Adress: Rua Moniz Aragão, 360, bloco 8G/CT2, Ilha do Fundão, CEP 21941-594
Professors:  Profª. Claudia Regina Elias Mansur, Associate professor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Profª. Elizabete Fernandes Lucas, Titular professor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Profª. Luciana Spinelli Ferreira, Adjunct professor (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

Brief history

In 1994, Professor Elizabete Lucas, using her previous knowledge in Petroleum E&P, started her the activities in Institute of Macromolecule of UFRJ, exclusively in polymeric additives applied to the production, treatment and processing of oil, advising students (undergraduate, master and doctoral).

The first works were about emulsions and synthesis of modified polyacrylamide.

In 1996, the laboratory accepted the first Petrobras employee as a PhD student to develop thesis on inhibition of petroleum wax deposition.

Also in 1996, the first contract between the laboratory and Petrobras was formalized for the development of research on stabilization of petroleum asphaltenes.

Professors Claudia Elias and Luciana Spinelli became students at LMCP and, later on, got Ph.D. Researcher position working in different projects until they joined as Professors at IMA/UFRJ in 2006 and 2011, respectively.

Over the years, activities have been expanded to other applications of polymers as additives in Petroleum Industry. These activities, as well as the publications related to the respective works developed, were compiled in two publications with different approaches:

• Review: Polymer Science Applied to Petroleum Production. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2009, 81(3), 476-494, https://doi.org/10.1351/PAC-CON-08-07-21.

• Encyclopedia chapter: Polymers Applications in Petroleum Production. Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1002/0471440264.pst641.

On specific subjects, 1 review article and 1 book chapter were also published:

• Review: A comprehensive review of in situ polymer hydrogels for conformance control of oil reservoirs Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP Energies nouvelles 2020, 75, 8 (2020), https://doi.org/10.2516/ogst/2019067.

• Book chapter: Hydrogels Applied for Conformance-Improvement Treatment of Oil Reservoirs Hydrogels, IntechOpen, 2018, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.73204.

* Although the LMCP is focused on the oil industry, the knowledge acquired has contributed to the development of other sectors, such as dentistry and pharmacy.

LMCP's mission and policy

The LMCP's mission is: to develop scientific and technological research projects with multi and interdisciplinary character; to provide specialized services in the materials and oil sectors; to strengthen partnerships between LMCP and its interested parties; and to train specialized researchers prepared to work in companies.

The LMCP policy reflects the Top Management's commitment to the: (i) leadership and maintenance of the quality management system supported by the requirements of the NBR ISO 9001: 2015 and NBR ISO / IEC 17025: 2017 standards, (ii) good professional practices and (iii) quality of the tests in customer service. LMCP works in the provision of services and technology development, by caring out characterization and performance tests of polymers applied to the oil and gas E&P. It is part of the quality policy: to ensure the confidentiality of proprietary information of clients and to guarantee the reliability of results in order to meet the requirements and expectations of clients; to train professionals and to ensure that everyone is familiar with the quality management system and with the improvement of the effectiveness of the system, and dedicated to the implementation of operational policies and procedures; and to ensure safe working conditions that prevent diseases, injuries and environmental impacts.

Trained professionals

Approximately 300 professionals were trained at LMCP and the vast majority of whom work in the energy sector.

Number of articles published in scientific journals

LCMP has about 250 papers published in scientific journals with an editorial board, covering both basic and applied research.

Services provided to oil companies

About 100 technical services were provided to companies such as Dow, Nalco / Champion, Clariant, Blue Star, Momentive, BR Distribuidora and Queirós Galvão.

Research Projects developed with companies in the Gas Oil Sector

About 50 research projects have been developed for companies, including Petrobras, Respol, Shell and Equinor.

Partnerships with Professors from other Universities

National:

• Universidade Estadual de Campinas;
• Universidade Federal do Maranhão;
• Universidade Federal de Pelotas;
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul;
• Universidade Federal de Sergipe.

Foreign:

• Lviv Polytechnic National University;
• Universidad del Mexico;
• Universidad Industrial de Santander;
• Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín;
• Universidade de Lisboa;
• Università della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli";
• University of Alberta;
• University of Heriot-Watt;
• University of North Texas.

Certifications

LMCP works with an Integrated Management System (SGI) that includes Quality, Health and Safety at Work and the Environment Management, and promotes better organization of internal processes, highlighting the control of experimental methodologies and analysis results, following appropriate laboratory safety practices and chemical waste disposal.

LMCP has FS 574668 certificate, granted by BSI Brasil Sistema de Gestão Ltda, and platinum Self-Audit certificate, granted by COPPE/UFRJ, operating a quality management system according to ISO 9001: 2015 requirements, for the following scope related to evaluation tests for the oil sector: (i) viscosity by temperature and / or shear / stress; (ii) wax appearance temperature (WAT); (iii) pour point; (iv) oil demulsification; (v) antifoam performance; (vi) asphaltenes precipitation onset; (vii) density and API grade; and (viii) water content by Karl Fischer.

Physical and equipment infrastructure

LMCP occupies an area of about 2000 m², at Rua Moniz Aragão, 360 bloco 8G / CT2, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The equipment infrastructure allows the development of research involving synthesis and characterization (chemical, physical and physical-chemical) of polymers, as well as the evaluation of polymers as additive in several Oil Industry Operations.

Summary of activities in which polymers are applied as additives

1. Exploration;

2. Well:

• Drilling;
• Cementing;
• Completion.

3. Production:

• Acidizing;
• Hydraulic fracturing;
• Fluid injection (Enhanced Oil Recovery);
• Divergence;
• Control of scale and organic deposition (wax, asphaltenes, naphthenates and inorganic salts);
• Control of foam;
• Control of H2S production;

4. Control of formation of gas hydrate;

5. Oil treatment (demulsification process);

6. Oily water treatment;

7. Refine.

Photos

Aerial view of the LMCP building

LMCP members in fire brigade training

 

Photos of 3 among the 18 laboratories in the LMCP building