At the Offshore Technology Conference 2021 this Tuesday (08/17), Petrobras presented the results of the digitization and application of new technologies for the development of the pre-salt.

The company's Production Development director, João Henrique Rittershaussen (photo), participated in the Conference and highlighted the innovations implemented to reduce exploratory risk, production start-up time, enable the production of new areas and reduce carbon emissions.

João Henrique mentioned 4D Seismic, which has contributed to a 30% reduction in the time devoted to geological modeling. The director also commented on the creation of “digital twins”, digital twins of production systems, which enable increased productivity, operational efficiency and optimization of maintenance processes.

“Our objective is to increase the value generation of the projects, reducing the time it takes to build FPSOs, increasing the efficiency of construction and interconnection of wells. And with that, we can be more competitive, attracting the best partners”, said Rittershaussen.

Petrobras' focus on dual resilience in future pre-salt projects was also addressed at the OTC. In terms of decarbonization, Petrobras is already among the energy companies with the least proportional emissions of greenhouse gases in the world. Emissions for each barrel produced by Petrobras have practically halved over the past 11 years. The company intends to further reduce emissions and, to this end, is investing in solutions for carbon capture and storage, as well as technologies to reduce flare-ups.

According to the director of Institutional Relations and Sustainability at Petrobras, Roberto Ardenghy, there is currently an apparent gap between the decarbonization proposals and the availability of technological resources. “To effectively achieve this goal, we need new technologies that meet this worldwide demand. For this reason, Petrobras is investing US$ 1 billion in environmental commitments between 2021 and 2025”, highlighted Ardenghy, in the second session this Tuesday, dedicated to the themes of innovation and digitization in the energy sector.

On the economic side, Petrobras also continually invests in technological projects to reduce the breakeven of its projects. They are solutions to accelerate their implementation, reduce the extraction cost (lifting cost) and increase the reservoir recovery factor. Through new technologies, it has already been possible to reduce the costs of construction and connection of injection wells and oil producers by 7% a year.

In the same session, the director of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Petrobras, Nicolás Simone, highlighted that the company has been going through a deep process of digital transformation, focused on “Be Digital”, through the adoption of agile methodology (with the formation of more than 250 agile teams), development of the digital mindset and cultural change. The director also highlighted the importance of developing an innovation ecosystem at Petrobras, led by the largest Research and Development Center in the Southern Hemisphere – Cenpes. Nicolás Simone clarified that with the intensive use of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, analitycs (more than 60 years of geological data), internet of things (from 5 to 40 thousand sensors per platform or refinery), a lot of technology and innovation, it generates more value for Petrobras, security in its operations, agility, sustainability and competitiveness for the business.

“Petrobras, as a technology company, continues to innovate to overcome challenges and conquer new paths for the business, with a focus on generating value and on its commitment to sustainability. Technologies developed by the company, such as CO2 reinjection and Hisep, demonstrate the company's power to always be one step ahead, ensuring efficiency, environmental compliance and safety in operations.”, highlighted Nicolás.

Petrobras bets on technology and innovation as leverage for its business. Until 2025 alone, the company will invest US$ 1.5 billion in technological solutions, reaffirming its leading role in the segment in Brazil. The solutions developed by Petrobras may benefit not only the company, but the gas and energy industry as a whole, generating demand for the supplier market and a return for society.