Petrobras approves 3 new digital twins projects

Petrobras is investing to increase its use of digital twins with three initiatives recently approved, a company official told BNamericas.

In the first of these new initiatives, approved less than a month ago, the company will adopt digital twins at its natural gas processing units, based on the experience it already has in these virtual models for refineries, according to Everton Schaefer, manager of refining planning, optimization and energy efficiency, and leader of Petrobras' digital twin center of excellence.  

A second initiative approved by Petrobras is the expansion of the types of digital twins used in refining, based on the company's experience in its E&P operations.

Petrobras has more than 30 production platform units with the digital twin solution “Ativo360”, developed in partnership with the university PUC Rio.

These new digital twins for refining are focused on the “integrity” of assets, that is, on predictive maintenance and management of industrial equipment.

Petrobras already uses digital twins in refineries for its processes and the production of oil derivatives.

For example, these are implemented to adjust the plant's processing variables, including temperature, flow and pressure, optimizing production of particular derivatives and in certain quantities required by the market.

The company is in the process of completing the implementation of an asset integrity digital twin at the Potiguar Clara Camarão refinery (RPCC) in Guamaré, in Rio Grande do Norte state.

The objective is to do the same across its other 10 refineries and, in the future, in its gas and thermoelectric assets as well, among others, said Schaefer.

“On the platforms, we map the entire unit with spherical photographs to navigate in a Google Street View style, or even 3D, and interact with the plant, click on the equipment and find out what the pressure, flow or temperature of the equipment is like,” Schaefer said of the “Ativo360” solution now being applied to refining.

“This digital twin of integrity in E&P is an extremely successful case here at Petrobras. It also has some search capabilities – ‘Which equipment is due for maintenance? Color it for me in red.’ It marks it in red on the digital replica and gives details of what is overdue. It also projects the level of future corrosion, among other features," the specialist explained.

Finally, a third initiative involves the adoption of artificial intelligence for the digital twins used on the production platforms.

Petrobras has an open call underway to select providers for solution to predict equipment failures at its Búzios units, using AI technology.

Participating in this call are Aveva, Siemens, Baker Hughes, Samson, among other major market players competing for the contract with Petrobras, due to be carried out next year.

The contracting model for this call is public contracts for innovative solutions, or CPSI by the Portuguese acronym.

WIDESPREAD ADOPTION

Schaefer divides the use of these technologies at Petrobras into two layers: digital twins for macroprocesses, which involve larger and more complex, involving large industrial assets such as platforms and refining units; and “specialist” digital twins, comprising virtual representations of certain assets and specific equipment.

In the first case, the executive lists over 20 projects underway at Petrobras, involving reservoirs, wells, the subsea and topside parts and refineries.

In the second case, involving equipment-specific initiatives, Petrobras has over 200 of these “specialist” digital twins.

“Today we have initiatives involving the entire chain. From upstream, through downstream and in mid-stream,” he said.