By Brasil Stock Guide – Petrobras (PETR4.SA, PETR3.SA, PBR) signed eight contracts totaling 11 billion reais, or about $2.1 billion, for the construction, chartering and operation of four subsea support vessels, the company said.
The agreements with DOF Subsea Serviços are part of Petrobras’s Programa Mar Aberto, an initiative aimed at renewing and expanding the fleet used by the state-controlled oil producer in offshore operations. The contracts were signed at an event held Thursday, May 14.
The vessels will be built at the Navship shipyard in Navegantes, in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. They will be RSVs, or ROV Support Vessels, designed for subsea inspection, maintenance and repair work in deepwater and ultra-deepwater fields.
Petrobras said the project is expected to generate about 7,000 direct and indirect jobs during the construction and operation phases. The estimate includes roughly 1,500 direct jobs and 5,600 indirect positions.
The company also said the contracts support its policy of strengthening Brazil’s shipbuilding industry. Local content is expected to reach as much as 80% during vessel construction and about 90% during operations.
Flavio Bretanha, Petrobras’s executive manager for subsea systems, said the current management expanded the number of suppliers by simplifying technical specifications, increasing competition and the volume of qualified bids.
The vessels will use hybrid propulsion systems combining batteries, electric motors and lower-impact fuels. Petrobras said the technology is expected to improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions, in line with the company’s decarbonization targets.
DOF Chief Executive Officer Mario Fuzetti said the partnership involves technologically advanced vessels with lower emissions, while supporting job creation and activity in Brazil’s shipbuilding sector.
Alexandre Gomes Alves, Petrobras’s executive manager for procurement, said the deal underscores the company’s focus on local content.
“I consider this a successful bidding process, in line with the demands of the company’s business plan. This partnership once again demonstrates the connection between Petrobras and the local supplier market. Petrobras believes in and strengthens the local market, showing that we are on the right path. The construction of four vessels in Brazil translates into job creation and less dependence on the international market,” Alves said.
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