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In one of the most forceful statements of the closing of ROG.e 2026, Petrobras president Magda Chambriard declared that "there is no future for an oil company without exploration" and that halting the drilling of pioneer wells "is asking to die."

During a conversation at the Strategic Talks with the president of IBP (Brazilian Institute of Oil, Gas and Biofuels), Roberto Ardenghy, the executive highlighted the progress of campaigns in the Equatorial Margin — focused on wells in Amapá and Rio Grande do Norte — as an indispensable vector to replenish reserves and mitigate the pre-salt decline starting in the coming years. Magda also emphasized the state-owned company's international appetite, citing strategic gas discoveries in Colombia to meet demand over the next decade and new assets in Ivory Coast, Namibia, and Mexico.

Faced with geopolitical uncertainties and the risk of restrictions on the global fuel trade by major powers, the executive revealed that Petrobras is evaluating, in its next Strategic Plan (2027-2031), expanding its refining capacity to supply up to 100% of the Brazilian diesel market.

Giant fields in production: from project to implementation

The expansion vision and the search for new exploration frontiers defended by Petrobras was ratified by the major global oil companies during the panel on the operation of giant offshore fields. ExxonMobil Brasil CEO Alberto Ferrin stated that the country hosts the most attractive energy sources on the planet and projected that, soon, other sedimentary basins beyond the pre-salt will take on a leading role in the country's socioeconomic development. Citing the company's successful track record in Latin America — such as Guyana, where the company already operates four FPSOs and is building three more — the executive highlighted the role of new hubs in generating regional prosperity and attracting productive capital.

Along the same lines, TotalEnergies' Vice President of Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater, Aurélie Clave, emphasized that the great challenge for operators is to meet growing global demand by producing more energy with a lower carbon footprint. For the executive, the competitiveness of giant deepwater projects necessarily depends on four priorities: operational efficiency, rigorous cost discipline, decarbonization of operations, and agility to reduce the time between discovery and first oil.

The C-Levels' analyses reinforce the tone of the closing of ROG.e 2026: the attractiveness of the Brazilian sea is undeniable, but retaining investments depends on speed, technology, and socio-environmental commitment.

Geopolitics of the Atlantic

This search for new frontiers gains even more weight in light of global geopolitics, as pointed out by SBM Offshore CEO Øivind Tangen. The executive highlighted, at the Strategic Talks panel at ROG.e 2026, that recent instabilities in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz accelerate geographic diversification and the appreciation of assets in the Atlantic Basin, a region emerging to produce "the oil of the future." With a strong presence in Brazil and Guyana — with Petrobras and ExxonMobil as its main clients — Tangen emphasized that, although the industry is living through the most volatile moment in its history, new hubs such as the Brazilian Equatorial Margin (with emphasis on the Foz do Amazonas), Namibia, Nigeria, and Suriname are key pieces for attracting capital, ensuring operational longevity and global supply.

Territorial development and local impact onshore

In parallel with the major operations, the activity of independent operators onshore was consolidated at the Independent Producers Forum as a decisive engine of socioeconomic transformation in the country's interior, especially in low-HDI regions of the Northeast. Panelists stressed that the revitalization and extension of the useful life of mature fields prevent the early decommissioning of assets and trigger an immediate boost to the local economy — an example translated into the R$ 1 billion investment by PetroReconcavo in regional suppliers. By prioritizing the hiring of local services, training the local workforce, and investing in environmental and cultural counterparts, independent producers guarantee higher-skilled jobs and turn the oil and gas activity into a permanent vector of productive inclusion and sustainable development for the producing municipalities.

About IBP: The Brazilian Institute of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (IBP) has acted for decades as the leading representative of the energy sector in Brazil, promoting knowledge, strategic debate, and the development of an increasingly sustainable and innovative industry.

About ROG.e: ROG.e 2026 is sponsored by Petrobras, Shell, Equinor, Galp, Petronas, PRIO, Repsol Sinopec Brasil, TotalEnergies, Brava Energia, bp, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Misc, Acelen, Modec, Oceaneering, Origem, SBM Offshore, Subsea7, Vertical Group, Vibra, Accenture, Karoon Energy, PanAmerican Energy, SLB, TBG, TechnipFMC, ABB, ABS, Expro, Foresea, Honeywell Technologies, OceanPact, Vallourec, Viridien and EcoPetrol, Invest in Brazil, Apex Brasil, Abeemar, with the official partnerships of United Airlines, Maringá Turismo, S&P Global, Goal Prime, Locatelli Group, Firjan Senai, Sebrae, Argos Consultoria and Fairmont.

The ROG.e side events are sponsored by Petrobras, Shell, Subsea7, Accenture, Deloitte, Intelie, Petronas, Iconic, Mobil, Lubrax, Raízen, 2solve, enerflex, huajun jincheng, relimpp, getsaf, hailu heavy industry, leflows, lanyu oil field, PetroReconcavo, ABH2, Abiogás, CCS Brasil, DNV, TBG, Wison, Maire Tecnimont, Acelen, Hempel, PUC, INJ, Dolphin, Locatelli.

The event also features the participation of the following startups: CarbonAir Energy, Cognittiv, DescarbonTech, fu2re, Haka Bioprocessos, IndustriAll, Inflection Soft Works, Matcis, MicroDOTs, Mindsim, Mitico, Monitorai, Nanos, Neo Vision, NSGreen Fuels, Orion, Pix Force, Prothera, RFID Brasil, Scink, The Insight, Trackfy, Treevia, Vertesis, Viaflex, Voltpile, as well as participants of the NAVE Program and Sebrae RJ.

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