Petrobras Develops Technology to Cut GHG
A new technology to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) is developing a demonstration scale in Shale Industrialization Unit (SIX) in Paraná, in partnership with Petrobras Research Center (Cenpes). Called CO2 capture, this technology is being tested in a prototype fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCC) - process that transforms heavy oil lighter oil derivatives. This is the first unit to preindustrial scale of FCC in the world using oxyfuel technology (replacement of air used in the combustion of fuels by pure oxygen) for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) gas released during the industrial refinery processes. The FCCs are very important units in the production process of derivatives…
Brazil Offshore: Petrobras & Subsea Engineering
Brazil’s Petrobras has been one of the leading players in deepwater, subsea development projects since the turn of the century. These projects include pre-salt and post-salt plays, which require extensive and complex subsea engineering and construction efforts. It would be impossible for Petrobras to develop all of its projects alone, therefore much is done by specialized companies, mostly of foreign origin. “We could not have advanced in this project (pre-salt) conventionally, developing the production individually. We needed a global vision of the projects, starting from a high level plan,” said José Formigli, Petrobras’ Executive Director of E&P, speaking of the primary plan for the development of the pre-salt at the Santos Basin, the Plansal, which was created in 2008.
ABS Supports Developments Offshore Brazil
New discoveries of giant oil and gas field discoveries offshore Brazil have operators venturing into deeper water while committing expanded E&P budgets for developments in frontier regions. The Campos Basin remains the greatest focus of exploratory activity, with the Santos Basin to the south and Espirito Santo Basin to the north also seeing activity. Ship-shaped floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessels remain the preferred development option for these frontier prospects, with ABS the leading classification society of choice for FPSO conversions for offshore Brazil, says João Carlos Pacheco, ABS Brazil country manager.
