A sponge that absorbs oil in cases of spillage and allows it to be reused, data analysis to give greater speed and safety for the projects, fully digital reproduction of platforms that allow to monitor on land how are the structures at sea, and technology that provides technical problems up to 14 days in advance.These were some of the innovative Brazilian solutions that caught the attention of buyers and international partners during OTC Houston, the world's largest oil and gas fair, which took place May 6-9 in Texas, United States. The companies were selected by the Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments (Apex-Brasil) to be part of the national pavilion, one of the most traditional of the fair.

Brazil is one of the great international actors when it comes to oil and this year a record number of 50 companies attended the fair to show what the country has the best in the oil production chain. "Last year we brought 33 companies to the fair and we are realizing that the world oil and gas market has rekindled and Brazil has been highlighted. The movement was intense in our pavilion, both of potential buyers and investors," said the coordinator Apex-Brasil Business Promotion, Flávia Egypto.

Offshore oil exploration is the specialty of Brazil, which currently has about 3% of total world production, ranking ninth in the world ranking of oil producers in 2018. When it comes to proven oil reserves, the country is in the 15th position in the world ranking, with 12.8 billion barrels of oil.

Radix, one of the companies that introduced innovative technology at the fair, says that currently 1/3 of the company's revenue comes from international revenues, but the goal is to increase that percentage to 50%. ""With our technology, the company is able to know up to 14 days in advance that one of its equipment needs maintenance. This makes the business safer and more profitable," explains Tárik Siqueira, Radix Oil and Gas Manager . "It's important to be part of a fair like this, because in addition to bringing new business, this strengthens the company's image," he adds.

The attraction of foreign investments to the country was also the focus of Apex-Brasil's performance, which assisted potential investors and organized seminars and presentations aimed at companies that intend to settle in the country or that seek partners to access the Brazilian market.On the first day of the conference, the executive secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Márcio Félix, and the director general of the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Décio Oddone, explained to journalists and businessmen how the auctions for oil extraction scheduled to take place in Brazil in October. The Brazilian government expects to raise approximately R $ 100 billion in these auctions to exploit volumes of oil and gas surplus from the Cession Onerosa contract, signed with Petrobras in 2010.

The presence of Brazil in the OTC Houston was organized by Apex-Brasil in partnership with several institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mines and Energy, the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI), the ANP, the National Confederation of Industry ), the National Petroleum Industry Organization (ONIP), Petrobras and the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP).

Internationalization

An internationalization mission, organized in partnership with the Trade Promotion Sector of the Houston Consulate, and aimed at companies that are ready to expand their international trade and open operations in the United States, took place before the event, May 2-4, with the participation of 45 executives from 20 companies.The objective was to show the interested entrepreneurs a little more in depth how the North American market works, even providing a business immersion in the largest oil producer in the world today.

"It was very important for us to take part in the mission because we had access to professionals who will help us in Human Resources, understand the American legislation and the accounting part as well.In addition, we were able to hear from companies that are already here what were their mistakes and correct and prepare us better for this endeavor, "explains Ricardo Argolo, executive director of Smar, Brazilian company of technological solutions for automation and control of industrial processes.