Petrobras announced this Wednesday (10) an agreement to acquire 50% of the Itaimbezinho oil exploration field, in the Pre-Salt Polygon, in the Campos Basin, approximately 190 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The sale was made by Equinor Brasil Energia, which represents the state-owned multinational based in Norway. Neither company reported the value of the deal. As it is still an exploratory block, Itaimbezinho does not yet produce oil. Related news: Petrobras makes a new discovery in the Campos Basin pre-salt. Petrobras discovers oil in Marlim Sul, in the Campos pre-salt. Petrobras resumes 100% of production in two areas of the Campos Basin. According to Petrobras, the purchase operation reinforces the relevance of exploratory activity in the country and “is aligned with the company's long-term strategy, aiming to restore oil and gas reserves through the exploration of new frontiers and working in partnership”. Petrobras and Equinor reported that the purchase and sale operation reinforces the synergy between them in the Campos Basin. The companies are already jointly exploring the Raia project – the country's largest natural gas project to begin production this decade – and the Jaspe exploration license, of which Petrobras holds 60%. Finish in 2025 The Itaimbezinho field had been acquired by Equinor in October 2025, in the 3rd Cycle of the Permanent Share Offer (OPP), carried out by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), the sector's regulatory agency. In OPPs, the company that offers the highest percentage of oil surplus (profit sharing) to the Union is the winner. On that occasion, Equinor won the block alone with an offer of 6.95% of the surplus. To be valid, the deal announced this Wednesday requires approval from the ANP and the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade), a body within the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, which seeks to guarantee free competition and prevent abuse of economic power. Pre-salt The Pre-Salt Polygon, on the Southeast coast, concentrates the main oil production fields in the country. In April 2026, the most recent data from the ANP, the pre-salt fields – under a thick layer of salt, which can reach 7,000 meters deep – accounted for practically 82% of national oil and gas production. There were 4.614 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe). Boe is a unit of measurement that standardizes the volume of natural gas and oil, converting the gas to the energy value equivalent to a barrel of crude oil. This way, it is possible to add up production.