CLS, a subsidiary of CNES and Ifremer, has acquired the Brazilian company PROOCEANO, which specialises in studies and services to support offshore oil operations. CLS is thus reinforcing and deploying its offer in the South American oil market through the acquisition of a new subsidiary that enhances its international network.
Brazil’s offshore oil fields are probably the largest discovered in the past decade, and are buried under thick layers (5 km) of salt at a depth of more than 2 km below the ocean’s surface. These discoveries have allowed Brazil to become self-sufficient in energy, rising from the 24th to the 10th largest oil producer and also offering new prospects for the international oil and gas community. But at the same time the Brazilian government is very concerned about environmental protection.
Naturally their exploitation is not without risk. This was demonstrated in November 2011 and March 2012 when fields located off Rio and operated by oil companies experienced severe leakage leading to oil spills that threatened biodiversity.
To help these oil companies apply environmental standards, manage routine operations and handle crisis situations, CLS has developed a range of services that fall into five categories:
- ocean forecasting services to support marine operations in the exploited areas,
- marine ecosystem modelling studies to measure the environmental impact,
- an oil slick detection service using satellite radar,
- a service for monitoring this pollution, based on the deployment of drifting buoys at the centre of the slicks,
- and a service for forecasting the drift and dispersion of these slicks by means of ocean and weather models.
These services have already been widely adopted by the offshore community, in particular for managing accidental pollution in oilfields located off the coast of Africa! To effectively serve the Brazilian offshore market, all CLS needed was a local partner.
Prooceano represents a real opportunity for CLS. The company offers not only a base for CLS in Brazil but also many technical and commercial benefits:
- Prooceano has expertise in coastal oceanography to complement that of CLS which is more specialised in deep-sea areas;
- Prooceano’s structure, as a small, young and dynamic company, means it is highly responsive;
- Prooceano is already well established in the South American offshore oil and gas sector and already serves all the oil operators;
- Its expertise, especially in numerical modelling of oil slick drifts and environmental studies, which complement the services offered by CLS, will strengthen and expand our portfolio of applications.
- Prooceano will bring the full range of CLS’s satellite services to Brazil, while CLS will gradually deploy joint CLS/Prooceano offers by drawing on its global network, particularly in Africa.
The CLS/Prooceano service offer has thus become a must for oil industry professionals. CLS also strengthens its presence in South America where it already has a subsidiary in Peru and an office in Chile. With this acquisition, CLS has extended its network and confirmed its position as an internationally recognised company in the field of environmental monitoring and protection.
