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ABS Brazil Office
ABS established its first permanent office in Brazil in 1948.
Located in Rio de Janeiro the office has grown to become the
ABS headquarters for all of South America. Supplemented by
port offices in Belem, Paranagua, Porto Alegre, Santos, Sao
Paulo and Vitoria, ABS now maintains a staff of more than
40 surveyors, engineers and support staff managing some of
the world’s most complex offshore and marine projects.
The current revival of the shipbuilding industry in Brazil
is reflective of the growth of the offshore sector, together
with activity in the inland and cabotage trades. ABS Brazil
continues to play a significant role in this revitalization
by providing responsive, innovative classification services
for a wide range of vessels from FPSOs to articulated barge
units and offshore support vessels, built or converted in
Brazilian yards.
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Of particular note has been the strong working relationship that
ABS has developed with Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras.
The list of Petrobras conversions to ABS classification includes:
P31, P32, P35, P37, P40, P43, P48, P50, P54 among others.
In addition to verifying rule and regulatory compliance of the
FPSO hull structures, ABS engineers review the design of the topside
process plants, turrets and mooring arrangements including Petrobras’
proprietary DICAS mooring system.
Demand for ABS engineering review has been growing to meet the
rapid expansion of offshore activity. This includes increased application
of risk and probabilistic analyses of the safety, viability and
practicality of a design; and the development of risk-based inspection
programs that are specifically calibrated to the installation and
identify areas of special interest. These efforts have led to greater
recognition of the contribution that classification can make towards
facilitating the safety and integrity of an installation.
Regional Project Experience
ABS is the Class Society of Choice for FPSO Conversions
Offshore Brazil. Here are some project highlights:
FPSO Brasil Conversion. This ABS-classed XA1
Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit was the first FPSO
to which the SafeHull Converted Ship Notation was awarded. ABS SafeHull
for FPSOs is an advanced design and analysis tool for the site-specific
evaluation of a vessel’s structure to classification standards.
FPSOs P43 and P48 Conversions. Petrobras conversions
of the ABS-classed very large crude carrier (VLCC) Stena Concordia
for the P48 FPSO Caratinga and the ABS-classed sister vessel Stena
Continent for the P43 FPSO Barracuda will receive XA1
Floating Production Storage and Offloading Units. Each FPSO will
be capable of storing more than 1 million barrels of oil and processing
150,000 bpd of crude oil. Operational water depths of these FPSOs
in the Campos Basin range from 670 meters to 1,200 meters. ABS certified
the subsea components, including risers, flowlines and umbilicals.
These conversions incorporate a new and unique spread mooring system,
DICAS (Differentiated Compliant Anchoring System) developed by the
Petrobras Research Center (CENPES).
FPSO P50 Conversion. The ABS-classed VLCC Felipe
Camarao is under conversion to an XA1
Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit. To be located in
the Albacora Leste Field in the deepwaters of the Campos Basin,
its production will be 180,000 bpd. The contract award for this
project called for various modules of the production facilities
and accommodations to be awarded to different suppliers in various
parts of the world. ABS worked with a large number of geographically
dispersed contractors and vendors to facilitate the complex logistics
needed to support this fast track project.
FPSO Fluminese Conversion. ABS-classed as an A1
Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit, MODEC International
used the Sahara, one of the 15 largest tankers in the world, to
convert it to an oil storage capacity of 1.3 million barrels. ABS
provided full classification services for this FPSO which serves
as the hub for and has already started the production of the Bijupira
and Salema Fields.
ABS Rio de Janeiro Contacts
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“As an ABS representative in South
America for nearly 20 of ABS’ 50-year plus history
in the region, I continue to be impressed by how Petrobras,
and others participating in Brazil’s offshore growth,
adapt to changing needs. Brasil is at the forefront of offshore
technology, especially deepwater technology. ABS is proud
to be a part of this frontier development and technology
advancement. By 2005, more than half of Brazil’s oil
production will come from ultra-deep waters, requiring incredible
investment in infrastructure and involving significant risks.
That has not stopped Petrobras; nor does it inhibit the
international oil and gas companies which come to Brasil
to help develop its rich offshore fields."
Joao Carlos Pacheco
Country Manager
Email: Jpacheco@eagle.org
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“My team in Rio de Janeiro includes
engineers with offshore experience that is unparalleled
among classification societies. We are able to provide services
that range from overall project management to developing
site-specific analyses of hull structures, machinery, mooring
systems, stability and safety related items for floating
and fixed structures."
Sidney Bereicoa
Manager of Engineering
Email: Sbereicoa@eagle.org
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“Our global experience
in classing floating production storage and offloading facilities
(FPSOs), coupled with our extensive local engineering support
capability have contributed to ABS being selected to class
a significant number of the most challenging offshore projects
in the region. Those support services include targeted project
management that starts with design review, provides assistance
through fabrication and encompasses in-service surveys.
We have a team of experienced, dedicated surveyors in key
locations in Brazil.”
Marcelo Barros
Project Manager and Principal Engineer
Email: Mbarros@eagle.org |
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"Using IT technology management
tools ABS is able to involve itself in the procurement process
to efficiently manage the supply of the vast amounts of
equipment that will be sourced, surveyed, certified and
installed on a major offshore project. The Vendor Coordination
Program helps manage the equipment certification process
for the client, providing a single point of contact for
vendors and customers. Equipment arrives at integration
sites correctly certified and in compliance with applicable
Rules, standards and regulations. This can avert delays
on construction and assembly resulting from incomplete documentation
or miscommunication on specifications, bringing increased
value to the overall project cost and schedule."
Luiz A. M. Menicucci
Principal Surveyor-in-Charge
Rio de Janeiro Port
Email: Lmenicucci@eagle.org
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ABS Americas
Rio de Janeiro
Av. Venezuela 3, 16o Andar
Caixa Postal 21142
Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20081-311 Brasil
Tel: 55-21-2518-3535
www.eagle.org
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