Petrobras was created in 1953 under the government of Brazilian president Getúlio Vargas with the slogan “The Oil is Ours” (Portuguese: “O petróleo é nosso”). It was given a legal monopoly in Brazil. In 1953, Brazil produced only 2,700 barrels of oil per day. In 1961, the company’s REDUC refinery began operations near Rio de Janeiro, and in 1963, its Cenpes research center opened in Rio de …

