Way Ahead In Corrosion Control

Deepwater exhibits at Rio Oil and Gas Expo 2012

Rio de Janeiro, normally just easing into springtime in mid-September, was unseasonably warm during the Rio Oil and Gas Expo 2012 at the Riocentro Convention Centre. This might explain the unseasonably warm reception the Deepwater exhibit just enjoyed on Sept. 17-20. Begun in 1982, the expo is held every two years and showcases products and services for oil, natural gas and biofuel production. At the last one, held in 2010, there were over 1,300 exhibiting companies from 51 countries and 53,000 visitors, making this a pretty big deal.

Deepwater Corrosion Services was there this year exhibiting with regional partners IEC (Instalações e Engenharia de Corrosão Ltda.). Owing both to IEC’s gargantuan booth - and the fact that we were the only corrosion-services companies attending – there was a brisk business in presenting and explaining Deepwater’s products and capabilities in offshore cathodic protection. There was lots of interest in CP retrofits, CP monitoring and CP engineering services among the throngs of energy professionals, as well as plenty of eyes drawn to Deepwater’s I-Rod pipe-support displays.

In keeping with Brazil’s hard-partying reputation, the Rio exhibition begins at noon each day and continues until 8 p.m., giving many exhibitors and attendees a chance to stagger to their hotels at dawn and scurry back to the expo at noon without missing a beat. An even more practical reason was to give energy professionals who couldn’t take off from work a chance to visit during evening hours. It seemed to work well for all involved. 

As stated earlier, this is currently a biannual event. With all the great people, food, drinks and scenery (and most importantly, the fistful of promising sales leads), we almost wish it were held every two weeks rather than every two years.

 

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