Kongsberg DP Systems Lead the Way in Brazil
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With the continued growth and the high potential of the Brazilian O&G market, the demand for Kongsberg DP systems in ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs is steadily increasing and Kongsberg Maritime do Brasil S.A is expanding and enhancing its presence and investments in the country.
Kongsberg Maritime AS, has been engaged in various technological areas related to marine activities for more than 50 years and have been present in Brazil since 1980.
They are continuously making efforts to develop their products, organization and employees to accommodate client needs. For their Brazilian operation this focus on client needs is being enhanced by increasing their physical presence in Brazil. Kongsberg Maritime do Brasil S.A will soon be opening a new, larger office in Rio de Janeiro and a operations base and training center in Macaé. They have also been increasing the number of DP system technicians they have on call in Brazil, in order to decrease the amount of waiting time for their clients when DP system maintenance and troubleshooting is necessary and also to install and commission their DP and Navigation systems during ship construction. Through this they are also contributing to the growth of the country as these new technicians will be Brazilians. They will most certainly also be increasing the amount of available spare parts in their local storage inventory.
Throughout the company's history, they have ensured the commercial availability of technologies and systems that enhance value and work efficiently and dependably for their clients. In the 1960s, Kongsberg installed the world's first computer-based radar/ARPA. Since then, they have been at the forefront of many technological innovations, ranging from dynamic positioning systems (DP) to integrated automation systems and from fish finding equipment to fishery research.
Presently Kongsberg has delivered DP systems to around 200 ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs, working in the Brazilian offshore O&G fields and this number is continuously growing as new vessels are built in the bustling Brazilian Shipyards and different plays go through various stages of development, from drilling to testing, from there to production and then from FPSOs to tankers. Today the vast majority ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs working in the offshore O&G fields in Brazil, need to have a DP system installed and functioning as they are vital systems for offshore operations. Kongsberg is definitely the greatest DP system supplier in Brazil, by a very respectable margin.
Now with the deepwater pre-salt fields in Brazil being explored and developed, the DP system once again proves to be vital, as ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs working the pre-salt need to maintain exact positioning when anchored over subsea wells and subsea systems that may be as deep as 2,200 meters.
Companies such as Petrobras, Shell, OGX, Maersk, TEEKAY, BW Offshore, Seadrill, DOF Subsea, NorSkan, Sevan Marine, Technip ,among many others, use Kongsberg DP systems on their ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs.
Kongsberg is also supporting important social projects such as Bola Pra Frente and Karanba. Through these programs new horizons of opportunity are given to underprivileged Brazilian children.
Kongsberg, along with other companies are also investing in seafarer trainee programs in partnership with CIAGA, the official Brazilian maritime seafarer and officer training institution located in Rio de Janeiro, thus increasing the prospect of poor young Brazilians entering the maritime and offshore market instead of the local gangs.
Claudio Paschoa
Photo C. Paschoa
(Backup Kongsberg DP system installed on bridge wing of new cable laying vessel, Skandia Vitória, being built by STX Brasil shipyard, for a DOF Subsea-Technip partnership).
Paschoa, Claudio
Claudio Paschoa is Marine Technology Reporter's correspondent in Brazil.
Email: [email protected]
February 2025
