Refinaria de Petróleos de Manguinhos (Refit)

On August 7, 2026, ANP revoked Refit’s operating authorisation after Brazil’s revenue service suspended its tax registration. The regulator said Refit had the opportunity to present its arguments. This was an administrative decision, not a criminal conviction.

State of the evidence

Official ANP decision in the context of earlier regulatory measures.

Legal status — source text

Licence revoked on August 7, 2026; any subsequent appeal not verified.

Attribution

Failure to meet the tax-registration condition for refinery authorisation.

On August 31, a Rio commercial court converted judicial recovery proceedings for several Refit group companies into bankruptcy. Prosecutors argued that the restructuring had failed and the tax liabilities had grown. A bankruptcy judgment is not a finding of personal criminal guilt by the executives.

State of the evidence

Ruling reported by Agência Brasil and confirmed by the MPRJ.

Legal status — source text

Commercial bankruptcy ruling dated August 31, 2026.

Attribution

Corporate insolvency and failure of restructuring proceedings.

On November 11, Rio prosecutors launched Operation Caronte against people and companies linked to Refit and fuel distributors. The MPRJ cited more than BRL 5.5 billion in alleged losses across several firms, and a larger BRL 15 billion scope in its subsequent briefing. The persons and legal entities involved must be distinguished; the operation does not by itself establish Refit’s corporate criminal liability.

State of the evidence

Two official MPRJ statements and Agência Brasil coverage.

Legal status — source text

Investigation into linked firms and individuals; no corporate criminal conviction established.

Attribution

Alleged tax avoidance and concealed financial flows in the related fuel supply chain.

Brazil’s ANP regulator temporarily shut Refit facilities on September 26, 2025 after finding regulatory irregularities. On October 25 it partly lifted the restrictions after the company met ten of eleven conditions, while keeping the distillation unit closed. These were administrative measures.

State of the evidence

Successive official regulatory releases.

Legal status — source text

Partial lifting of shutdown on October 25, 2025; administrative case continued.

Attribution

Regulatory non-compliance found during facility inspections.