market for offshore support vessels (sea) creates a positive impact in a global scale economy, by increasing the volume of business carried out, because of port activities on the high seas, according to statistics published on the “Markets and Markets Portal”. The data indicate that, between 2018 and 2023, the global Offshore Support Vessel Market is expected to grow by about 5%.

In Brazil, the market for maritime support vessels (offshore) is quite dynamic. Brazil is among the ten largest world oil and natural gas producers (O&G), reaching the fifth position in the medium term, according to the estimation of the “Ten Year Energy Expansion Plan 2029” (Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy). In Brazil, production occurs predominantly in deep water.

Evolution of naval industry in Brazil

In December 2019, the Oil and Gas production at sea represented 93% of Brazilian production total. Faced with the vocation of (O&G) production at sea, from the 2000s, a process of reinvigoration of the Brazilian naval industry sector, through the construction of support vessels to platforms.

It was possible because of several factors that provided the resumption of the naval industry in Brazil. The worth mentioning is the Fleet Renewal Program for Maritime Support for PETROBRAS, launched in 1999, which guaranteed eight-year service contracts.

Highlights Offshore Oil & Gas Projects in Brazil

Búzios Field (Santos Basin)

The Búzios field is one of the world’s largest deepwater oil fields (estimated reserves of 15 billion barrels of oil equivalent) and continues to expand with new FPSOs such as the Almirante Tamandaré, which arrived offshore in late 2024 and is undergoing commissioning for first oil in early 2025.

Impact: Búzios is central to Brazil’s production growth strategy, reinforcing Petrobras’ dominance in ultra-deepwater operations and contributing significantly to Brazil’s projected global lead in offshore liquids growth by 2030.

ARGENTERA - mapas de localizacao bacias exploracao offshore

Mero Field (Libra Block – Santos Basin)

Mero is a flagship pre-salt development operated by Petrobras with multiple FPSOs coming online. Its total installed production capacity of 770,000 barrels of oil per day. The Marechal Duque de Caxias (Mero 3) began producing in October 2024, and the Alexandre de Gusmão FPSO is expected to achieve first oil in 2025.

Impact: As one of Brazil’s most technologically advanced pre-salt projects, Mero boosts long-term output and showcases Brazil’s expertise in large-scale FPSO deployment.

Bacalhau Field (Santos Basin – Operated by Equinor)

Bacalhau is a major international investment in Brazil’s offshore sector. It is producing 220,000 barrels of oil per day from its first FPSO and holds over 1 billion barrels of recoverable reserves. Recent developments include Equinor contracting Omni Táxi Aéreo for helicopter logistics as the project advances toward full-scale operations.

Impact: Bacalhau diversifies Brazil’s operator landscape, bringing in global players and strengthening Brazil’s reputation as a stable, high-return deepwater province. It is also a flagship renewable project, with combined‑cycle gas turbines that reduce CO₂ emissions and highly efficient energy systems, designed for low‑carbon production.

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