Investments were earmarked to build the Abreu e Lima (state of Pernambuco), Clara Camarao (state of Rio Grande do Norte), the Premium I (state of Maranhao) and the Premium II (state of Ceara) refineries, the Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex (COMPERJ) and the SUAPE Petrochemical Complex, in addition to a new nitrogenated fertilizer unit.

The investments also encompass product conversion and quality improvements at the existing refineries, the highlight of which is the Company's goal to produce diesel fuel and gasoline with lower sulfur contents, over and beyond investments in pipelines and terminals.

The processed oil load is expected to surge to 2.270 million barrels per day in 2013, and to 3.012 million barrels per day in 2020, up from the current 1.791 million barrels, an average annual growth of 4.8%. The new refining industrial units are slated to go on stream in 2010. The Clara Camarao Refinery is scheduled to start operating in 2010, Abreu e Lima in 2011, the Comperj in 2012, and, finally, the first phases of the Premium refineries are expected to go online in 2013.

The plan calls for 3% annual growth for derivatives in the domestic market, increasing from the 1.945-million-barrel-per-day mark set in 2008, to 2.257 million barrels per day in 2013, and 2.876 million barrels per day in 2020. The most consumed derivative will continue being diesel fuel, which is expected to balloon from the current 783,000 barrels per day to 901,000 barrels per day in 2013, and to 1.224 million barrels per day in 2020.

Strategies for the Downstream area

• Ensure access to the target oil, derivatives, and biofuels markets, expanding performance in trading and marketing.
• Develop trade and multimodal logistics partnerships, ensuring the placement of oil, derivatives, and biofuels in the target markets.
• Dimension the size of the oil tanker fleet, taking balance in market supply, reliability, costs, and operating safety into account.
• Grow refining capacity in Brazil and abroad, seeking balance with Petrobras' increased oil production and meeting the product quality levels the market demands.
• Supply, in an optimized manner, a product and service mix that is in accordance with the amounts and quality required by the target markets.
• Increase the production of basic petrochemicals and operate in the second generation and in biopolymers via participations in Brazil and abroad, seizing synergies with Petrobras System's other businesses.
• Boost fertilizer production to meet the Brazilian market's needs.
• Perform in the ethanol business, participating in the domestic productive chain and help develop the international markets.
• Perform in the biodiesel business, participating in the domestic productive chain and performing ively abroad, prioritizing the sustainable use of family agriculture feedstock.
• Ensure the development of competitive biodiesel production technologies, based, mainly, on residual biomass feedstock.