In November, Brent oil closed at $68.3 per barrel, the lowest price of the year, in a downward movement that influenced the decline in international fuel benchmarks, according to a survey by the Institute for Strategic Studies of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (Ineep). The prices charged by Petrobras in its refineries for gasoline and cooking gas remained above the international parity price (PPI), which follows the fall in the price of oil in the foreign market. The price of diesel in public refineries is lower than the international benchmark.
The drop in oil reduced the import parity price (PPI) of gasoline, calculated by the ANP, to R$2.45 per liter at the end of November, a decrease of 4.8% compared to the previous month. Despite this, Petrobras maintained the value in refineries at R$2.73, a level 11.8% above the PPI, even though it had already reduced the price in June and October. At the pump, the national average price changed little: R$6.19 in September, R$6.20 in October and R$6.17 in November, a period during which the distribution and resale margin decreased.
In the case of LPG, the PPI decreased slightly by 0.6%, from R$31.56 to R$31.37. Petrobras also kept its price unchanged, at R$34.68, 10.54% above the international benchmark for the third consecutive month. The average consumer price remained practically stable, closing the month of November at R$110.34, still above the maximum average of the last five years for the same period.
Diesel followed the opposite trajectory. The PPI fell by 1.2%, to R$3.50 per liter, while Petrobras kept its refineries at R$3.30, a value 5.66% lower than the international benchmark. In resale, the price remained stable: R$6.06 in September, R$6.05 in October and R$6.07 in November, with also a drop in the distribution and resale margin.
For Ineep, these movements show that, even if Petrobras has autonomy to define its pricing policy, it remains influenced by the international market. The bulletin, however, highlights that the expansion of national refining capacity and the strengthening of the distribution sector are essential measures to increase control of the final price of fuel for consumers.
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