Petrobras set a record in CO2 capture, use and geological storage (the so-called Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage – CCUS) in 2022, reaching the mark of 10.6 million reinjected tons (equivalent to 5.8 billion m³ of CO2 ). For comparison purposes, this portion corresponds to 27% by volume of the total gas reinjected in our pre-salt fields – and around 25% of the total CO2 injected by the global industry last year, according to the Global CCS Institute. With this result, the company consolidates its world leadership in CO2 reinjection, in line with the strategy to reduce the intensity of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in its operations.
Currently, the 21 platforms that produce in the Santos Basin pre-salt, operated by Petrobras, incorporate CCUS technology associated with Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), with performance in constant evolution. By reinjecting the gas into the reservoir, production efficiency is increased and the intensity of GHG emissions, measured in emissions per barrel produced, is reduced. With this, the objective is to seek an operation with low cost and low carbon, guaranteeing the competitiveness of the project.
This record demonstrates Petrobras’ technical capacity to overcome the challenge of dealing with the high presence of CO2 in the pre-salt fields. In addition to pioneering reinjection technology in ultra-deep waters, the company has become a leader in the segment. It now operates the largest CCUS project in the world, in terms of annual injection, driving its strategy of dual resilience, economic and environmental.
This pioneering spirit was recognized by the OTC (Offshore Technology Conference) award in 2015. In Brazil, Petrobras’ CCUS project was recognized by the Firjan Sustainability Award in 2020, in the Climate Change and Energy Efficiency category.
World seal
On a global scale, CCUS technology plays a crucial role in a low-carbon future, recognized by specialists around the world as an essential solution for tackling global warming. The International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, in its report “Net Zero by 2050 (IEA, 2021), highlights that the CCUS is one of the main enablers for achieving the so-called Net Zero (zero net carbon emissions) in 2050.
In addition, according to the Global CCS Institute, in its latest report Global Status of CCS 2022, this technology is one of the critical tools that must be used now to face the climate crisis, and without it, it will be impossible for us to achieve global climate goals.
New challenges
Petrobras’ experience in CCUS-EOR contributes to technological evolution, cost reduction and demonstration of operational safety for application in the oil and gas industry and in other sectors. Given the natural synergy of this activity with the oil and gas industry, Petrobras is studying opportunities to develop a new business model for capturing and storing CO2 from industrial processes, in addition to the pre-salt layer. The objective is to contribute to reducing emissions not only by the company, but also by other industries.
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