Published
29/10/2025 às 20:03
The Superior Court of Justice has once again suspended the activities of the Manguinhos Refinery, Refit, following a request from the Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury and a joint operation by the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels) and the Federal Revenue Service, which pointed to fiscal and technical irregularities.
A Manguinhos Refinery, known as RefitThe company has been shut down again just two days after resuming operations, following a decision by the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJRJ). Superior Court of Justice (STJ), through the president Herman Benjamin, fulfilled a request from National Treasury Attorney General’s Office (PGFN) and ordered a new suspension of the company’s operations.
The measure reverses the judge’s decision. Guaraci Vianna, which had authorized the reopening of the refinery last Monday (27). According to Benjamin, the case involves issues of public interest, such as operational safety and compliance with tax obligations, which justifies the immediate re-closure.
ANP and Federal Revenue Service point to serious irregularities in joint operation.
The refinery was the target of a joint operation between the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and IRS, carried out at the end of September. The action resulted in the suspension of Refit’s activities after the discovery of various technical and fiscal irregularities.
According to Director-General of ANP, Artur Watt NetThere was no “evidence that the refinery was actually refining fuel.” Inspections revealed indications that the company was importing practically finished products—such as gasoline and diesel fuel — and resold them as if they were refined locally.
Among the irregularities observed by the ANP were:
Failure to comply with fuel storage regulations. intended for three distributors;
Suspected illegal importation of gasoline., incorrectly classified as naphtha;
Use of unauthorized tanks and others who stored products with risk level higher than permitted;
Lack of concrete evidence of oil refining.suggesting that the main activity was not, in fact, being carried out.
These findings reinforced the PGFN’s argument for closing the unit, since regulatory and fiscal risks could compromise the security and control of the national energy sector.
The Rio government tried to keep the refinery operational, citing economic impact.
Despite suspicions raised by the ANP and the Federal Revenue Service, the government of Rio de Janeiro He advocated for the reopening of the refinery. The justification presented was the financial impact that the closure could have on state finances.
According to Attorney General of the State, Renan Miguel SaadThe halting of Refit would jeopardize an agreement that stipulated… monthly transfer of R$ 50 million to the government of Rio de Janeiro. The amount is related to the process of company’s judicial reorganization, which accumulates debts of nearly R$ 10 billion in taxes.
The refinery’s defense further argued that withholding supplies could jeopardize the progress of the financial restructuring plan and affect hundreds of direct and indirect jobs.
A previous decision by the Rio de Janeiro court called for a multidisciplinary technical assessment.
Before the STJ’s decision, the judge Guaraci de Campos Vianna had authorized the full resumption of Refit’s activities, on the condition that the refinery undergo a urgent technical expertiseThe objective would be to assess operating conditions, industrial safety, and compliance with tax and regulatory requirements.
The report should be delivered by five days…under penalty of a new interruption of operations. This decision, however, ended up being reversed by the higher court after an appeal by the Attorney General’s Office of the National Treasury.
A ANP, in turn, had released partially Operations on Saturday (25) allowed the operation of areas considered safe. However, after the new STJ ruling, all activities will be interrupted again until the analyses and any corrections required by the supervisory bodies are completed.
The new decision reinforces the role of ANP As the body responsible for ensuring that all refineries operating in the country comply with the technical and environmental standards required by law, the agency has intensified inspection efforts to curb irregularities. fuel market, a sector that generates billions of reais annually and is considered strategic for the national economy.
According to the ANP (National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels), the closure measures are preventive in nature and aim to ensure the integrity of operations, protect consumers and maintain the Transparency in the Brazilian energy sector.