When the Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras was founded in 1953, the goal then was to create an oil exploration and production monopoly. Today, the country’s biggest company is changing direction: the monopoly period is over, and Petrobras is striving to become a transnational corporation, competing against the world’s oil majors. ‘It is crucial now that we build on the advances we have made, and stay at the forefront of offshore research and development,’ says Claudio Siqueira Vianna, head of exploitation at CENPES, Petrobras’ Research and Development Centre.
Over the past few years, Petrobras has made important hydrocarbon discoveries in constantly deeper waters, and is recognised as one of the worlds most advanced companies in the deepwater sector. Says Vianna, The company is spending around US$ 200 million per year on research and development, and this will continue to ensure we become the leader in this area of technology.
According to Vianna the company owes its performance record to its determination to develop new technologies. In 1996, the companys technical training centre became the Centre for Research and Development, CENPES.
Says Vianna, After the company centred its attention on the Campos Basin, Petrobras R&D began to focus on offshore production, especially in deep and ultra-deep waters. Thus Petrobras programme for Technological Innovation on Deepwater Exploitation Systems PROCAP was created to develop the necessary technology for producing at water depths of up to one thousand metres. That programme was followed by PROCAP 2000, aiming now at the 2,000m water depth target.
Extensive certification
Petrobras research and development centre is equipped with the latest in oil technology. All technological investment occurs in parallel to investment in quality and environmental protection. In 1998, thirteen ISO 9000 certificates were received, including certification of the logistics and commercialisation process for the companys main products. The 50 certificates earned since 1994 encompass production, storage, transportation, distribution and marketing of gasoline, diesel, lube oils, paraffins, jet fuel, solvents, bunker oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and fertilisers.
Recently, Det Norske Veritas was assigned to carry out ISO 9000 certification relating to three sectors of CENPES. The Basic Engineering Department provides basic engineering design of oil and gas and process industry installations. RETEP (Well Engineering Technology Network), provides design and development of drill engineering and related laboratory services. And the latest ISO 9000 certificate was awarded in March 2000 to DIPLOT/SEMEC Department, which provides magnetic pig inspection services. Commenting on the certification process, DNVs Lincoln Mojon says the certification process is a standard type of work. The process starts with a pre-assessment of the quality system, when we review the documentation and make a general evaluation of the system.
Then we carry out the initial audit. If any problems are reported during this audit, the company has to solve them before it receives the certificate. After the findings are closed, the certificate is issued, valid for three years. During this period, maintenance audits are carried out every six months. This is a standard process, and is being done for the three units of CENPES independently. The objective of CENPES is to obtain ISO 9000 certification of all departments.
Meanwhile Petrobras pioneering deepwater developments are moving ahead. The company recently put its record-breaking Roncador field on production, just three years after its discovery. The first phase of the development focuses on the north eastern sector of the field in water depths varying between 1,500 and 1,590m. This area will eventually produce about 180,000b/d from 21 producing and five injections wells.
The second and third development phases will focus on the south eastern and south western sectors of the field. The Roncador development has beaten Petrobras previous record for deep water development that was set in August 1997 for the Marlim South field, in 1,709m of water.
Continues Vianna, Increasingly, oil production from ultra-deepwaters has become the new challenge to be met by the industry. With the depletion of our onshore and shallow offshore reserves, the industrys path has been to undertake oil exploration in ever-deeper waters.
The new challenges have required new technological solutions to be found, either by adapting existing technologies or by developing new alternatives, so as to make it possible to produce oil in extremely adverse conditions.