The Transpetro Terminal in Angra dos Reis (Tebig) broke historic records in 2023. Among the activities of this facility showing notable numbers are the total volume of handled products; vessel and ship to ship operations (cargo transfer between vessels); occupation rate of berths; and time of permanence of ships at the terminal .
Transpetro recorded 42.6 million m³ of total product volume handled (supply, loading/unloading and discharge transshipment). The value represents a positive variation of 8.8% relative to 2022. Oil is the most transported product by Tebig, with a volume that currently corresponds to approximately 90% of the total exported by Petrobras and approximately 40% of the domestic oil exports.
The company totaled operations with 506 ships at the Angra dos Reis Terminal last year. That is 42 vessels more than in 2022, which represents a 9.1% increase. The total number of ship to ship operations, on the other hand, was 210 – 28 more than 2022.
The Berth Occupancy Rate (TOB) at the Tebig pier increased from 80.4% in 2022 to 82.1% in 2023. “This means that for each 100 hours, 82 were used by ships operating efficiently. In comparison terms, a berth is considered well operated when it has a rate of about 75%”, explained Angra dos Reis Terminal Manager Felipe Toneli.
Regarding the Permanence Time of the Terminal (TET), which measures berth occupancy by ships, it went from 42.7 hours in 2022 to 41.3 hours in 2023. This means that each of the 506 ships operating last year was at the berth 1.4 fewer hours. The result demonstrates more agile and efficient operations at the terminal, contributing to the reduction of wait time and ship queues.
There were highlights also in the results of the Rio-Ilha Grande Bay Oil Pipeline (Orbig), with increase in handled volume from 7.03 million m³ in 2022 to 8.53 million m³ in 2023. The volume record occurred in July of last year with a volume of 1.02 million m³.
Measures adopted
A series of combined factors contributed to an improvement in terminal operations and was responsible for the results, As examples, the departure of ships though the East channel can be mentioned, reducing the time between vessel maneuvers and consequently the interval between ships (in 2023 there were 87 departures; and regular night departures of large ships type VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), authorized by the Port Authority.
In addition to efficiency in maritime operations, there was a set of maintenance measures implemented during the course of last year that also contributed to these numbers. One was the improvement in availability and reliability of equipment through strategic acquisition of spare materials, reducing the time for concluding corrective actions and increasing personnel and environmental safety.
“We are operating at a higher level and with more efficiency. It is very important to note we attained these numbers without any work related accidents or damage to the environment”, states Toneli.
Domestic record
2023 also was a record on a national scope. There was an increase of 33% in ship to ship and ship to barge operations recording 872 operations against 655 in 2022. The use of the modality allows for reduction of the logistics operation of oil and derivatives costs of up to 30%.
One highlight was the Madre de Deus Terminal in Bahia, which totaled more than 30 operations, not only for Petrobras, but also for new clients such as Acelen, Ream and Seacrest. The start of ship to ship operations at the São Luiz Terminal in Maranhão was also another factor responsible for the positive results.
In activities in the Amazon region, represented by the Manaus and Solimões Terminals, the company totaled 246 ship to ship operations in 2023. In the prior year there had been 26. This region experienced a record drought and Transpetro’s actions were decisive to ensure local supply. In 50 days between September and November 2023, the company handled 300 thousand m³ of oil and derivatives in transshipment operations in Amazonas.