Replacing Fossil Fuels by Wind Power in Energy Supply to Offshore Oil&Gas Exploration and Production Activities – Possibilities for Brazil

Abstract

GHG emissions will create constraints for the oil and gas industry. Meeting world energy needs with lower GHG emissions is its big challenge in the current context of energy transition. The possibility to use renewable power for the energy supply to offshore O&G E&P activities, thus reducing its emissions is discussed in this paper. In Brazil, there are today three E&P environments: onshore, conventional offshore and pre-salt. In conventional offshore, the reuse of fixed platforms as structures for offshore wind development is an opportunity to be assessed. In the pre-salt, as FPSOs demands are energy intensive, the next generation of offshore wind power floating turbines might be employed. This paper presents some examples of trends in using offshore wind power, highlighting the electrification of O&G platforms associated with GHG reduction. We are in the early days of offshore wind power in Brazil and the promising outlook is not for the short-term, but for the Pre-Salt country, in the current context of energy transition, it will become increasingly important to assess and implement the generation of offshore wind power.