The Brazilian Institute of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (IBP) began this Tuesday (07/30) the discussions that will be deepened during Rio Pipeline 2019 - the largest international event of the pipeline industry -, which will take place between 03 and September 5th, in Rio de Janeiro. The warm-up event, attended by executives from the pipeline sector, addressed issues such as the challenges and opportunities of the sector in the face of a transition scenario in the mid and downstream segments in the country.

During the opening, Milton Costa Filho (photo), IBP's secretary general, presented the goals and importance of Rio Pipeline and was excited about the possibility of this edition being the best of recent times. "The moment could not be more favorable, as we are facing significant changes in the market. In addition to privatization, this opening process brings up the search for greater competitiveness in the sector, which includes the need to build teams with qualified professionals. to meet the new demands that will arise. All of this, aligned with a moment of energy transition and digital transformation, makes the current scenario the best scenario for Rio Pipeline 2019, "he said.

The advancement of discussions about the occurrence of fuel theft and accidents resulting from clandestine diversions is at the center of the operators' concern. Actions to combat this practice reinforce the need to develop intelligence and security programs to ensure the protection of life, the environment, the energy security of the country, and the integrity of the facilities.

Thus, thinking about containing the frequent thefts of fuel in pipelines, Mauro Mendes, Petrobras' executive logistics manager, presented the Integrated Pipeline Protection Program, Pró-Dutos, a partnership between the state company and Transpetro. "Pró-Dutos, launched in June, aims to prevent fuel theft in the pipeline network operated by Transpetro," he explained. "Our goal is to reduce thefts by 75% by December 2021, thereby minimizing risk, operating safely and avoiding the impacts of clandestine activities, as thefts often cause leaks of products that contaminate the soil and can result in explosion, endangering society, the environment and corporate assets, "Mendes added.

In addition to the Integrated Pipeline Protection Program, Mauro Mendes commented on the significant steps Brazil has been taking in relation to the development of the natural gas and refining and logistics markets. According to the executive, Petrobras will invest about US $ 1.4 billion in refining and US $ 370 million in logistics in the coming years.Still thinking about the logistics sector, Antonio Rubens, Transpetro's president, said that the company, Petrobras' logistic arm, has been preparing for this new moment of transition. "We are preparing to take a new step, focusing on positioning ourselves as a logistics service provider, always maintaining the excellence of our operations," he said.

Wong Loon, president of NTS, also addressed the importance of prioritizing and investing in security and stressed that this area needs to be linked to a governance and compliance system. "NTS expects to invest R $ 900 million over the next five years as it seeks to become more efficient and prepares for the future expansion of the network and attract new customers," he said.

According to Gustavo Labanca, CEO of the Associated Gas Transporter (TAG), the company also intends to prepare to operate in the new gas market and become relevant within five years. "The challenge is to bring new customers to the gas transmission network in the country," he explained.

For Wagner Biasoli, president of Logum - which operates the largest ethanol pipeline in the country - the scenario is more promising for ethanol in the coming years, driven by RenovaBio, a policy to stimulate the expansion of biofuels. "In this way, the company is organized to resume the expansion of its network," he concludes.

Finally, TBG CEO Ivan de Sá showed how the company has been working on a new input and output model. "This new model is a joint work with the ANP, a big step to bring more dynamics to the Brazilian gas market. It is an excellent opportunity to reduce unit cost, enabling greater demand for the sector," he said.

Rio Pipeline, which is sponsored by Rosen, Aveva, ENGIE, NTS, TBG, Intero, Trapil, Plural and Worley, will have a diverse program of lectures, exhibitions, short courses and workshops. Registration for the event is now open at http://www.riopipeline.com.br/