By Miles Hunter, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brasil Offshore event saw over 600 companies from around the world set up in Macaé’s Convention Centre from the 14th until the 17th of June. The show consisted of the massive exhibition area where companies from all over the world were positioned, trying to attract interest in their products and services. Along with the Brasil Offshore exhibitors were a number of presentations where industry executives outlined Brazil’s long term plans for developing the exploration and production of the country’s massive Pre-Salt oil reserves.
Enrico Lobrigo, a guest lecturer on the applied maritime studies course at Bremen University, took time out to discuss with The Rio Times the significance of the matters discussed at the show’s conferences. “The underlying current of the topics discussed at the event were Brazil’s intentions to become self-sufficient in their exploration and development of their off-shore oil fields. What can be produced by Brazil, will be produced by Brazilians working for Brazilian companies.”
Lobrigo went on to explain: “This seems at odds with the truly global nature of the event where there were companies representing over 40 countries in attendance. This incongruence can be partly explained by the nature of the world’s oil industry and the importance Brazil will play in increasing production to meet ever growing demand. Although Brazilian laws make it difficult for foreign companies to work here, the sight of so many at the event signals just how important the nation’s oil is.”
Away from the conferences exhibitors were forging new business relationships, and trying to get a foothold in Brazil’s burgeoning oil industry. Brian Purchon from Shand couplings said, “We’ve received a lot of interest in our products during the show and expect some orders to materialize on our return to the UK.”
Purchon also added: “We’ve met a lot of Brazilian engineering students while we’ve been here and have been happy to take time out and inform them about our non-spill coupling technology. We believe that introducing ourselves to this new generation will pay off in the future.”
Alongside the industry’s big hitters there were many local companies that used the show to make valuable contacts and gain exposure. Orlando Pessanha from BicTess, a local company providing intelligent solutions in the high pressure hose field said, “The event’s been fantastic for us, we’ve managed to make lots of really useful contacts and the stand has attracted lots of interest to our company from people all around the world.”
The show was divided into areas where exhibitors from different countries were grouped together. Some of the corridors between stands were clearly more popular than others.
The mainstream media has been constant in its reportage of the rise of Chinese trade, technology and manufacturing, yet their area was perhaps the quietest during the show. Many attendees expressed that China’s products and services have yet to catch up with those from more developed industrial nations.
The event press department confirmed: “This edition of the Brasil Offshore [had] six international pavilions (China, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France and the United States). In addition to the pavilions, companies from 31 countries also attended the event. Altogether, there were 152 international companies, about 15 percent higher then the last edition, in 2009.”