At the 20th UN-BC Operation and Maintenance Meeting, held from 13 to 15 May 2003, at Sesi in Macaé/RJ, the efficiency of the Rotork actuator in off-shore applications was proven, especially in the automation of choke valves in oil production wells, through the presentation of the work Pressure Control at the head of the wells, by Production Technician Artur Terra de Todos os Santos.
The choke valve automation project in the northeast of the UN-BC was started in 1997, based on the difficulties experienced in controlling the high pressures of producing wells, which required very small openings of the choke valves. Once the most suitable choke valve for the operation of these wells was identified (MasterFlo's choke valve technology was selected), Petrobras went to the market to choose the best solution in intelligent actuators, which could provide an interface with the supervision and control system the platforms of the Northeast Pole of the UN-BC (Ativo Nordeste). In addition to the interface features with existing supervisory systems, the choice was made by the fact that the Rotork intelligent electric actuator has tools that allow predictive maintenance on the systems that were being motorized. This is an element with a high degree of importance for the platforms in the Campos Basin so that they can operate unassisted.
According to Eng. Flavio Moreira, Rotork product manager, the choke valves of the Red Platforms 1, 2 and 3 and of the Carapeba Platforms 1, 2 and 3 were automated, in a total of 69 intelligent electric actuators with Modbus RTU communication interface with choke valve positioning function and 138 intelligent electric actuators with Modbus RTU communication interface with on-off blocking function of conventional ball valves in the production manifold.