Research and development in support of new projects

The company’s commitment towards technological development is reflected in the volume of resources that are channeled into R & D, which amounted to R$ 1.7 billion in 2008, around the same level as in 2007.

Petrobras is the Brazilian company that generates the most patents, both at home and abroad, and it owns the exclusive rights to numerous technological innovations. In 2008, the company applied for 72 patents in Brazil, 17% more than in the previous year. Its portfolio of patents covers all the areas in which the company is involved.

The Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Mello Center for Research & Development (Cenpes) is responsible for developing technology that can be applied in the company’s production processes, in response to Petrobras’ present and future requirements. To this end, Cenpes has a qualified technical staff of more than 2 thousand professionals, 60% of whom are university graduates. Of those, 58% have master’s degrees or doctorates.

In recent years, Cenpes has extended its interaction with the academic and scientific communities in Brazil and abroad, participating in collaborative research networks and establishing centers of expertise within national institutions, in order to meet the varied regional skills requirements. The collaborative network comprises around a hundred institutions throughout the country, and more than 70 foreign companies and science & technology institutions. The partnership embraces, multi-client projects, cooperative research, strategic alliances and technological exchanges.

With an investment budget of around R$ 400 million a year, the partnership with national Science & Technology institutions has been fundamental to the positioning of the Brazilian technological infrastructure, which provides support to the company’s activities on a level that is compatible with that of the world’s most developed countries.

PROJECTS

In 2008, the geochemical characterization of the Espírito Santo Basin was completed. Together with important technological advances, this will help with the development of production in the pre-salt layer. In addition, testing was performed on the system for anchoring the FPSO that is to operate in the Tupi area.

What is more, December saw the finalization of the integrated 3D modeling of the Santos, Espírito Santo and Campos basins, which will be of fundamental importance in exploring the reserves in these areas.

In the Campos Basin, the pilot production project for the Siri reservoir came into operation in the Badejo field – an important step in the consolidating Petrobras’ technological leadership in the offshore production of viscous, extra-heavy. Another highlight was the application of NGS (Nitrogen Generating System) technology at a production wellhead in the Roncador field. This removes hydrates from the gas in undersea production wells, thereby providing better flow and ensuring operational continuity during extraction.

INCREASED PROCESSING CAPACITY

The basic engineering projects for the Abreu e Lima Refinery were completed in 2008. They incorporated technology developed by Cenpes that augments the capacity to process viscous extra-heavy oils. The advances in this technology have made it possible to process 8º API oil, on a pilot scale, by means of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC).

This new oil processing technique generates no solid waste and is self-sufficient in energy consumption, thus contributing to the sustainability of the refining activity. Other technology that is focused on sustainability is CO2 sequestering at coke units, which has been developed on a pilot scale and helped to make the processing even cleaner.

The Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex (Comperj) also saw the completion of the basic engineering projects, the highlight being the petrochemical FCC unit, which uses innovative technology, developed by Petrobras and patented in several countries, that will be applied in the company’s future projects in the refining and petrochemical areas.

BIOFUELS

A jet fuel production process was developed in 2008 using renewable raw materials (BIO QAV). For the first flight test to be carried out, 50 m3 of the new fuel will be produced, on a pilot scale, by December 2009.

Petrobras is also investing in the development of second generation biofuels, using sugarcane waste and other vegetable matter as a raw material. During 2008, pilot tests were carried out for the production of ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. Based on the information obtained, a demonstration scale production unit will be developed, to be ready in 2009.