U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics Brazil has produced 3.3 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum and other liquids so far in 2017, according to data through August, up from 3.2 million b/d in 2016, making it the ninth-largest producer of petroleum and other liquids in the world. Production of crude oil in Brazil increased in recent years as producers targeted large, offshore, pre-salt oil deposits. Brazil’s pre-salt oil production in 2016 reached a record 1.02 million b/d, surpassing the 2015 production level by 33%. Pre-salt oil deposits are located offshore under deep, thick layers of rock and salt and require substantial investment to extract. The depths and pressures involved in pre-salt production present significant technical hurdles. Despite these challenges, however, pre-salt crude oil production in Brazil has increased significantly since it began in 2009. Pre-salt resources were first discovered in Brazil’s offshore Santos Basin in […]