On June 24 and 25, Rio de Janeiro hosted Innovarpel 2025, the second edition of the technical event organized by Arpel, focused on Digital Transformation and Industrial Cybersecurity in the oil and gas sector. 

The event also marked the official launch of Arpel’s new Digital Transformation Committee. The program concluded with the celebration of the Association’s 60th anniversary, attended by representatives of member companies and renowned regional and international institutions from the industry.

TWO DAYS OF HIGH-LEVEL TECHNICAL CONTENT

With the goal of sharing experiences, best practices, and lessons learned, Innovarpel 2025 brought together nearly 200 professionals from operating companies as well as providers of digital and industrial cybersecurity solutions. 

The agenda was structured around five thematic areas: Digital Transformation and Operational Efficiency; Industrial Cybersecurity in the Digital Era; Sustainability, Energy Transitions and Decarbonization; Artificial Intelligence and Decision-Making Automation; and finally, Culture, Innovation and Agility: The Road to the Digital Enterprise. 

Following an outstanding opening keynote by Tatiana Escovedo, General Manager of Digital Transformation at Petrobras, on Challenges and Opportunities in Digital Transformation in the Oil and Gas Sector, the program continued with 26 practical implementation cases presented, covering all segments of the value chain as well as support services of companies in the sector.

Over the course of the two days, the cases presented included, among others: the use of industrial home automation to monitor communications in gas pipelines; remote operation and supervision of assets, particularly through drones; an in-depth examination of a cyberattack; advancements in decarbonization enabled by digital tools; presentations from operations centers for real-time decision-making; the use of Artificial Intelligence to support the work of geoscientists; and the digital transformation journey of Internal Audit. 

Three additional keynote presentations and three expert panels further enriched the program. 

The most prominent theme of the event was Artificial Intelligence, which has advanced significantly since the first edition of Innovarpel in 2023 and today plays a leading role in the Digital Transformation process of companies. 

“Innovation is key to ensuring the sustainability and evolution of our industry. Our member companies are deeply committed to decarbonizing their operations, processes, and facilities. In addition, many of them are actively diversifying their energy portfolios by expanding into renewable energy sources. Our digital transformation is essential to achieving these two goals,” stated Carlos Garibaldi, Executive Secretary of Arpel.

Innovarpel 2025 was made possible thanks to the support of Petrobras, as host company, together with S&P Global, ANCAP, SLB, GeoPark, Petropar, Rosen, Tema, TGN, YPF, and the start-ups Alamo Analytics and Teramot, which participated in the newly created Emerging Ventures category. 

CELEBRATING ARPEL’S 60^TH ANNIVERSARY

Following the conclusion of the InnovArpel 2025 Technical Agenda, Arpel celebrated its 60th anniversary with opening remarks delivered by Carlos Garibaldi and Faye Gerard, representing the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP).

“Since its inception, Arpel has provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experiences. We share best practices in operational excellence across the entire value chain, through reciprocal assistance to address specific technical and management issues, as well as through workshops, committees, training courses, benchmarking studies, guides, manuals, and technical documents. While maintaining our commitment to operational excellence and safety, today we are driving the evolution of our hydrocarbon sector in times of energy transition and new risk dynamics, with the aim of ensuring energy security while simultaneously reducing emissions,” stated Garibaldi.   

This was followed by remarks from Mishaal Al-Thukair from Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy, Luciene Ferreira Pedrosa from ANP, and Flaubert Matos Machado, representing Petrobras.

The program continued with a distinguished panel moderated by Martín Terrado, Arpel’s Board of Directors Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of GeoPark.

The dialogue featured the participation of Pedro Miras, President of WPC Energy; Jennifer Miskimins, President (2026) of SPE International; Ángela Livino, Advisor to OLADE; Carlos González, Vice Chair of Ipieca and Corporate General Manager of HSE at Petrobras; and Cecilia San Román, President of ANCAP.

The sessions concluded with a cocktail reception, bringing participants together in a space of networking and celebration of Arpel’s 60 years of history.

Arpel was founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1965 by eight national oil companies from Latin America and the Caribbean. Since then, it has grown to include 13 integrated national oil companies and 18 additional members, including regional independents, global integrated companies, and international providers of goods and services spanning the entire hydrocarbon value chain.

Link to Photos – Innovarpel 2025 and ARPEL’s 60th Anniversary:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147389427@N08/albums/72177720327558698

https://www.flickr.com/photos/147389427@N08/albums/72177720327565394