Sulzer Awarded Large Petrobras Project
In June 2004, Sulzer Pumps received a significant order from Petrobras. This contract involves the delivery of highly engineered centrifugal pumps for a platform offshore Brazil and includes an assisted-operation and maintenance service contract for a period of eight years.
The platform is expected to start operations in April 2006. When fully operational, it will collect and transport 40% of the Brazilian oil production. Sulzer is pleased to be selected as the long-term partner for pumping solutions on this crucial offshore facility of Petrobras.
The PRA-1 is a fixed central repumping platform. The project is fully designed by Petrobras and represents an investment in the range of USD 2 billion. It contains an impressive metal construction weighing 18,000 tons and will be installed 115 km off the Brazilian shoreline in 105 m water depth. PRA-1 will receive oil and gas from seven different platforms and repump the products, representing 40% of the Brazilian oil production, onto ships for transport to local refineries.
Petrobras chose Sulzer Pumps as a supplier based on a combined evaluation of technical competence, experience, references, and economic factors.The Sulzer Pumps facilities in Brazil will play a key role in supplying both the new equipment and the associated services.
The production contract involves a total of ten pumps, nine of them supplied with all relevant auxiliaries, including couplings and lube oil units. The pumps are each driven by a 4.2 MW electric motor and will be constructed of highly specialized duplex material.
The Sulzer Corporation is comprised of the four core divisions Sulzer Metco (surface technology solutions and services), Sulzer Turbomachinery Services (service and repair of thermal turbomachinery), Sulzer Pumps (pumping solutions and services), Sulzer Chemtech (components and services for separation columns and static mixing), and the venture division Sulzer Hexis (fuel cell systems for residential applications). Sales in 2003 totaled CHF 1826 million. Sulzer currently employs about 9000 people worldwide.
Sulzer Pumps (www.sulzerpumps.com), the largest Sulzer division, is a global leader in the development and supply of centrifugal pumps. Its product line extends from highly complex engineered pumps for special applications to an extensive range of configured pumps. Sulzer Pumps provides comprehensive and globally available pumping solutions to selected industries, mainly oil and gas, hydrocarbon processing, pulp and paper, and power plants. It is also a provider of technical support for all types of pumps and other rotating equipment. Sulzer Pumps employs approximately 4500 professionals worldwide. Net sales in 2003 totaled CHF 870 million.
Petrobras S/A (www.petrobras.com) mines, refines, handles, and transports petroleum and its by-products. In 2003, the enterprise had a turnover of USD 30.8 billion.
