Processing and distribution of graphical information in offshore engineering

This paper reports briefly the experience of the Production Department of Petrobras in transforming its centralized, mainframe based, computational environment into a open distributed client/server computational environment, through the application of downsizing concepts. Then the paper focused its attention on the problem of handling technical graphics information regarding its more than 70 fixed offshore platforms, going from 10 to 180 m water depth. The solution adopted, with emphasis on the local network corresponding to a typical production region, and on the connection of the offshore platforms to that network, is discussed first. The experiences collected during the implementation and operation of such solution are then reported, and practical conclusions are presented with regard to the main issues involved.