The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP), the sector’s regulator, announced Monday (Apr. 6) that the upcoming pre-salt auction will feature 23 exploration blocks.

The confirmation came through an update to the notice for the Permanent Production Sharing Offer (OPP). The auction initially included eight blocks, and on March 27, the ANP board added 15 more.

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All areas are located in the so-called Pre-Salt Polygon, off the coast of the Southeast region, with eight in the Campos Basin and 13 in the Santos Basin.

According to ANP, all exploration blocks have received a favorable environmental feasibility opinion from the competent agencies, as well as a joint statement from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

With the publication of the notice listing the 23 areas, the blocks are now eligible to receive expressions of interest from oil companies, along with the corresponding bid bonds.

Upon receiving an expression of interest from one or more registered companies for one or more blocks in the notice, ANP may set the auction date.

Permanent Offer

The Permanent Offer is the primary bidding mechanism for oil and natural gas exploration and production in Brazil. According to ANP, unlike traditional bidding rounds, this system allows for the continuous offering of exploration blocks.

Thus, over time, companies are free to study the technical data of the areas and submit bids whenever they deem most appropriate, without being bound by strict deadlines or specific bidding cycles.

“This flexibility has made the Permanent Offer an essential tool for fostering competitiveness and attracting investment in Brazil’s oil and gas sector,” the regulatory agency reiterated.

Production sharing and concession

Permanent offers can be structured as either concessions or production-sharing agreements. The production-sharing model is used in the pre-salt layer, where Brazil’s largest known oil reserves are located, as well as in other areas deemed strategic by the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE), a multi-ministerial advisory body to the Brazilian government.

Under the production-sharing regime, the company or consortium that wins the auction pays a fixed signing bonus. However, it is not this bonus that determines the winner; rather, the auction is decided by the share of production surplus the operator offers to the state. Each block has a required minimum percentage.

This surplus, which must be shared with the state, can be understood as the profit from production after all costs have been covered.

In addition, the country receives taxes, royalties, and a special share in the case of high-production fields.

Under the production-sharing regime, the state’s interests are represented by the state-owned company Pré-Sal Petróleo (PPSA), headquartered in Rio de Janeiro and affiliated with the Ministry of Mines and Energy. PPSA is responsible for auctioning the oil delivered to the state by the operating companies.

In contrast, under concession contracts - used in other exploration areas - the winner is the company or consortium that offers the highest signature bonus for the right to explore for oil.

Galeão–Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro was auctioned off on Monday (Mar. 30) for BRL 2.9 billion. The amount represents a 210.88 percent premium over the minimum bid of BRL 932 million set in the tender notice. The Spanish operator Aena submitted the highest bid in the auction.

In Brazil, Aena already controls 17 airports, including Congonhas in São Paulo, the country’s second-busiest airport. The winning bidder competed against two other companies: Zurich Airport, which operates four airports, and RIOgaleão, the airport’s current operator.

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The auction was decided after 26 rounds of bidding. In the first stage - the submission of sealed bids - Zurich Airport and Aena submitted identical bids of BRL 1.5 billion, surpassing RIOgaleão’s offer of BRL 934,045,874.00.

The winning concessionaire will assume full control of the airport. Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero), which currently holds a 49 percent stake in the operation, will exit the business. Under the auction rules, Aena must pay the Brazilian government an annual variable contribution equal to 20 percent of the concession’s gross revenue through 2039.

Galeão Airport is one of the main gateways for foreign tourists entering Brazil and also plays a key role in the domestic air network. In 2025, the terminal handled approximately 18 million passengers, representing 13 percent of the country’s air traffic.