Thanks to a contract to provide and test a digital twin solution for real-time condition monitoring for one of Petrobras’ FPSOs, ABS has hired Akselos to deploy the Akselos Structural Performance Management software that will be evaluated over a year by monitoring one of the four FPSO units in the Cessão Onerosa oil field.
Matthew Tremblay, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore, commented: “Condition monitoring is an important process for supporting older assets. ABS has deep technical knowledge and experience supporting clients with effective life extension programs.
“The key is to maintain safety. The life extension evaluation process takes place to verify that the unit will be able to operate in conformance with existing safety standards beyond its design life. Incorporating real-time operational data from Akselos will provide even more information to improve our analysis for Petrobras.”
The ABS solution will provide a digital twin of the asset. Petrobras bought 5 billion barrels of oil and equivalent gas rights in the areas, known as the Cessao Onerosa, in 2010. As a result, the Brazilian firm secured the right to produce, with 100% participation, a volume of up to 5 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in six blocks in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin, which are now the fields of Búzios, Sépia, Atapu, Norte de Berbigão, Sul de Berbigão, Norte de Sururu, Sul de Sururu, Itapu, Sul de Lula, and Sul de Sapinhoá.
Thomas Leurent, Chief Executive Officer of Akselos, highlighted: “Through our expertise in structural performance management, we are able to offer simulations of the Petrobras FPSO with unprecedented speed, scalability and accuracy. We have the unique capability to simulate the structural integrity of the entire FPSO in real-time and at high fidelity. In this way, the asset life can be extended as safely as possible.”
The auction of surplus volumes of the Cessao Onerosa transfer of rights took place in 2019, and Petrobras acquired the areas of Búzios in consortium with the Chinese companies, CNODC Brasil Petróleo e Gás (5%) and CNOOC Petroleum Brasil (5%), and Itapu, as sole operator (100%). The start of operations of the FPSO P-71, installed in the pre-salt area of the Itapu field, was originally scheduled for 2023 but occurred in December 2022, earlier than planned.
