The Brazilian Energy Matrix is known to be one of the most renewable of the world. Due to the size of the oil reserves found in the Pre-salt fields doubts are pointed if these energy and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions pattern will remain. The scientific goal of this article is to identify the historical profile of the sector's fugitive GHG emissions due to the oil & gas production, refining and transportation in Brazil from 1990 to 2008, period of time before the Pre-salt layer hydrocarbon resources exploration. Here we show that the total GHG emissions increased around 115% from 1990 to 2008 - an annual emission increase of 8.2 million tCO2. However, the GHG intensity per ton oil equivalent produced was reduce by 32%.
Climate change; oil & natural gas; Fugitive greenhouse gas emissions; Presalt layer
