Panorama da tecnologia MEOR : estratégias para difusão da inovação no setor do petróleo

Abstract

The exploratory and descriptive research, of quali-quantitative approach, aimed to identify strategies that favor the transfer, to the industry, of technologies for microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), generated in interactive environments (ICT-Company). Theoretical references in the following areas of knowledge are used: environment, petroleum, innovation, knowledge management, and network science, which were fundamental for the appropriate analysis and conclusion about the data obtained in the research. The interface of the oil industry with the environment is interwoven by the patterns of the world energy matrix, which remains heavily centered on the use of oil, despite the fact that the consumption of renewable energy has increased in recent years. Oil exploration and the use of fossil fuels result in the generation of an important volume of produced water, besides the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), thus configuring the urgency to find ways to reconcile the use of oil with the environmental imperative. Positive responses have emerged with the development of new technologies, especially MEOR, which provides economic gains, related to increased efficiency in oil exploration, and environmental gains, with the reduction of CO2 emissions and the proportion of produced water. The petroleum industry is capital and technology intensive, so the diffusion of innovations in this sector must consider the complexity of its production chains. Large international companies, operators, and suppliers act together, alongside universities and research institutions that can act as developers of technologies demanded by the industry. Innovation as a factor in economic development enhances the competitiveness of organizations and countries. It is a process carried out by various actors who operate in interaction with the external environment, in a cycle consisting of distinct stages related to research, development and diffusion, resulting in new products, services and processes. To investigate the dynamics of the evolution of innovation in MEOR technologies in the petroleum sector, the network science was applied to the sample composed of 208 patents in order to, from the mapping of inventors, holders and patent offices, describe the important actors in the process of MEOR innovation, clarifying the relationship between MEOR patents and countries. Complementarily, the Petrogal-IFBA-UFBA project, a case of MEOR technology generation in an interactive ICT-Company environment, carried out in Brazil, was studied. As results, it was perceived the resistance of the industry to incorporate the MEOR technologies, despite the proven effectiveness in field tests conducted around the world; the role of partnerships between ICTs and companies in enabling the process of innovation and transfer of MEOR technologies and; the importance of conducting field tests, with the publication of strategies and results. Finally, strategies that favor the transfer to industry of MEOR innovations generated in interactive environments (ICT-Company) were identified and analyzed, which was initially defined as an objective of this research.