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Petrobras: Mataripe Refinery Is Not a Priority

August 11, 2024

The Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras does not see the repurchase of the Mataripe refinery, owned by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, as a priority, said CEO Magda Chambriard.

“What I can say is that the refinery is not one of my priorities,” she told reporters during an earnings call. Chambriard added that Mubadala’s proposal for Petrobras to buy back the refinery is “a deal like any other.”

She added that the company still needs to evaluate the assets to determine what Petrobras could gain from the reacquisition.

The two companies have been in talks about the sale for several months.

The potential buyback was floated last year when Mubadala proposed a joint venture in traditional refining and a new bio-refinery, sharing infrastructure with Mataripe, which is in the northeastern state of Bahia, a stronghold of President Luiz InácioLula da Silva’s Workers Party.

The company confirmed this week that it is finalizing technical due diligence.

Petrobras owns 11 refineries, producing about 80% of Brazil’s fuel, after selling two facilities under former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Built in the 1950s, Mataripe is Brazil’s second-largest refinery and the one with the highest capacity to produce gasoline, diesel, and other oil products in Brazil’s North and Northeast regions.