Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), has started debates about topics that will be exposed at O&G TechWeek 2019, the main discussion forum on its impacts on the O&G industry, to be held on August 26-30, at Rio de Janeiro. The warmup event gathered technology and innovation executives to discuss the challenges of oil and gas industry with the ultimate trends in technology and innovation of the new world of digital transformation.

During the opening, Melissa Fernandez, IBP technology and innovation manager, explained the meaning of O&G TechWeek. “To discuss new ideas and the industry 4.0 impact at oil and gas market will be our goal. Our challenge, however, is to think how to value those technologies and the digital transformation in the sector”, said.

According to Augusto Borella, Petrobras digital transformation manager and O&G TechWeek chairman, the future challenge of oil and gas market is relate to digital transformation and innovation. “Our sector began to experiment technologies and digital transformation lately. Thereby, the big challenge is to think how to transform a classic industry through a digitalization culture”, said.

Borella also highlighted is important change the attitude and to adopt technology into society relationship. “It’s essential to be open to the new and have a fluid process, integration between professionals and technology. People want to resolve their problems quickly and simplest. Innovation is impact other’s culture”, affirmed. “If data is the new oil, there’s no doubt we will get transformed digitally”, added.

To Tarcísio Romero, AVEVA digital acceleration consultant, digital transformation is changing processes and review working methods, based on digitalization. “It’s required to rethink and to reshape process from new technologies, with collaboration and perception of qualified professionals”, explained. Another aspect the executive described was the importance of combining engineering and design, what might ensure the operations process and asset support.

In addition to that, the specialists talked about the relevance of digital transformation in oil and gas companies. Leonildes Melo Filho, R&D Project Coordinator in Digitalization and Geosciences at Repsol Sinopec Brasil, displayed how the company is facing the challenges of digital transformation. “Repsol is investing more and more in research and development. It will be €300 million for digitalization until 2020. If we think in the year of 2022, the amount increases to €1.000 million. All these funding aims to invest on startups, universities and national projects, which, will be used and applied in the company”, said.

Finally, account manager at AVEVA, André Oberziner, indicated how the implementation of new technologies is able to generate relevant results to Brazilian oil and gas industry. Oberziner showcased the details of a project elaborated in partnership with Repsol Sinopec and Petrobras, which a digital twin of all Albacora Leste field recreate FPSO and risers, that connects the well to the platform. The goal is, in the next steps of the project, subsea equipment in the area also de digitally recreated.

The O&G Techweek 2019, that is sponsored by Petrobras, Tishman Speyer, Fábrica de Start ups, Repsol, SIEMENS, Aker, Aveva, Deloitte, Pepperl+Fuchs e PWC, has a diverse program, with lectures, new technologies exposition and startups meeting. The registration is open at the event website www.ogtechweek.com.br

Check out what’s coming to O&G TechWeek 2019

In the opinion of the president and CEO of Siemens Brazil, André Clark, the industry 4.0 has had unique effects and great impact in several other segments and it is possible to use it in the oil & gas industry. “A classic example of high efficiency are the FPSO scans. This is a ‘born-digital’ concept, which means the company designs the entire project digitally, creating the so-called ‘digital genius’. This digital twin feeds on platform data and creates a virtuoso cycle of rapid and accelerated development”, said Clark.

The managing partner of Deloitte, Ronaldo Fragoso, informed that the digital journey is only starting in Brazil. According to a Deloitte survey, 44% of the emergence of new products and services in Brazil are generated by the industry 4.0. “Organizations will have to get ready for this new ecosystem that involves a lot of people and will bring many benefits”, he warned.

Impacts on logistics infrastructure in Brazil

In a special session on the expansion of the fuel market and the logistics infrastructure in Brazil, the impacts and bottlenecks in the current scenario were presented, as they hinder a closer proximity between supply and demand in the country. A survey presented by Ricardo Catran, director Superintendent of Ultracargo, highlighted the actions required to address the shortage of fuel supply and boost imports. Catran pointed out the immediate need for investments to increase the ports’ storage capacity, representing an additional 1 million mᶟ by 2030, 25% of which until 2023. The expected amount for a new infrastructure would reach approximately R$ 4 billion.

As a leverage for the growth of fuel imports, Ricardo Mussa, vice president of Logistics and Trading at Raízen, stressed the importance of resuming activities without government intervention. According to Mussa, this measure, adopted since the truckers’ strike, has contributed to increasing uncertainty, reducing investments and inhibiting free competition. He also advocated an efficient pricing policy, with international parity, to promote a smooth functioning of the market and to maintain an investment-friendly environment.

Felipe Cury, director of ANP, spoke about the importance of a joint action to create a regulation that will encourage investments and a growing fuel demand for the coming years. According to ANP data, there is an investment estimate of 20 to 30 billion reais, earmarked exclusively to this field. Cury also pointed out that only 16% of the 60 ports are eligible and qualified for import, generating a huge bottleneck for the industry. “Envisaging the market that we really want is the first step. We need to go back to rationality and work with predictability, because it is not possible to put a price on uncertainties. Only then will we have a concrete path ahead of us”, he concluded.