Transpetro is inaugurating a new section of the Paulínia-São Paulo Oil Pipeline (Opasa 16) in São Paulo (SP). The project had an investment of R$465 million and replaced 68 kilometers of pipes in the asset that connects the Paulínia Refinery (Replan) to the Barueri Land Terminal. The new infrastructure increases safety, operational efficiency and brings technological advances that allow for an increase of up to 60% in handling capacity.
This is the largest onshore pipeline engineering project undertaken in Brazil in the last ten years. The project was conducted entirely by Transpetro's technical teams, with support from Petrobras, and was completed in 15 months.
“The work to replace Opasa 16, carried out with excellence by the Transpetro team, is part of Petrobras’ investment portfolio that ensures logistics is a competitive advantage for the company. We have been seeking similar opportunities throughout the country, integrating all links in the production chain in a safe and efficient manner to generate value for our customers and society, contributing to the generation of jobs and income and helping the country grow,” says Petrobras’ director of Logistics, Sales and Markets, Cláudio Schlosser.
“The inauguration of the new Opasa pipeline represents a milestone in Brazil’s fuel transportation infrastructure. In the last decade, the country has never seen a similar onshore pipeline of this length and technology. In addition to creating jobs, the execution of such a complex project, led by Transpetro workers, demonstrates our unique technical capacity and technological expertise. Transpetro is committed to being a company with increasingly efficient logistics solutions, generating value for both society and our customers,” emphasized the company’s CEO, Sérgio Bacci.
The new project replaced the original pipeline with a new structure equipped with more advanced coating and thermal insulation technologies. The new condition also makes it possible to increase the pipeline's capacity by up to 60%, to approximately 200 million liters per month for the movement of fuel oil. The delivery of this project complements the first stage of works, when 31 kilometers of Opasa 16 pipes were replaced.
“Our teams were responsible for all phases of the project, from the engineering project to the construction and assembly stage. We had 25 simultaneous service fronts in nine cities between Paulínia and Barueri, with 670 direct jobs during the execution. This inauguration reinforces the company's objective of ensuring greater reliability, operational availability and more efficient movement, in this case for Replan, the largest refinery in the country. Ensuring the safe and efficient flow of fuel oil produced at Replan also means ensuring the production and flow levels of other derivatives, such as gasoline and diesel, which are so essential to our economy”, highlighted the Director of Pipelines and Terminals, Márcio Guimarães.
