Brazilian firms team up to deploy AI to curb upstream emissions
Brazilian firms Repsol Sinopec Brasil, Shell Brasil Petroleo and Deep Seed Solutions have teamed up to research how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in engineering planning to increase efficiency and reduce emissions in the development of new fields.
The i-Concept JIP Phase 2 project employs Floco software that uses AI to efficiently predict all conceptual engineering possibilities for a project. It will specifically look at how CO2 emissions can best be avoided, and how field facilities can be powered with sustainable energy, Repsol Sinopec Brasil said in a statement on September 15. Not only could it make project development faster, but also considerably cheaper, the company said.
"Currently, this work is still done manually on most projects," Marcelo Andreotti, research manager for production facilities and operations at Repsol Sinopec Brasil, commented. "However, through this specialist system, a new methodology is created that makes the process much more efficient, allowing a great reduction financially and in the necessary time for activity. What would take nine months to a year can be resolved in up to a month, with savings of hundreds of millions of dollars."
The project is supported by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels of Brazil.