After SLB launching its geosciences lab late last year, 2011 starts with agreements to build Halliburton and Tenaris Labs at the UFRJ Tech Park, which is already considered the main technology research hub in Latin America.
Halliburon and Tenaris Confac recently signed contracts with UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) to build laboratories within the university´s technology complex, which is located at Fundão Island in the north zone of Rio. Both companies will be building research facilities for development of new technologies for the O&G industry.
They will join Petrobras, Baker Hughes, FMC, Usiminas and SLB who already have research labs installed in the area. Halliburton will occupy a 7 thousand square meter plot and plans to invest between $10 and $15 million in a research center focused on reservoir characterization and monitoring, along with well productivity, construction and completion. Halliburton also intends to develop solutions for stimulating well performance and will also invest in electronic control development, 3D software development.
Tenaris Confab Will occupy a 4 thousand square meter plot, where it Will build a research Center devoted to O&G, mining, construction and autoworks. The main objectives are to develop new pipe welding technologies, tests and simulations for large diameter pipes, along with studies on polymer sheathing. Another sector will be devoted specifically to TenarisHydril premium connections, especially developed for O&G drilling operations. The company plans to invest around 21 million on the new facility.
Construction work on both research centers is slated to start in the 2nd quarter of 2011 with hopes of having everything ready by 2012. At this point there are only three more slots available for research center construction at the UFRJ tech park. These are presently going through a selection process to choose which companies will occupy them.
Brazilian researchers from different fields are truly pleased with the growth of the UFRJ tech park as it brings new opportunities for local researchers and technicians, while offering them the chance of working with cutting edge technology without leaving the country. If we look at the companies already involved with the tech park, we can see the importance of this growth, as all these companies are highly respected and also totally committed to developing new technologies in Brazil. Certainly much of this development is targeting the pre-salt, but many other area of development are also considered, maybe, the most important of which is the development new generations of Brazilian researchers that will be vital to the countries future growth.
Claudio Paschoa