Artificial Intelligence, CCUS, and decommissioning signal a competitive future for the offshore sector
Panels with TotalEnergies, Petrobras, Baker Hughes, and tech giants show how the sector is investing in digitalization and decarbonization to ensure efficiency and sustainability throughout the lifecycle of assets
Rio de Janeiro, October 29, 2025 – The afternoon of the second day of OTC Brazil 2025, Latin America's leading offshore industry event, was dedicated to how the O&G industry is applying cutting-edge technology to ensure long-term competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The debates showed how Artificial Intelligence (AI), Carbon Capture (CCUS), and decommissioning are already practical pillars of the sector.
Setting the strategic tone, the general director of TotalEnergies in Brazil, Olivier Bahabanian, stated that the industry needs greater efficiency and cost reduction for the country to remain competitive and attractive for new investments. “This requires collaboration between all industry players and an agenda focused on innovation and decarbonization,” he added. Jim Sessions, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Baker Hughes, said he considers Brazil a stable and attractive market for long-term investments, planned for 20 to 30 years, which minimizes concerns about temporary price drops below US$60.
How innovation works in practice was the focus of the panel on digitalization. Experts from Petrobras, AWS, NVIDIA, SLB, and ANSYS were unanimous in pointing to AI as a “transformative force.” Arno Van Den Haak, from AWS, defined AI as the “real game changer” that “learns, connects data, and transforms the way we work.” At Petrobras, according to IT manager Otávio Borges, the company is already advancing in “democratizing access to information and using AI to increase efficiency and safety.”
In terms of decarbonization, the CCUS panel brought together giants such as Petrobras, SLB, TotalEnergies, PETRONAS, and Chevron. The consensus was summed up by Samuel Cunha of TotalEnergies: “We have the same challenge: to generate more energy with fewer emissions.” Petrobras stood out as a global leader, with the world's largest CCUS project in CO₂ injected into the pre-salt layer, intending to accumulate 80 million tons stored.
Closing the asset life cycle, Petrobras detailed its decommissioning program, which provides for the disposal of 10 platforms by 2030. Far from being an end, executive manager Dimitrius Magalhães defended the process as a “positive agenda” for the circular economy. The state-owned company plans to reuse or recycle 90% of the materials from flexible lines and send metal parts to the steel industry.
Business prospects in Angola
The regulatory and structural reforms implemented in Angola have brought greater transparency and competitiveness to the sector. The economic impact is already evident in the significant inflow of foreign capital, and because of the reforms and the creation of better market conditions, more than US$50 billion has been invested in Angola between 2020 and 2024. These were the analyses presented by the Secretary of State for Oil and Gas of the Republic of Angola, José Alexandre Barroso, on the second day of OTC Brazil 2025. The decisions made, including the separation of Sonangol as a concessionaire and operator, allowed Angola to retain major international companies such as Chevron, TotalEnergies, and BP.
OTC Brazil 2025 runs until October 30 at ExpoRio, bringing together leading industry experts to discuss the future of offshore energy.
About OTC Brasil
OTC Brazil 2025 is being held at ExpoRio Cidade Nova from October 28 to 30 and has Petrobras as Master Sponsor; Shell and TotalEnergies as Diamond Sponsors; Equinor, ExxonMobil, Petronas, PRIO, and TechnipFMC as Platinum Sponsors; Gold sponsorship from Brava, Chevron, and Repsol Sinopec; Silver sponsorship from bp; and Bronze sponsorship from OceanPact, PERBRAS, Vallourec, and Tenaris. EcoPetrol Brasil is a sponsor of Club Offshore, BTG Pactual Advisors is the Official Bank of the event, and the Rio de Janeiro State Government's Secretariat of Energy and Maritime Economy is a Strategic Partner. United Airlines is the official airline of OTC Brasil, and S&P Global Commodity Insights is the Knowledge Partner. B&T XP is the Official Foreign Exchange Broker; Ambipar is the Official Emissions Offsetting Partner; and the Brazilian Society of Naval Engineering (Sobena) is the Guest Association. The event also has the following media partners: eixos, Petro&Química, Brasil Energia, Tn Petróleo, Upstream, Offshore, and Oil & Gas Journal. The event also has the Institutional Support of ABEEMAR, ABEMI, ABESPETRO, ABIMAQ, ABPIP, ABRACO, AHK Mercosul, Arpel, CESAR, EIC, Energy Workforce & Technology Council, Firjan SENAI SESI, IADC, IAPG, Rede Petro ES, SBGf, Syndarma and Abeam, and Visit Rio.
