OTC Brasil attracts more than 15000

More than 15 000 industry professionals, executives, and experts from around the globe assembled 29 - 31 October in Rio de Janeiro for OTC Brasil 2013. The three day conference and exhibition, organised by the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) and Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), featured 192 peer-selected technical papers, a 40% increase over the first OTC Brasil, held in 2011.

The comprehensive technical programme, which focused on Brazil’s offshore deepwater sector, assessed all aspects of offshore drilling and wells systems, floating structures and advanced subsea production, as well as the increasingly complex integrity management used to keep them operating.

The OTC Brasil luncheon series provided delegates with the opportunity to hear the views of top-level executives and experts who discussed regional and international issues. Gra?a Foster, CEO, Petrobras, was the keynote speaker for the opening-day topical luncheon where she discussed the company’s need to double in size in the next six years to meet growing energy demand, as well as the increasing importance of the production side of E&P.

A topical luncheon on Wednesday, ‘Total Exploration Strategy in Latin America,’ featured Dennis Palluat de Besset, country manager, Total. The French major recently acquired 40% stakes in five blocks in the Foz de Amazonas basin, one 50% stake in the Barreirinhas basin, a 45% stake in Ceará and three 25% stakes in Espírito Santo, among others, in Brazil’s 11^th licensing round in May. The company also has increased investments in other South American countries.

Other topical luncheons included topics such as ‘Drilling Better Together’ with International Association of Drilling Contractors President and CEO Stephen Colville; ‘Local Construction of 28 State-of-the-Art Drilling Rigs,’ with João Ferraz, president, Sete Brasil; and ‘Local Content and Petrobras Vendor Registration’ with Paulo Alonso, Petrobras.

More than 400 attendees were present for the ‘Pre-Salt’ panel session moderated by OTC Chairman Ed Stokes of ConocoPhillips and Osmond Coelho, Petrobras. The session included seven presentations – all from Petrobras – which guided the audience through an in-depth tour of the most recent pre-salt facts and figures, as well as the solutions being adopted by the company and its partners to develop the massive oil and gas resources.

OTC Brasil 2013 also included an exhibition with 400 exhibitors including key service and operating companies with majority stakes in the Brazilian market. Demonstrating the excitement surrounding Brazil’s emergence as a key player in the global E&P arena, the exhibition, which covered, 9000 m² contained seven international pavilions – US, Germany, The Netherlands, China, UK, Sweden and France.

Officials from OTC and IBP were extremely pleased with the conference’s technical content as well as the exhibition. “The growth we’ve experienced this year is extremely gratifying,” Ed Stokes said. “Seeing the level of participation from all over the world and positive feedback we’ve received from the region has been phenomenal.”

“IBP is pleased to partner with OTC for the event, as both associations were able to add experience and expertise in organising technical conferences and exhibitions. The union of these qualities allowed us to have a successful edition of OTC Brasil,” João Carlos de Luca, IBP’s president, said.

OTC has three conferences planned for next year: Arctic Technology Conference 2014, 10 - 12 February, Houston, Texas, USA; OTC Asia 2014, 25 - 28 March, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and OTC, 5 - 8 May, Houston. The next OTC Brasil will be held in Rio de Janeiro, 27 - 29 October 2015.

Adapted from a press release by David Bizley

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