The Brigade in Brazil

Prion, PSV, 3512C

It’s 2014, and Brazil has set its sights on the horizon. With a booming oil and gas industry showing no signs of slowing down, the country’s economy – already the biggest in Latin America – will soon become one of the most powerful in the world. And Petrobras, the energy giant behind it all, is counting on the services provider Wilson Sons for total support.

PSVs dot the water as far as the eye can see. The Brazilian coast is chaotic these days: oil production in the Campos, Santos and Espírito Santo basins is developing at lightning speed.

The optimism is palpable. But with such rapid industrial growth comes challenges, too. Petrobras has 134 platforms and counting, and for that they need an army of PSVs – as it is, their fleet of more than 300 vessels can never rest. So right now, Wilson Sons is investing in more newbuilds at their Sao Paolo shipyard to help meet the demand.

Out on the water, Prion, one of Wilson Sons’ most modern PSVs, sets off loaded with drilling mud. Captain Gabreth de Moraes is always anxious at the start of these voyages. He thinks of his crew as a family – a brigade – and he wants to do whatever he can to keep them safe. But the potential for danger is constant – the platforms are virtual floating construction sites, and the ocean is unpredictable.

The crew has total faith in their captain, though. In fact, if there’s a word that defines this crew’s mindset, it’s trust – in their equipment, in their ship, and in one another. 

 

The Brigade in Brazil

Watch the platform supply vessel Prion.

The Brigade in Brazil - Prion, PSV, Brazil