With 18 projects approved by the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and more than US$1 billion (5.4 billion reais) in investments planned for the coming years, Espírito Santo is emerging as a key player in the offshore decommissioning sector. This process involves deactivating, dismantling, and recycling oil and gas platforms and structures at the end of their operational life.
Focused on this segment, the Port of Barra do Riacho in Aracruz, managed by Vports, is awaiting completion of the environmental licensing process with the State Institute for the Environment and Water Resources (Iema-ES), expected in the first half of 2026. The concessionaire acknowledges that this is a fundamental step toward consolidating the port complex’s development strategy.
“We are part of Parklog-ES, and this reflects our belief that economic growth happens collectively. Developing this area of 522,000 square meters opens up countless possibilities, and our goal is to build a multipurpose port in the region,” said Vports CEO Gustavo Serrão.
The project currently being licensed for Barra do Riacho includes new business opportunities in the grain sector — leveraging rail integration — as well as activities related to the gas industry and offshore services, among others, including the decommissioning of oil platforms, taking into account the state’s strategic location.
The latest edition of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Yearbook, published by the Federation of Industries (Findes), reports that 403 oil and gas wells in Espírito Santo will be decommissioned by 2029. Total investment for permanent abandonment, pipeline and equipment removal, and decommissioning of exploration units will exceed 5 billion reais.
“We are continuously working to attract partners and align interests and strengths, expanding development opportunities for the Espírito Santo business ecosystem in the sector,” added Serrão, who took part in a mission organized by Findes to Europe in late November to boost offshore decommissioning in the state.
Source: ES Brasil
