English 
Spanish 
3 min read
0 comments
Investment should reveal data about the Equatorial Margin that strongly benefit Petrobras and researchers who study the subject.
A Petrobras announced a significant investment of R$100 million in a Cooperation Agreement (TC) with the Brazilian Navy, aiming at the expansion of the Oceanographic Modeling and Observation Network (REMO), focusing on monitoring the Equatorial Margin, the Brazilian coast and the Pelotas Basin, in the South region.
The goal of this partnership is to improve monitoring of the Brazilian coast, a strategic and promising region for deep-water oil exploration. The five-year project involves the use of new technologies and seeks to improve knowledge about the country's oceans and coastline.
Petrobras aims to expand monitoring on the Equatorial Margin
The Equatorial Margin, which extends from Rio Grande do Norte to Amapá, is considered one of the most promising areas for deep-water oil and gas exploration.
- US blocks Chevron in Venezuela and Brazilian oil companies can profit from heavy oil
- Environmental Tragedy in Ecuador: Oil Spill Causes Unprecedented Damage
- ANP reveals alarming increase in oil exploration accidents in Brazil in 2024
- Bahia to receive R$4 billion in investments! Petrobras, PetroRecôncavo and Stanley Oil join forces to reactivate oil production and boost economic growth in the region
A Petrobras, together with the Navy, aims to expand the monitoring network of this region, known for its great strategic importance in the energy sector.
Petrobras' Director of Engineering and Technology, Renata Baruzzi, commented on the relevance of this project for Brazil:
“The cooperation benefits not only Petrobras, but the entire country. We have a huge coastline that needs to be monitored and we also share data with academia, which contributes to expanding knowledge about our coast and to the development of national technology,” he said.
Technological innovation and savings with autonomous vehicles
One of the pillars of the Cooperation Agreement is the use of autonomous surface and subsurface vehicles, which will partially replace the buoys traditionally used for monitoring.
These devices are designed to operate continuously, with reduced costs and greater resistance to adverse weather conditions, such as storms and strong winds, which often interrupt vessel operations.
The SailBuoy, a mini-sailboat controlled via satellite, is an example of an autonomous vehicle that will allow the collection of meteorological and oceanographic data along the Brazilian coast, in addition to being more economical and resistant than traditional vessels.
SailBuoy operation is maintained by batteries recharged by photovoltaic modules, ensuring constant operation without the need for human intervention.
The glider is an autonomous subsurface vehicle that can reach depths of up to a thousand meters. This equipment can perform comprehensive monitoring of the ocean, providing valuable data on sea currents, salinity, temperature and oxygen concentration, among other fundamental parameters for analyzing the behavior of the ocean.
Furthermore, the use of these vehicles allows for an operational cost up to 10 times lower than that of a traditional vessel, representing significant savings for Petrobras' monitoring projects.
Contribution to the scientific community and environmental safety
The data generated by this equipment will be shared with the scientific community through programs such as the National Buoy Program (PNBOIA), which aims to implement a meteorological and oceanographic data collection network along the Brazilian coast.
A Petrobras It also participates in other initiatives, such as the Brazilian Antarctic Program (Proantar) and the Brazilian Continental Shelf Survey Plan (Leplac), expanding knowledge about meteoceanographic phenomena and ocean dynamics.
Renata Baruzzi emphasizes that the data obtained will contribute to environmental safety and the optimization of oil exploration operations.
“The measurements and assessments provide new data on ocean behavior and increase operational safety, contributing to environmental security. In addition, Petrobras’ investments in the production and provision of meteoceanographic data can benefit activities such as maritime transportation, environmental management and coastal planning,” he explained.
With information from Petrobras.
