Petrobras has restarted sales of very low sulphur fuel oil at the Port of Itaqui after postponing planned maintenance on the VLSFO pipelines, a customer update reported on 28 August 2026.
The company said the decision to resume VLSFO bunkering followed a postponement of the maintenance work originally scheduled for the VLSFO lines. The customer advisory did not offer a revised timetable for when the deferred pipe works will be carried out or concluded.
Resumption of VLSFO sales
The customer notice confirmed that VLSFO supply at Itaqui is again available to buyers, reversing an earlier interruption linked to the intended pipeline intervention. Petrobras communicated the operational change directly to customers, signalling an immediate restoration of sales for that grade.
Petrobras did not, however, attach a new maintenance schedule to the announcement. The update made clear only that the planned maintenance on the VLSFO pipelines had been postponed and that, for now, deliveries may proceed.
LSMGO pipeline maintenance and suspension
By contrast, low sulphur marine gas oil sales remain halted while maintenance on the LSMGO lines continues at the Brazilian port. The company set a date to resume LSMGO sales as 9 November 2026, indicating the suspension will remain in force until that day.
The customer communication therefore delivered contrasting news on two key marine fuel grades at the same facility: immediate availability of VLSFO but a continued suspension of LSMGO pending completion of maintenance works. Petrobras provided no further technical detail on the maintenance scope or milestone dates beyond the November resumption for LSMGO.
The brief advisory supplied to customers is the only publicly noted account of the changes reported to date. Sources published the item on 28 August 2026, summarising the restart of VLSFO sales, the postponement of VLSFO pipeline maintenance and the ongoing interruption to LSMGO until 9 November.
Key facts
- Source: reports, 28 August 2026.
- VLSFO: Sales at the Port of Itaqui have resumed after planned VLSFO pipeline maintenance was postponed.
- LSMGO: Sales remain suspended until 9 November 2026 while maintenance on the LSMGO pipelines continues.
Petrobras has not issued additional public detail about the pipeline interventions at Itaqui or the operational implications for bunkering beyond the customer advisory. Shipping interests and fuel purchasers will therefore need to rely on further communications from the company for any changes to the current status of supplies.
Until Petrobras issues more detailed notices, the situation at Itaqui remains split between the reopened VLSFO supply and the scheduled LSMGO suspension. The company’s customer update is the latest published report recording those contrasting operational positions at the port.