OTC Brasil focuses on optimizing subsea production, regulatory regimes

OTC Brasil focuses on optimizing subsea production, regulatory regimes

OTC Brasil, in its inaugural year, brought together a bustle of eager attendees, over 400 exhibiting companies for a special focus on the unique challenges for E&P offshore Brazil and how those lessons learned can be applied to other deepwater developments around the world.

A key theme – discussed throughout several discussion panels and technical sessions—is the need to for advancements in the infrastructure of subsea processing technology. Both in terms of safety and productivity, companies such as BP Angola’s Sonangol, Aker Solutions, Eni, Hess and Wellstream discussed new technologies being developed to boost subsea pressure and separation, and transportation systems.

The day’s opening session brought together a panel from Brazil’s ANP and OGX, and BP to discuss how Brazil is crafting its regulatory structure and how the country has considered recent events, such as the Macondo blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, in planning its offshore developments. With a a heavy focus – and balance – on financial and safety— responsibilities placed on companies operating in ever-deeper prospects, ANP’s Magda Chambriard explained the agency’s policy of focusing on auditing company’s plans regularly – and thoroughly – in still a culture of pre-emptive safety considerations. The panel also discussed Brazil’s plans of committing to local content when possible and enforcing outside company’s agreements to honor local content.

During one luncheon, Shell’s Maria Pena discussed the challenges of the Parque das Conchas deepwater project and how advances in subsea separation and offshore processing and storage capacity will optimize the current 70,000-bpd project. Another luncheon reviews the changes BP has made globally in its infrastructure and company guidelines for deepwater operations.