OTC Brazil gives Petrobras an award for its unprecedented technological development in the Offshore industry

Petrobras received the award from the Brazilian section of the OTC (Offshore Technology Conference), the main oil and gas conference in the offshore industry, this Thursday (Oct 26). It was given to Carlos Travassos, the company's Director of Engineering, Technology and Innovation, during the closing ceremony of the event, in Rio de Janeiro. The award was in recognition of Petrobras developing an unprecedented technological solution that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase operational efficiency. It has been used successfully in the construction and drilling of wells in shallow waters in the Campos Basin, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
 
Petrobras has already received the Brazilian version of the OTC award twice – and the international version four times. “It is with great pride that we accept this award in the same year that the company celebrates its 70th anniversary. It is yet further recognition of the ability and dedication of our technical staff, who work tireless to deal with all challenges and find pioneering solutions. Over the last few decades, Petrobras has shaped its development by investing considerably in research, development and innovation, in partnership with universities, research institutions, startups and world-class suppliers. The OTC award shows once again that we are a global leader in developing cutting-edge technology for offshore use and it encourages us to continue developing disruptive innovation, based on the most rigorous environmental and safety standards”, said Mr. Travassos.
 
Reducing Costs and CO2 Emissions
 
In order to develop this new solution, Petrobras used a groundbreaking combination:  BOP (Blowout Preventer – safety equipment that controls well pressure) anchoring technology and real-time riser (column connecting the rig to the well) analysis. The main advantage of this combination is that it allows more modern dynamic positioning rigs to be used, rather than anchored rigs.  
 
Learn about the award-winning technology: First shallow water DP rig with BOP anchoring and real-time riser analysis
 
This new method reduces the drilling time in shallow water wells by seven days, resulting in reduced costs and 10% less in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it reduces the impact of anchoring on the seabed by 99%, compared to the use of traditional rigs, reducing the area of the seabed affected by the same proportion. Thanks to this, this new technology makes operations in congested or environmentally sensitive areas much more feasible.
 
Legacy for the offshore industry
 
This new solution has made it possible for rigs operating in deep water locations to operate in shallow water locations as well, as they can use the BOP anchoring to adjust. Thanks to this method, Petrobras carried out the first shallow water BOP anchorage in the world, without using anchoring vessels, which reduced costs and enabled them to operate wells that are hard to get to - a true legacy for the industry on a global scale.
 
Another advantage of this technology is the significantly better safety for these operations. Petrobras expects to make use of this new solution in more projects to revitalize mature oil fields and meet environmental requirements by drilling wells with the least possible impact.
 
Record of OTC Awards Received
 
OTC is considered the most important organization in the offshore industry, and Petrobras is receiving the Brazilian version of the award for the second time. The first award was received in 2019, in recognition of the set of technologies the company developed for production in the Libra block, in the pre-salt fields located in the Santos Basin.
 
In addition, Petrobras has also received four more international OTC awards: in 1992 (for innovations for the Marlim field, in the Campos Basin); in 2001 (for the technology used in Roncador, also located in that basin); in 2015 (for the state-of-the-art solutions used to make the Tupi field feasible, in the pre-salt fields located in the Santos Basin); and in 2020 (for the unprecedented methods devised to drive production in the Búzios pre-salt field, the largest in the world in ultra-deep waters).
 
Thanks to Petrobras’ technological development, which has been recognized by the many awards granted by OTC, the company has established itself as a global leader in terms of production in deep and ultra-deep waters, over the last few decades.