On October 14th, a senior delegation from the Brazilian National Oil Company (Petrobras), led by Drilling Department General Manager Marcos Coradini Tolfo, visited China University of Petroleum (CUP). The group, which included five Petrobras executives, was joined by Zhang Peng, Deputy General Manager of the Research Institute of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and Ma Weiwei, Deputy Director of CNOOC’s Technology Development Division. CUP President Jin Yan and Vice President Zhang Guangqing, along with key representatives from the university’s Science and Technology Office, International Cooperation and Exchange Office, and School of Petroleum Engineering, extended a warm welcome to the delegation.

President Jin thanked CNOOC for its support in facilitating this exchange and introduced CUP’s recent achievements in education, research, and global partnerships. Reflecting on the longstanding relationship between CUP and Brazil, he expressed the university’s enthusiasm for expanding collaborative efforts and innovating new ways of working together, particularly as this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Brazil.

The heads of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office and the Science and Technology Office provided the Brazilian delegation with an overview of the university’s initiatives in international scientific and technological cooperation and its current research activities.During the visit, CUP leaders provided an overview of the university’s international research initiatives. 

In response, Luiz Felipe De Medeiros Frias, Technical Manager of Petrobras’s External Cooperation Department, shared updates on Petrobras’s partnerships with Chinese energy companies. Vinicius Maia de Jesus, Innovation Manager at Cenpes, highlighted Petrobras’s recent technological advancements in drilling, renewable energy, and underwater technology. 

The Petrobras delegation praised China’s commitment to energy transition and recognized CUP’s growing contributions in this field, voicing a strong interest in establishing a deeper partnership with the university.After a productive discussion on technical and research priorities, the delegation toured CUP’s high-pressure water jet drilling and completion laboratory. 

Founded in 1953 and headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Petrobras is Brazil’s largest oil company and one of the most influential in South America. With an extensive global presence, the company plays a leading role in the energy industry. This visit marked the first high-level delegation from Petrobras to CUP, and the group is set to participate in the China-Brazil Marine Science and Technology Innovation Forum in Beijing later this month.