The maritime support sector in Brazil is experiencing a period of strong recovery, driven by a new phase of expansion in the country's oil and gas industry. Petrobras’ Strategic Plan, which foresees substantial investment in developing several pre-salt fields and revitalizing post-salt fields, has generated robust demand for support vessels, including Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs) and Remote Support Vessels (RSVs). This growing demand, combined with industrial policies focused on local content and structured credit lines, such as those from the Merchant Marine Fund (FMM) operated by BNDES, is enabling the construction of new vessels, strengthening domestic shipyards, and fostering strategic partnerships. Additionally, the expected commissioning of new FPSOs (yet to be contracted) and the opening of exploratory frontiers in the Equatorial Margin further expand the market for highly specialized vessels, setting a positive outlook for the industry through at least 2030.

Decommissioning has also emerged as a strategic growth vector for the maritime support industry in Brazil. Petrobras is expected to invest around US$9 billion by 2030 in platform removal, well abandonment, and subsea line recovery.  This activity fuels demand for specialized vessels, port logistics, and subsea engineering services, creating a complementary market for new infrastructure and reinforcing positive prospects for the maritime support industry in the next decade.

The recovery is further supported by regulatory advances that, although not specifically focused on maritime support, positively impact the sector. The BR do Mar Law, primarily aimed at coastal shipping, has had a notable effect through reforms to the Brazilian Special Register (REB). The new framework expands REB’s scope by

formalizing long-standing practices, such as the registration of foreign vessels chartered under bareboat charter (BBC) with flag suspension, and including new players in the pre-registration process, including Brazilian Shipping Investment Companies (EBINs) and domestic shipyards. Governance has also improved: the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) now has the authority to monitor fleet limits registered under REB, enhancing predictability and legal certainty.

The sector continues to monitor regulatory developments, seeking better alignment with operational needs. ANTAQ’s regulatory agenda for 2025–2028 aims to clarify technical definitions and address gaps in the sector’s current legal framework. A recent example was ANTAQ Regulatory Instruction No. 01/2024, published in December of last year, which unduly expanded the concept of the “tonnage bank” by allowing Brazilian vessels of any type, as long as they are employed in maritime support navigation, to serve as backing for the chartering of foreign vessels under the REB regime. In practice, this would have allowed the tonnage of simple barges to be used to support the registration of complex foreign-flagged vessels, such as PSVs and RSVs, in the REB. Such a measure would have disrupted market balance and discouraged domestic shipbuilding. The sector responded quickly: companies filed administrative challenges, and the Ministry of Transport issued a formal statement. As a result, ANTAQ suspended the rule, tacitly reinstating the requirement for vessel type equivalence, which means that only vessels of a similar type may be used to back foreign flagged vessels registrations at the REB. The expectation for 2026 is the consolidation of clear and predictable technical criteria for calculating tonnage, reinforcing the sector’s commitment to regulatory transparency.

“Brazil is solidifying its position as one of the largest offshore markets in the world. We have a mature market led by Petrobras and major international oil companies such as Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies, Repsol contracting drilling and production units, vessels, equipment, and services for their E&P activities in Brazil. Independent players like PRIO are also gaining relevance. International banks view Petrobras as an acceptable credit risk and continue to finance offshore support vessels operating in Brazil. What’s most interesting is that companies are investing with a long-term vision. This shows that the market has confidence in Brazil’s regulatory stability and growth potential,” says Daniela Davila, partner in the Energy & Natural Resources practice at Vieira Rezende – Oil and Gas.