Shares of Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras (PBR) surged 6.01% in Friday's trading session, outperforming the broader energy sector. The Brazilian oil giant's stock rally comes on the heels of a significant announcement regarding its production capacity expansion.

Petrobras revealed that its new P-78 floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) unit is scheduled to commence production at the Buzios field by the end of the year. This development, along with the upcoming P-79 unit, is expected to substantially boost the company's production capacity in the medium term, according to company executives during a Friday conference call with analysts.

The market responded positively to this news, viewing it as a catalyst for Petrobras's future growth. The launch of the P-78 platform is seen as a strategic move to enhance the company's offshore operations and capitalize on Brazil's vast pre-salt oil reserves. This comes at a time when energy stocks are generally performing well, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index climbing 1.7% in late Friday trading.