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Origin Energia included in its new development plan for the Pilar field, in Alagoas, the underground natural gas storage project.
Project awaiting approval from National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). The proposal will be analyzed by the Board of Directors of the regulatory body together with the Pilar Development Plan (PD).
The company expects invest BRL 916 million in the recovery of the asset, with an increase in production of 11,7 million barrels/day of oil and 5,4 billion m³ of natural gas, in addition to the gas storage pilot project.
Increased processing capacity of Pilar's UPGN
The company anticipates that, with the underground storage of natural gas, the processing capacity of the natural gas processing unit (UPGN) in Pilar will need to be expanded, as the current capacity of 1,8 million m³/day is already reaching its limit.
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According to Luiz Felipe Coutinho, President of Origin, the expansion of the UPGN is foreseen in the company's business plan for next year. He points out that the company's infrastructure is capable of sustaining the growth of local demand, but there is the possibility of receiving gas from other producers.
Brazilian government invests in natural gas storage
O Brazilian government is also interested in natural gas storage and, therefore, the Energy Research Company (EPE) will map the most promising areas for this type of underground storage, taking into account even carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS).
The state-owned company hired an external consultancy for this work, which includes a study of policies and regulations, inventory of areas for storage in depleted fields and evaluation of targets for the CCUS.
In this way, it is possible to notice that the underground storage of natural gas is a very viable alternative, in addition to being able to leverage the economy and natural gas market in the country. The potential of origin natural gas storage it could be a great technological advance for the area, allowing it to grow even more and be able to meet more market demands. With this, there will also be a greater consumption of gas, generating more job opportunities and an increase in tax collection for the government.
