During Rio Oil & Gas, which takes place September 15-18 in Rio de Janeiro, GE Oil & Gas (NYSE: GE) will present solutions for the Latin American oil and gas industry that focused on meeting customer needs. Today, companies face challenges to develop ways to remain competitive and to position for growth in a challenging environment with increasing production costs and a dwindling workforce pool. GE Oil & Gas is developing and implementing Industrial Internet solutions that will transform the work process, using data insights combined with significant industry knowledge.

GE Oil & Gas’ intelligent technologies support its customers 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 is an integrated acoustic solution for monitoring equipment and its surrounding environment. The sensor released at the event 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.

Reducing operating costs and CAPEX, increasing efficiency, operating in hostile environments, and workforce planning will all be part of the discussion at Rio Oil & Gas. GE’s Power Conversion business will present their electrifying processes and systems across offshore oil and gas exploration and production that will help the industry overcome some of these challenges, and in particular, enable new deepwater and ultra-deepwater reserves to be explored.

Research to Face Local Challenges

Brazil was chosen from more than 160 countries where GE is present to be the home to the company's fifth Global Research Center (GRC). The Center's first unit in Latin America—an investment of more than $250 million—will develop new technologies mainly to serve the growing infrastructure demands in Brazil and the region.

The operational model for GE's Research Center in Brazil was structured to meet the specific needs of local customers and partners, considering the various segments the company operates in and each one's priorities. Approximately 50 to 60 percent of the Center’s research will focus on developing oil and gas technologies to face industry challenges, a highly strategic market for the country and a primary reason a specific area at the Center has been dedicated to the segment.

The Subsea Laboratory received an investment of $20 million, which is part of the GRC investment, and will focus on developing advanced technology for ultra-deep water, pre-salt and offshore oil exploration to bring innovative solutions to the industry in order to fuel the future.