The need to increase energy supply, combined with a long-term vision toward a low-carbon economy, characterizes the discussions.
T&B Petroleum/Press Office IBP
The oil and gas sector is essential for economic growth, energy security, and energy transition. In this context, the decarbonization of the sector was a highlight during the second day of OTC Brazil. Alberto Ferrin, President of ExxonMobil in Brazil, emphasized, in a discussion with the President of the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), Roberto Ardenghy, the company's long-term vision in the global energy market.
According to Ferrin, the perspective is that renewable energies will have a greater share, but exploration and production activities in oil and gas will continue to play a crucial role in society.
"By 2050, there will be an additional 2 billion people on the planet, which is a 25% increase, along with improved living standards. For ExxonMobil, this will fuel the consumption of all types of energy," the executive highlighted.
Petrobras Reduces Emissions by 30% with Electrified Equipment
Carlos Travassos, Director of Engineering, Technology, and Innovation at Petrobras, stated that decarbonization and energy transition will be led globally by the Oil and Gas sector. Electrification is a short-term trend that Petrobras is working on. "We have already reduced 30% of our emissions with electrified equipment," he revealed.
In the renewable energy sector, Travassos mentioned Petrobras' interest in offshore wind units. He emphasized that the company has the expertise to lead this market. "We are studying our involvement in the offshore wind sector in the long term. We have all the expertise to support Brazil in the field of renewable energy generation," he concluded.
Existing Technologies Support Decarbonization
In the current energy segment's production chain, around 70% of the equipment is already planned and operates with a focus on global decarbonization. This is the assessment of Armando Juliani, Leader of EAD Solutions at Siemens Energy. "Electrification is a path to reduce emissions in certain industries, such as the automotive sector." João Caldas, Leader of Analytics, New Technologies, and Innovation at Casa dos Ventos, noted that by 2050, "we have seen a 90% growth in renewables on the grid in the last decade," he analyzed.
Pre-salt is Secure for Carbon Storage
There are various mechanisms for carbon capture and storage (CCUS) in the pre-salt reservoirs, which can be safely managed in the view of Jorge Pizarro, Reservoir Control Coordinator at PPSA. "We have great prospects for CCUS programs for the pre-salt in the next 20-30 years. There will be advancements in offshore technology and economic studies to make the projects viable," Pizarro assessed. Currently, Petrobras has the world's largest CCUS project in the pre-salt, with 23 platforms equipped with storage systems. More than 40 million tons of CO2 have been reinjected into the reservoirs by 2023, and the goal is to reach 80 million by 2025.
Energy Integration Challenges
Energy integration challenges in Brazil were also discussed on the second day of OTC Brazil. Márcio Félix, CEO of EnP, emphasized that there is much work to be done to promote better integration between different energy sources. "We will have the option of electric cars, and we have thousands of refueling stations, along with a strong biofuels sector. We need to balance existing infrastructure and new infrastructure," he stressed.
Importance of the Mero Field
Operated by Petrobras and partners, the Mero field in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin is considered the "state of the art" in the global oil and gas industry. On the eve of celebrating its 10th anniversary at OTC 2023, the FPSO Guanabara, the largest in operation in the country, achieved a record production of 180,000 barrels of oil and 12 million cubic meters of gas per day. With the entry into production of the FPSO Sepetiba in the Mero field, production capacity will increase to 630,000 barrels per day by 2025.
The field will have five integrated subsea systems by 2025 and will operate with new technologies to maximize its capacity, such as 4D artificial intelligence for geoscientific data collection. Other innovations in the project include the adoption of the Wag loop and a fully integrated subsea well system.
Spotlight on New Technology® Awards
At the end of the second day of OTC Brazil, the top cases of recent and most advanced technologies to guide the offshore industry in the coming years were awarded.
The winners of the Spotlight on New Technology® Awards are:
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OTC Brazil 2023
Date: October 24-26, 2023
Location: ExpoMag, Rio de Janeiro
Information on the latest available tickets can be found here.
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