State-owned firm Petrobras intends to rival BP and ExxonMobil as its output rises in the coming years, the company's refining chief Paulo Roberto da Costa has announced.

Speaking to Bloomberg, the executive said that he has been impressed by BP's trading model, with Petrobras becoming increasingly focused on permanent offshore trading.

"We are working to expand our trading beyond what we need for our own internal operations," he said.

Meanwhile, the company will also follow Exxon's lead by shipping oil exports to countries that have the biggest margins in order to maximise revenues.

Petrobras has access to vast ultra-deepwater fields that are trapped below a thick layer of salt.

The technical proficiency needed to access this pre-salt oil has led to an intensified demand for subsea oil training and cooperation with international firms that are skilled in ultra-deepwater upstream operations.

To service this demand for oil training, the company has established Petrobras University, an award-winning school providing broad educational support to prepare domestic students for a career in the oil and gas industry.

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