Qatar: Petrobras’ Director Wins Prize at 20th World Petroleum Congress

Petrobras' Director Wins Prize at 20th World Petroleum Congress

Petrobras’ Director for Exploration and Production, Guilherme Estrella, won the 2011 Dewhurst award at the 20th World Petroleum Congress (WPC) in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, Dec. 8. The award is named after Thomas Dewhurst, who created the first WPC back in 1933.

World Petroleum Congress President Randell Gossen pointed out that the Dewhurst Award both recognizes and celebrates the geologist’s contribution to the industry. “Guilherme Estrella has dedicated his life to the oil industry both in Brazil and abroad, and was sure that oil was first and foremost in people’s minds,” he said.

Guilherme  Estrella said he felt honored to have been chosen for the prestigious award. “Thomas Dewhurst, also a geologist, worked in the industry for over 45 years. I am thankful to Petrobras, where I have worked for so many years and where has given me so many opportunities. I also thank my colleagues,” he said.

In his speech, “The Oil Industry and Global Citizenship – The need for them together,” Estrella spoke about the changes that have taken place in society over the past few years and on how the new media channels have influence the new generation. “It is not enough to provide energy to billions of people. We need to encourage more distribution of wealth and reduce inequality. The younger generation is more critical of the oil companies and have asked for more information. This new generation is now part of our organization and implements more transparent, environmental and socially responsible decision-making processes,” he said. After the ceremony, Renato Bertani, a former Petrobras executive elected WPC president for the next three years, congratulated the director on his achievement.

Innovation and Youth

Petrobras stood out during the four days of the Congress with work link to the latest industry trends. Many of them were presented by young Company employees, in line with one of the characteristics of the World Petroleum Congress to encourage the exchange of views on the future of energy among the youth.

The Congress hosted the debate titled “Youth in the Future of Energy- An Overview of the Different Scenarios for the Future of Energy and the Impact on the Next Generation,” which was attended by Petrobras’ CEO, José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo. The CEO underlined the need to create teams of professionals with different profiles and backgrounds so both sides can learn. Gabrielli said it is important not to repeat previous mistakes and to be more careful with society and the environment. “The world needs more energy, and young people need to reconcile the supply of energy with preserving the environment,” he said.

On Thursday, Petrobras’ CEO was also a speaker at the “The relationship between strong Governance, Social Responsibility and Sustainability” plenary session. In his presentation, he pointed out the need for companies to draw closer to their audiences. “Any large corporation has to commit to giving back not only to shareholders, but to society. We must increasingly involve all stakeholders in the Company’s decision-making process through communication channels,” he noted.

During the session titled “Technology and Innovations in Upstream,” Petrobras Research Center’s manager for rock-fluid interaction, Priscilla Moczydlower, presented a paper on the Future Vision in Exploration and cited two innovative examples. Through the permanent 4D seismic system deployed in the Jubarte field, by reading the reservoir in time (the fourth dimension), it will be possible to manage the reservoir more effectively to maximize recovery. This is the first time this technology is applied in deep waters, and the system will be interconnected to platform P-57.

Another example was the reduction of both time and cost in drilling wells in the pre-salt layer. According to Moczydlower, it was necessary to overcome a difficult scenario involving water depth and salt plasticity to optimize well design. “Petrobras managed to achieve a dramatic reduction in mean drilling time between 2009 and 2011, and we plan to reduce this further. One of the studies conducted to secure this reduction was the drilling of three directional “learning wells” that served as a base for research: a well drilled onshore, a second one in shallow waters, and a third, which was the first horizontal well ever drilled in the pre-salt cluster.

Patricia Santos, an engineer working for the Gas & Energy area, presented a study on non-conventional raw materials for petrochemicals. The work was based on monitoring  three sources used by the petrochemical industry: unconventional gas in the United States, ethanol in Brazil and coal in China. According to Patricia, this is a dynamic market, and changes in raw material pricing demand attention.

New Technologies

The Procap Future Vision program was presented by the coordinator of the project, Petrobras Research Center researcher Orlando Ribeiro, who highlighted a few flagship projects such as laser drilling. Still in an early stages of development, the project projects the emission of an intermittent laser beam during drilling aimed at weaken the rock and accelerating the work of the drill bit.

Ribeiro also brought projects that are still being studied in the nanotechnology field to the Congress . “This is a very promising area that Petrobras is beginning to study and features almost unlimited possibilities,” he said. Ideas that are being studied include the possibility of substituting high-cost duplex steel tubes for standard steel tubes coated with a layer of paint containing nanotechnology that would not only be resistant to corrosion but also even be able to repair itself.

Governance and Sustainability

The general manager of Petrobras Mexico, Milton Costa Filho, took part as a moderator in the debate titled “The Changing Role of National Oil Companies (NOCs).” Costa pointed out that the world now has a population of 7 billion people, and is expected to reach 9 billion in a few decades. “The NOCs are responsible for about two-thirds of the world oil and gas reserves and need to get massive investments in the coming years to ensure the world’s energy supply,” he said. The manager also addressed the need for change among the NOCs. “The national oil company era is nearing its end. We are witnessing the beginning of the national energy company (NECs) era, which will need to meet the demands imposed by energy transition and climate change,” he said. Milton Costa Filho was elected the Brazilian representative on the WPC Program Committee for the next edition of the event, scheduled for 2014. Beatriz Espinosa, Petrobras’ Manager for Health, Safety, Environment and Energy Efficiency (HSEE), presented the Company’s strategy in relation to climate change. The initiatives include investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy and in reducing emissions.

Petrobras’ delegation had other representatives taking part in round table discussions and panels on various topics, such as new exploration frontiers, onshore and offshore technology, refining, energy efficiency, sustainability, alternative energy, governance and climate change.

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Offshore Energy Today Staff, December 9, 2011; Image: Petrobras