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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Can Digital Twins Fuel Petrobras’ Production Surge?

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Petrobras Leverages Digital Twin Technology to Revolutionize Offshore Oil Production

Petrobras PBR, the Brazilian oil and gas giant, has made a significant leap forward in its offshore operations by implementing a cutting-edge digital twin prototype. This innovative technology, successfully tested on the Cidade de Anchieta and P-57 FPSO platforms in the Jubarte field, located in the pre-salt and post-salt layers offshore Espírito Santo, is poised to boost production efficiency by a remarkable 1%.

Developed over two years by Engineering Simulation and Scientific Software, a Brazilian company, this digital twin technology has been validated and is now ready for widespread deployment across Petrobras’ extensive network of offshore wells.

Key Takeaways:

  • Digital twin technology holds the key to optimizing and enhancing oil and gas production. This virtual replica of a physical system allows for real-time monitoring, simulations, and optimization of the entire production process, from the seabed to the surface.
  • Petrobras’s digital twin technology, named Lift and Flow, has already demonstrated its potential by increasing efficiency in the crucial lift and flow process. This critical phase involves transporting oil from the bottom of the wells to the production platforms.
  • This digital twin technology is a game-changer for Petrobras, offering a multitude of benefits, including:
    • Increased production efficiency: Optimizing the lift and flow process translates into a 1% boost in production, yielding substantial gains in the context of Petrobras’ extensive offshore operations.
    • Real-time monitoring and data utilization: Operators gain access to continuous data on the production system, enabling on-the-fly adjustments and optimizing production levels.
    • Incident prevention and virtual testing: This technology’s ability to anticipate potential incidents and test solutions in a virtual environment before implementation in the real world, minimizes risks and ensures efficient production.

A Revolutionary Approach to Offshore Oil & Gas Production

What is a Digital Twin?

A digital twin is a virtual replica of a physical system, providing a comprehensive digital representation of a real-world asset or process. This dynamic digital model allows for real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization of the physical counterpart. Utilizing data from sensors, simulations, and other sources, the digital twin mirrors the physical system’s behavior, enabling operators to understand its performance and proactively manage any issues.

Implementation on Petrobras Platforms:

Petrobras’ innovative Lift and Flow digital twin was first implemented on the Cidade de Anchieta and P-57 FPSO platforms. This pilot project demonstrated the effectiveness of the technology in optimizing the lift and flow process, proving its capability to improve the production efficiency of oil transportation from the well bottom to the platforms.

Development and Expansion:

Renata Baruzzi, an Engineering, Technology, and Innovation engineer at Petrobras, highlights the significance of the initial prototype. It laid the foundation for developing a robust, commercial, and scalable system. This development process underscores Petrobras’ commitment to embracing advanced technologies to maintain its competitive edge in the global oil and gas industry.

With the successful validation of the digital twin technology, Petrobras plans to expand its use to all its offshore production and injection wells. As stated by Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras’ Exploitation and Production director, the company will begin deploying these digital twin tools in maritime wells across other units before the year’s end.

The Strategic Importance of Digital Twins in Offshore Oil & Gas

The application of digital twin technology offers a strategic advantage for Petrobras, particularly in the challenging context of Brazil’s pre-salt and post-salt layers. These geological formations, located deep beneath the seabed, hold vast reserves of oil and gas, but extracting these resources is fraught with complexities due to the high-pressure environment.

The Lift and Flow digital twin provides a powerful tool to optimize production in these challenging conditions, helping Petrobras maximize output while minimizing risks. It allows operators to better understand the complex interactions within the production system and make informed decisions to optimize flow rates and overall production efficiency.

Moreover, the adoption of digital twin technology aligns with Petrobras’ broader digital transformation strategy. By integrating advanced technologies like digital twins into its operations, Petrobras aims to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance safety. This strategy is critical for maintaining competitiveness in the global energy market, where technological innovation is increasingly becoming a key differentiator.

Conclusion

Petrobras’ implementation of digital twin technology marks a significant milestone in its pursuit of optimizing offshore oil and gas production. This initiative demonstrates the company’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to stay ahead in a competitive landscape. By expanding the use of digital twin technology across its offshore wells, Petrobras is poised to realize substantial improvements in production efficiency, safety, and operational resilience.

This technological leap is set to solidify Petrobras’ position as a leader in the offshore oil and gas sector, solidifying its commitment to innovation and sustained growth.

Article Reference

Lisa Morgan
Lisa Morgan
Lisa Morgan covers the latest developments in technology, from groundbreaking innovations to industry trends.

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