Petrobras to produce even more oil out of Pre-Sal

Credit: Petrobras

INT and Petrobras to develop technology to increase pre-salt productivity

The National Institute of Technology (INT) - a research unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC) - has signed a contract with Petrobras for the development of corrosion methodologies for operations that increase productivity in pre-salt wells based on acid stimulation techniques.

By this method, the oil extraction capacity is increased due to the use of an acidic substance in areas near the open well, which increases the permeability in to the ocean floor. This way, the oil and gas are removed from the rock more easily and are channeled to the exploration platforms. With a budget of R$5.6 million, the project will be developed by the Embrapii INT Unit. (Out of this amount, R$2.9 million will be invested by Petrobras itself.) The Brazilian Industrial Research and Innovation Company (Embrapii) - a social organization supervised by MCTIC - will contribute with R$1.9 million and while INT will provide R$800.000 for infrastructure and research.

This is the fourth project that will be developed by the Embrapii NIT Unit. According to the Institute's Business Coordinator, Vicente Landim, this agreement with Petrobras could mean the beginning of a series of projects to develop solutions for the exploration of oil and gas in the pre-salt layer in the future. "This partnership is part of our plan of action under Embrapii, and we hope it will be the first of many with Petrobras," said Petrobras. "It brings significant value to INT, because it is a recognition of our competences, "Landim said.

The work will be developed in INT's Laboratory of Test of H2S, CO2 and Corrosively (LabH2S), which tests high pressures and temperatures, without oxygen, simulating the extreme conditions of the pre-salt exploration wells. The laboratory is involved in projects to evaluate the integrity of materials and coatings, as well as the effectiveness of chemicals that minimize corrosion in the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

Embrapii Unit

The Embrapii INT Unit works in the area of industrial chemical technology, including the development of chemical and physicochemical processes, as well as the development of organic and inorganic chemical technology.

42 New Projects for Smart Cities New Development

Credit: Ascom/MCTIC

MCTIC, Finep and FAPESP allocate R$65 million for the development of new technologies

Finep and the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) announced on Tuesday (18) the support to 42 research projects for the industrial and commercial development of technologies for smart cities, zika virus and Aedes aegypti, Sirius accelerator and space applications. The projects were selected in four notices of the PIPE-PAPPE Program, in support of research in companies. In total, R$65 million will be allocated to resources from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), Finep and FAPESP.

"Programs like these are at the heart of all scientific, technological and innovation development in any country in the world. It is exactly the support for small and medium-sized companies that make up the dynamism, the creative energy in science and technology." President of Finep, Marcos Cintra.
One of the selected projects foresees the development of a natural long-lasting non-repellent for the prevention of the virus zika, dengue and chikungunya fever. Another is the construction of an unmanned train to monitor the tunnel that houses the electron beam on the Sirius accelerator, under construction at the National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) of the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM). The same technology could be used in the future to survey subway tunnels, mining galleries or ports.

There are also applications for sustainable cities, such as a traceability and telemetry system, which goes from the origin of waste to the transformation into recycled product, and a radio communication system for public lighting monitoring.

In the edict aimed at the space sector, projects that respond to the technological challenges in the embedded instrument areas of the Equars mission, satellite of the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) for study of equatorial atmosphere will be supported; Electronics and space optics; propulsion; Digital transponder and antenna; Energy supply; systems integration; And attitude and orbit control.

Brazil - European Union Cooperation

4th Call Brazil - European Union receives 50 proposals in cloud computing, IoT and 5G

The 4th Brazil-European Union Coordinated Call for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) research received 50 proposals, an increase of 28% over the previous call for proposals.

Of the total, 33 projects are in Internet of Things, 13 in cloud computing and 4 in 5G networks.

The number surpassed expectations, says project coordinator Wanderson Paim of the Research and Development Center on Digital Technologies for Information and Communication of the National Network of Teaching and Research (CTIC). "Generally, consortia consist of an average of five Brazilian institutions and five other European institutions, which must coordinate to write a proposal of about 100 pages, including a brief summary of the proposing researchers. The challenges begin from the formation of the consortium, which depends on the interests, the choice of topics and the focus of the proposals, to the proper writing and formatting. It is a joint effort that requires great effort from the coordinators," he explained.

According to him, the results should be released by July, and the execution of the projects should start in January 2018. In the 4th Coordinated Call, Brazil and the European Union will invest 16 million euros in six projects lasting three years. The objective is to encourage technological advancement and innovation, as well as the qualification of human resources. The so-called coordinates began in 2010. Among the projects supported are biosensors for detection of tropical diseases, a platform for sharing biodiversity data and sensors used in the automotive industry.

Brazil and India to cooperate in biotechnology studies

Credit: Ascom/MCTIC

Brazil and India should extend cooperation to areas of biotechnology, industry and health

The Minister of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications (MCTIC), Gilberto Kassab, received the Indian ambassador in Brazil Sunil Lal on Tuesday (11th) to plan the resumption of the Joint Commission on Science and Technology.

The first and last bilateral meeting took place in New Delhi in March 2012. Since signing their Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation in 2006, in the view of Sunil Lal, countries have maintained a flow of partnerships between countries.

"We still have a lot to do," commented the ambassador. "Our interest is to collaborate on agricultural, industrial and health biotechnology." In order to plan the second meeting of the Brazil-India Joint Commission on Science and Technology scheduled for the second semester in Brasilia, Kassab suggested holding a preparatory meeting in May at the embassy with representatives of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects (FINEP), the Secretariats of Technological Development and Innovation (SDEC), Development Policies and Programs and the Special Advisory for International Affairs of MCTIC.

At the New Delhi meeting in 2012, the two governments established a memorandum of understanding on biotechnology, which resulted in two public calls launched by NCSTD in 2013 and 2015. The bilateral bids stimulated scientific and technological cooperation projects in agriculture, focusing in sugarcane and second and third generation biofuels; Industry, for the development of biopharmaceuticals and vaccines; And health, in search of solutions for infectious and neglected diseases.

Another joint public call with the NCSTD, initiated in 2012, encouraged bilateral partnerships in health sciences and biomedical sciences; Renewable energies, energy efficiency and low carbon technologies; Engineering, materials science and nanotechnology; Geosciences, including oceanography and climate change; Mathematics and information technology and computing.

Brazil to produce metallic uranium

Credit: Ascom/MCTIC

Nuclear Industries of Brazil want to produce metallic uranium for Argentina

The Brazilian Nuclear Industries (INB) are conducting studies to enter the uranium metal market and supply the product to the Research and Production of Radioisotope Reactor in Argentina, which is under construction.

In addition, INB is expected to bring the second enriched uranium charge to supply the nuclear power plant located in the city of Lima, north of the capital Buenos Aires in 2017. The contract with state-owned Combustibles Nucleares Argentinos is US $ 4.5 million and INB is awaiting export approval by the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN). For the president of INB, João Carlos Tupinambá, this export is strategic for Brazil. He also underscores the importance of entering the uranium metal market.

"Our interest began with Argentina, but there are other reactors in the world that consume this type of fuel. If we succeed, we will not only have Argentina as a possible customer, but other countries as well," he said. "It's a business opportunity with built-in technology, so that's important for the country."

Tupinambá explained that the enrichment of uranium up to 20%, necessary for the production of drugs, will be done at the Technological Center of the Navy (CENTEC). Then the product will be sent to the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN) for the manufacture of metallic uranium.

The president of INB also said that this year will resume uranium exploration at the Engenho Mine, located in Caetité. Now the work of decapitation is being done, which is the stage prior to the mining of the ore, scheduled to begin until November. "In this de-plating, we must remove at least 70 tons of uranium," he predicted. "After being turned into yellow cake, the product is exported and turned into UF6 [enriched uranium] out of the country." Some of that UF6 is back for enrichment in Brazil, and some is enriched outside. Today, our enrichment capacity reaches 40% of the Angra 1 plant's consumption", he added. INB also seeks new partners for investments in uranium exploration in the still-exploited reserves of Caetité (BA) and Rio Cristalino (PA).

Brazil launches call for new technologies to combat Zika Virus

Credit: Stock image

Finep and Fapesp launch call for new technologies to combat Aedes aegypti

FINEP and the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) launched on Tuesday (11TH) joint call in the amount of R$15 million to select research projects aimed at the development of products or technological processes for the fight Aedes aegypti and diseases such as yellow fever, zika, dengue fever and chikungunya fever.

"With these economic subsidy resources, companies can take more technological risks, which increases the possibility of seeing truly innovative solutions for the fight against arboviruses and their vectors," says Finep Scientific and Technological Development Director Wanderley de Souza.

According to Finep, the projects should focus on the development of:

• Technologies related to rapid diagnosis and low cost of arbovirus
• Monitoring and control of transmitting mosquitoes
• Insecticides and antiviral substances of biological origin
• Release of sterile mosquitoes or biological larvicides
• Monitoring and control platforms to predict the spread of emerging and re-emergent pathogens capable of anticipating intervention measures.

"This is an important challenge for public health in Brazil and in many other countries, and an opportunity for the creation and supply of innovative technologies of global reach," says Fapesp's scientific director, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz.

Small businesses or medium-sized companies based in the state of São Paulo, with a gross operating revenue of between R$360,000 and R$10.5 million, may participate in the call. Research proposals can be submitted by July 14 and the selection results are expected to be published in December 2017.