The Tupi field , in the pre-salt layer of the Santos Basin , has reached a cumulative production of 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boed), becoming the first in the company's 73-year history to achieve this production volume. The first pre-salt system to enter commercial production, in 2010, it required the development of a new exploration model and pioneering technologies. This milestone coincides with Petrobras' 20 years of operation in the area.
This year, the asset also surpassed, once again, the average production of 1 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), a mark first achieved in 2019.
'Production in Tupi inaugurated a new era for the global oil industry. In these 20 years, the pre-salt layer, where we also have the super-giant fields of Búzios and Mero, has revealed itself to be a unique combination of large reserves, high productivity, oil with a smaller carbon footprint, and above-average efficiency,' assesses Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras' Exploration and Production Director.
The pre-salt layer is currently the company's main source of production. According to the company's Business Plan for 2026-30, this area could account for up to 82% of the company's total production during this period. Total oil and gas production projected until 2030 is estimated between 3.1 and 3.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. The plan foresees increasing the oil and gas production curve through the management and maximization of reservoir potential, improved production efficiency, increased water injection efficiency, and mapping of new opportunities.
Of the 57 production platforms operated by Petrobras, 28 are exclusively in the pre-salt layer, which, in January 2025, reached a cumulative production of 7 billion barrels of oil, with 4 billion of those coming from Tupi alone.
Technology
To operate in the pre-salt layer, an uncharted frontier, Petrobras had to overcome technological challenges in ultra-deep waters, which positioned it as a benchmark in global oil and gas production, including in terms of lower carbon intensity. The resources obtained from pre-salt production are also used to finance the company's future and a just energy transition.
The Tupi asset is operated by Petrobras, with partners Shell and Petrogal Brasil, and PPSA, the Union's representative in the Tupi Shared Field.
Tupi's assets in numbers (Infographic)
Source: Petrobras
