If the expected increase in Brazilian oil production continues, Brazil will become a crude oil exporter by 2018, with a forecasted export volume of between 1.5-2MMb/d, Magda Chambriard, General Manager of the ANP (Brazil's National Petroleum Agency), said at the start of the Rio Oil & Gas conference this week.
Brazil currently produces 2.2MMboe/d. It was also announced by the ANP during the opening ceremony that the 13th Bidding Round will be held in the first semest of 2015.
During the talk on infrastructure for transport and distribution of oil products in Brazil, it became clear that there is a great need to upgrade the country’s logistics infrastructure, which should be treated as a priority by the government in order to increase Brazil’s competitiveness in the international market and to attract new investments.
A study by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), was highlighted by Magda Chambriard. BNDES shows that there are around US$244 billion earmarked for investment in Brazil’s oil and gas sector between 2014-2017. “It’s an immense number when compared to investments in any sector in any country in the world,” Chambriard said. She also went on to explain that the ANP expects to include new areas in the eastern margin of the Brazilian coast in the 13th Round.
Simulators and high tech products proved to be the first day's highlights with the ANP and Petrobras true standouts. Petrobras’ Virtual Rig allowed visitors to use kinetic movement sensors, developed for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, to interactively control rig machinery. There was also an opportunity to take a 3D tour of the Lula pre-salt field, located in the Santos Basin. At the ANP booth interactive maps were also used, along with a wide range of rocks on display, including carbonate rocks from the deepwater pre-salt.
GE Oil & Gas showcased its suite of intelligent technologies to maximize production, extend important operational asset lifetime and reduce operating costs. Some of these Industrial Internet solutions help facilitate faster and more reliable decision making, including: Sealytics BOP Advisor, Field Vantage, LNG Max Reliability, Naxys A10 and System 1 Fleet Management. The Naxys A10, for example, is an integrated acoustic solution for monitoring equipment and its surrounding environment. The sensor released at the Rio O&G 2014 uses acoustic sensing to identify potential problems related to subsea operations and to find any leaks that may be harmful to the environment. Qualified according to the ISO 13628-6, the system is capable of processing resident data, analyzing results and sending the information to the surface in real time. The use of this solution allows the operator to make faster and reliable decisions, increasing the operational efficiency of their equipment.
This year’s Rio Oil and Gas event is the biggest yet and is geared towards showcasing cutting-edge technology for the oil and gas industry. Altogether, there are 1300 oil companies, service providers, as well as Brazilian and international institutions present at the event, and 14 international pavilions with booths from the following countries: UK, Norway, France, China, Germany, Denmark, United States, Italy, Argentina, Austria, Finland, Poland, Singapore and the Netherlands.
Image from IBP.
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