Petrobras introduces innovations to reduce oil and gas projects emissions
Efficient projects in the oil & gas industry are the fastest way to create low-carbon energy ecosystems and ensure energy transition. Some of these projects were presented Monday, 1 May, by the Chief Engineering, Technology and Innovation Officer at Petrobras, Carlos Travassos, in the panel ‘Brazilian Energy Outlook: Strengthening the Offshore Activities’, during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), held in Houston, Texas, this week.
On the occasion, the officer highlighted that Petrobras and Brazil have all the requirements to become leaders in the production of oil and gas with low emissions and high profitability, creating the necessary path for a fair, inclusive, and safe energy transition, which fulfills the expectations of society as a whole. One example is the revitalisation project for the Marlim fields in the Campos Basin (RJ). “This is a great example of double resilience: lower emissions and lower costs. By replacing the nine platforms currently operating in the Marlim fields and by two new FPSOs, we will reduce 60% of carbon emissions and increase production in these fields by 20%,” says Mr Travassos. He also adds that the FPSO Anna Nery, the first of the revitalisation project, is ready to start operations in the next few days and the second platform, Anita Garibaldi, is anchoring at the location to start operating soon. Mr Travassos also mentioned a set of technologies that will make oil exploration and production activities more efficient. These solutions will reduce emissions by 15% in well construction processes, 18% in subsea systems processes and 30% in new FPSOs (floating production storage and offloading units).
In the panel, Mr Travassos also demonstrated that Brazil has all the favourable conditions for the development of offshore wind energy. Just as an example, the estimated generation potential of the country is 700GW in offshore locations with depths of up to 50m, a volume that corresponds to more than 30 times the generation capacity installed today in the world – according to data from the Energy Research Company (EPE), linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME). “We tick all the boxes, and we need to advance in technology, regulation and in the cost and infrastructure challenges”, he adds. Finally, the Executive Officer reinforced that both the transition to low carbon and energy security are strong demands of the society. “Therefore, the sustainable transition must happen in a way that is compatible with society’s most legitimate needs.”