▁and ▁pir ang ▁( red ) ▁to ▁mean ▁“ red ▁river ”. ▁ ▁History ▁Dest ilar ia ▁Rio - Gr and ense ▁de ▁Pet ró le o ▁S . A ., ▁the ▁first ▁Brazil ian ▁dist illery , ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁by ▁Brazil ian ▁and ▁Argent in ian ▁invest ors ▁in ▁U rugu a iana , ▁state ▁of ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁do ▁Sul . ▁The ▁dist illery ▁produced ▁full - scale ▁gas oline , ▁k eros ene , ▁dies el ▁oil , ▁and ▁fuel ▁oil . ▁In ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁the ▁own ers ▁of ▁Dest ilar ia ▁Rio - Gr and ense ▁de ▁Pet ró le o ▁partner ed ▁with ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Uruguay an ▁invest ors ▁and ▁created ▁I p ir anga ▁SA , ▁a ▁Brazil ian ▁oil ▁company . ▁The ▁new ▁company ▁was ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁Rio ▁Grande . ▁On ▁September ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁the ▁Re fin aria ▁de ▁Pet ró le o ▁Ri og rand ense ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁U rugu a iana . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Comp anh ia ▁Brasile ira ▁de ▁Pet ró le o ▁I p ir anga ▁( B raz ilian ▁Corporation ▁of ▁I p ir anga ▁O il ) ▁was ▁founded ▁under ▁Dest ilar ia ▁Rio - Gr and ense ▁de ▁Pet ró le o ▁S . A . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁I p ir anga ▁opened ▁its