What Refina Brasil does

Refina Brasil (legal name: Associação Brasileira dos Refinadores Privados) is a Brazilian nonprofit trade association founded in December 2022 to represent the country's independent private oil refineries. It serves as the unified industry voice for private refiners, advocating on regulatory, fiscal, and policy matters with federal bodies including the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the National Oil Agency (ANP), the competition authority (CADE), and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA). The association currently aggregates eight member refineries that collectively control 20% of Brazil's national refining capacity, 72% of the Northeast Region's capacity, and 100% of the North Region's capacity. Members include Acelen, REAM (Atem), Dax Oil, Brasil Refino, SSOil Energy, Brava (3R Petroleum), and Paraná Xisto.

The association's core activities center on three programs: (1) regulatory and policy advocacy, including positioning around ANP Resolution 881, RENOVABIO policy review, and crude oil reference pricing reform; (2) the Pró-Refino program, which proposes construction of 33 medium-sized refineries to address Brazil's 650,000 bpd oil derivatives deficit; and (3) a formal Compliance Program covering anti-corruption, antitrust, ethics, and whistleblower channels. Its strategic priorities include securing competitive access to domestic crude oil for private refiners, defending rational fuel pricing, and supporting the conversion of member refineries into biorefineries.

Refina Brasil does not sell commercial products or services and does not operate proprietary technology platforms. Its revenue model is membership-dues funded, consistent with industry association standards. The organization is governed by a General Assembly, Supervisory Board, Consultative Council, and a President (currently Evaristo Pinheiro), with no parent company, external investors, or ownership interests identified. There are no funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity; the association operates strictly as an advocacy and compliance coordination body for its member refineries.

Name

Refina Brasil

Legal name

Associação Brasileira dos Refinadores Privados

Website

https://refinabrasil.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Refina Brasil (Associação Brasileira dos Refinadores Privados) is a Brazilian nonprofit trade association founded in 2022, representing eight private oil refineries that collectively hold 20% of national refining capacity. It advocates for regulatory, fiscal, and policy improvements to strengthen private-sector competition against state-owned Petrobras.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nova Brasília

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Refina Brasil is a nonprofit trade association representing private oil refineries in Brazil. It advocates for member refiners in regulatory and antitrust matters, coordinates collective industry positions, and runs initiatives such as the Pró-Refino Program proposing the addition of 33 new refineries and a Compliance Program aligned with Petrobras pricing dynamics and public policy engagement.

Product overview

Refina Brasil is an industry association representing private oil refineries in Brazil. The organization does not offer a commercial product in the traditional sense but provides a unified platform for advancing the interests of its member refineries through advocacy, regulatory engagement, and the Pró-Refino strategic initiative. The Compliance Program supports member companies in maintaining ethical standards and regulatory compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refina Brasil Association Membership Nonprofit civil association that represents private Brazilian oil refineries, including Acelen, Ream (Atem), Dax Oil, Brasil Refino, SSOil Energy, Brava, and Paraná Xisto, providing collective representation before regulators and policymakers.
• Pró-Refino Program Strategic industry proposal coordinated by Refina Brasil recommending the development of 33 new private refineries in Brazil to expand refining capacity and reduce dependence on a single state-operated refiner.
• Refina Brasil Compliance Program Internal compliance framework established by Refina Brasil to align member refiners' market conduct, pricing practices, and coordination with antitrust expectations in the Brazilian downstream sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Private refineries hold 20% of Brazil's national refining capacity and 100% of the North Region's capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ANP (Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis)coreOthersRefina Brasil maintains ongoing regulatory dialogue with the ANP (Brazil's National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency) on matters including crude oil reference pricing, fuel quality standards, regulatory compliance, and the RENOVABIO policy review. The association engages with ANP to address market distortions and advocate for equal access to crude oil for private refiners.
• PPSA (Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A.)coreOthersRefina Brasil actively advocates for private refiners to gain access to crude oil sold by PPSA (Brazil's state-owned company managing pre-salt oil). The association works with PPSA to enable its member refineries to participate in PPSA crude oil auctions and secure long-term contracts for crude supply. The association's president expressed confidence that an upcoming PPSA auction could be 'the best in history' for private refiners.
• CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica)coreOthersRefina Brasil engages with CADE (Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense) on competition policy matters, advocating for a fair and competitive oil and gas market. The association has responded to CADE inquiries regarding alleged anti-competitive pricing practices by private refiners, defending the competitive position of its members against dominant market player practices.
• Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME)coreOthersRefina Brasil presents its strategic initiatives, including the Pró-Refino program for building 33 new refineries, directly to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and the Secretary of Oil and Gas. The association works to shape government policy on crude oil access, fuel pricing, and energy security, aiming to progress proposals through multiple ministries before reaching Congress.
• AcelencoreOthersAcelen is a member company of Refina Brasil. It is the energy company owning the Refinaria de Mataripe and its logistical assets in Bahia. Acelen represents approximately 12% of Brazil's total refining capacity, supplies over half of Northeast Brazil, is the largest paraffin exporter in Latin America, and accounts for 10% of Bahia's GDP and 17% of its ICMS revenue.
• REAM (Atem)coreOthersREAM (Atem) is a member company of Refina Brasil. Founded in Amazonas in 2000, the company operates fuel distribution across 11 Brazilian states via terrestrial and river transportation routes.
• Dax OilcoreOthersDax Oil is a member company of Refina Brasil. Founded in 2001, it is the first private oil refinery in Bahia, producing fuels and solvents.
• Brasil RefinocoreOthersBrasil Refino is a member company of Refina Brasil. It is an oil company headquartered at the Centro Industrial de Aratu in Bahia, primarily engaged in producing petroleum refining derivatives, and also operates in oil and gas exploration and production.
• SSOil EnergyOthersSSOil Energy is a member company of Refina Brasil. It is a Brazilian company operating the westernmost oil refinery in Brazil, located in São Paulo state. It processes light oils and condensates with a capacity of 12,500 barrels per day, producing fuels and special solvents for fuel distributors and the chemical industry.
• Brava (3R Petroleum)coreOthersBrava (listed as 3R Petroleum) is a member company of Refina Brasil. It is a publicly listed Brazilian company focused on oil and gas production and investment in and recovery of producing assets, specializing in efficient reservoir management and mature field development.
• Paraná XistocoreOthersParaná Xisto is listed as a member company of Refina Brasil on the Empresas Associadas page, specializing in shale oil production.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FuelsEurope: European petroleum refiners' association representing refining and marketing companies to EU institutions. Directly comparable to Refina Brasil as a refining-focused trade body advocating for fair competition and policy alignment.
• Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e Gás (IBP): Brazil's broader oil and gas industry association. It is the most directly comparable organization to Refina Brasil in scope and geography, although it represents the full O&G value chain rather than only private refiners.
• Australian Institute of Petroleum (AIP): Australian petroleum industry association covering refining, importing, and transportation. Comparable to Refina Brasil as a national refining-focused advocacy body with regulatory engagement as a core activity.
• Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA): U.S. trade association representing independent oil and natural gas producers. Closely analogous to Refina Brasil in representing smaller, non-major players seeking policy and market access against a dominant integrated incumbent.

Regional players

• ABICOM: Associação Brasileira dos Importadores de Combustíveis. Brazilian trade association for fuel importers — a different segment but operating in the same Brazilian fuels policy arena where Refina Brasil advocates.
• SINDICOM: Brazilian fuel distributors trade association. Operates in Brazil alongside Refina Brasil but represents the downstream distribution segment rather than refining, making it an adjacent rather than directly competing industry body.

Broad incumbents

• World Petroleum Council: International petroleum industry organization promoting dialogue across the oil and gas value chain. Comparable to Refina Brasil as a multi-stakeholder industry body, though at a global rather than national advocacy level.
• IPIECA: Global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues. Comparable to Refina Brasil as an international industry advocacy body, though IPIECA focuses on sustainability and ESG rather than refining-specific commercial policy.
• American Petroleum Institute (API): The largest U.S. oil and gas trade association, with a similar advocacy and standards-setting mandate to Refina Brasil but at a much larger scale and across the full petroleum value chain.
• Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP): Canadian upstream oil and gas industry association. Comparable to Refina Brasil as a national industry body that engages regulators and government on access, pricing, and competitiveness issues for its members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refinabrasil
• Instagraminstagram.com/refinabrasil
• Xx.com/RefinaBrasil
• Facebookfacebook.com/Refina-Brasil-100093101443363

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refina Brasil