RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Some 10,000 employees of Brazil's Petrobras, or 22% of its workforce, have accepted voluntary buyouts, Chief Executive Roberto Castello Branco said on Wednesday, as the state-run oil company intensifies its quest to slim down and refocus on core businesses.In a webinar hosted by Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico, Castello Branco said the deadline for employees to sign up for the program was Tuesday. "Aviation kerosene hasn't recovered. The employee, who worked at the company's iconic downtown Rio de Janeiro headquarters, was diagnosed with the virus before returning to work, Petrobras said. That's a doubt we have, if it will recover like before. "Aided by a massive divestment program which will see employees in many units working for new owners, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, should have about 30,000 employees long-term, versus over 45,000 today, he said.On a separate webinar, Chief Financial Officer Andrea Almeida said Petrobras plans to give more time for potential investors to make offers for the company's assets, including for its refineries and stakes at its petrochemical and fuel distribution affiliates.The divestment of Petrobras' stake in petrochemical company Braskem SA in 2020 would be desirable but "might not be possible" as the new coronavirus has changed market conditions, she said. — Reuters pic. FILE PHOTO: A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at their headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil October 16, 2019. REPAR in southern Parana state will be the next to go to the market in the coming weeks, Castello Branco said.The fuel market is expected to improve in the second half of the year and demand may eventually recover to pre-pandemic levels, but prices are expected to remain lower, Almeida said, adding that Petrobras hit records for crude and fuel exports in May.While demand for gasoline has recovered in past weeks and other fuels are expected to do the same, that does not apply to aviation fuel. "We have approximately 10,000 people signed up, which means 22% of Petrobras' employees are going to leave the company," he said. The worker "is in good health, at home and being monitored by Petrobras' health teams."

The rest will leave by December, and a smaller part will leave in 2021.

We use cookies in a variety of ways to improve your experience, such as keeping NHST websites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads and to analyse how our sites are being used. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes In a teaser announcement,Upstream is part of NHST Global Publications AS and we are responsible for the data that you register with us, and the data we collect when you visit our websites. "Two thousand left over the course of the year. Oil workers march during a protest against layoffs at state oil company Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. For more information and how to manage your privacy settings, please refer to our privacy and cookie policies.Asset sale: Petrobras headquarters in Rio de Janeiro Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. — Petrobras, more commonly known as simply Petrobras (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˌpɛtɾoˈbɾas ]), is a semi-public Brazilian multinational corporation in the petroleum industry headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.The company's name translates to Brazilian Petroleum Corporation — Petrobras. "(Reporting by Sabrina Valle and Gram Slattery; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Marguerita Choy)FILE PHOTO: People walk in front of the headquarters of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobas) in Rio de JaneiroCOVID-19: Singapore confirms 81 new cases; 10 imported cases from a vessel which arrived on 8 AugTrump Speechless After Reporter Asks If He Regrets ‘All the Lying’ (Video)End of an era as Barca humiliation makes revolution the only option'Fortnite' app removal threatens social lifeline for young gamersSingapore’s Temasek buys stake worth US$3.5 billion in BlackRockHong Kong police arrest eighth student involved in alleged bullying of 13-year-old boy who refused to buy a HK$700 mealYouTuber Chloe Ting defends her workout videos and hits back at bodybuilder’s accusationsToyota and Mazda invest another $830 million into Alabama crossover plantAll flats in HDB’s latest BTO exercise oversubscribedLiverpool boss Klopp named Premier League Manager of the SeasonUniqlo to launch Airism Mask in Singapore on 24 AugustAP FACT CHECK: Trump skews record on Biden-Harris, economy Some have already left, while most will leave the company later this year or in 2021. RIO DE JANEIRO, May 15 — Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras reported a steep net loss for the first quarter of the year yesterday and warned more heavy losses were on the horizon because of the coronavirus pandemic. By Sabrina Valle and Gram Slattery. In a teaser announcement, "The employee wasn't in the company's installations after being infected," Petrobras said. RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Some 10,000 employees of Brazil's Petrobras, or 22% of its workforce, have accepted voluntary buyouts, Chief Executive Roberto Castello Branco said on Wednesday, as the state-run oil company intensifies its quest to slim down and refocus on core businesses.

in Rio de Janeiro Brazilian oil giant Petrobras has unveiled plans to divest an operating stake in an exploration block in the Santos basin pre-salt province. A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at their headquarters in Rio de Janeiro October 16, 2019. State-controlled company to potentially offload its entire stake in pre-salt tract in the Santos basinBrazilian oil giant Petrobras has unveiled plans to divest an operating stake in an exploration block in the Santos basin pre-salt province.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Coronavirus outbreaks at a number of platforms operated by Brazil's Petrobras hit production in the second quarter, the company said on Tuesday, though the firm indicated output may improve in certain regions. The same applies to its stake in fuel distribution firm Petrobras Distribuidora SA , Almeida said, adding that the company plans to have closed part of its refinery sales in 2021.Petrobras received last week binding offers for its Bahia refinery, the first refining unit the state-controlled producer plans to sell.