Modelo de aproveitamento do Gás Natural Associado em hidrogênio nas explorações offshore do Pré-Sal

In the race towards energy transformation, countless efforts are being made to improve efficiency and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In oil exploration and production (E&P), Natural Gas (NG) is a primary product exploited alongside crude oil due to its excellent energy potential. Under primitive conditions, NG can be classified as either Associated NG or Non-Associated NG. Non-Associated NG is produced from reservoirs containing almost exclusively dry gas, free of crude oil and water. Associated NG, on the other hand, is NG that is dissolved in oil or in contact with saturated crude oil. In Brazil, the NG produced from offshore reservoirs is predominantly Associated NG and, in addition to being exported, is used locally in power generation, artificial lifting and injected into reservoirs. This method is widely used in E&P to increase the recovery factor of reservoirs. The use of Associated NG is provided for in Resolution No. 806 of 2020 of the ANP (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis), which regulates the procedures for controlling NG losses and flaring. In E&P, since flaring is inevitable, it is proposed, with the NG currently used for flaring, to increase the utilization rate of Associated NG for hydrogen production through a modular structure suitably sized to fit the competitive space of a Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) unit.