Petroleos Brasileiro SA has stepped up efforts to reduce natural gas flaring.
It's part of a larger effort by Brazil's government to increase the natural gas share of the country's energy mix to 6% by 1994 from the current 2%. A campaign to replace oil products burned in the industrial sector with gas is creating markets for the flared gas. Brazil's worsening air quality has spawned calls for installing costly pollution control equipment for any new industrial projects.
FLARING REDUCED
Petrobras is flaring 70 MMcfd at present, compared with 93 MMcfd in July and 133 MMcfd at the first of 1991, reports Associacao Brasileira de Gas Canalizade (Abgas).
The Campos basin, which accounts for almost half of Brazil's gas production of 630 MMcfd, also accounts for most of the flaring.
At the first of 1991, Campos flaring averaged 98 MMcfd, or about 35% of the basin's production. That fell to 58 MMcfd in July and 35 MMcfd at present, Abgas said.
Abgas official Ieda Coreia Gomes contends Petrobras can reduce flaring further. Brazil's gas reserves total about 4.2 tcf, Abgas said.
GAS MARKETS
Other efforts to expand Brazil's gas markets are under way along with studies of ways to boost domestic production and gas imports. The government has called on bus and taxi fleet operators to begin implementing programs to add vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas to their fleets in bigger cities. A private concern, Ipiranga Group, recently disclosed plans to invest $30 million during the next 3 years to set up 40 CNG refueling stations (OGJ, Nov. 25, 1991, Newsletter).
In addition, Petrobras has set up joint ventures with state governments and the private sector to create gas grids in Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo, and Bahia states. And Petrobras refined products marketing subsidiary BR Distribuidora has started a program of installing vehicular compressed natural gas refueling stations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
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