Brazil's ANP calls for regulatory autonomy and Gas Release to open natural gas market

The director‑general of Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Artur Watt, said the agency needs full regulatory and financial autonomy to advance its agenda, noting, “Reconhecemos o esforço que vem sendo feito para que as agências tenham meios para cumprir suas agendas e avançar.”

ANP director Pietro Mendes announced a public consultation on the “Gas Release” program will run from October to November 2026, with the measure slated for implementation in 2027. The reform would require Petrobras, the dominant gas marketer, to sell a portion of its gas to other companies to foster competition. Mendes stressed, “Não é imposição do regulador, é uma exigência estrutural para abrir o mercado.”

Petrobras executive Wagner Victer explained that expanding gas supply depends on demand and price rebalancing, citing the new Rota 3 pipeline that will carry pre‑sal gas to the Boaventura processing unit. He warned that without adequate returns, producers will reinject gas rather than place it on the market. Together, the agencies aim to modernise tariffs, infrastructure access and reduce Petrobras’s market share under the five‑year “New Gas Law” framework.