[pt] O segmento industrial desempenha um importante papel no desenvolvimento do setor de gás Brasileiro. Em função dos baixos preços e dos incentivos dados pelo governo para a conversão dos processos industriais (muitos deles dependentes do óleo combustível) para o gás natural, criou-se uma fonte de demanda firme deste combustível. Como as termelétricas operam em regime de complementariedade ao sistema hidrelétrico (sendo coordenadas pelo Operador Nacional do Sistema (ONS) elétrico e chamadas a gerar apenas em situações hidrológicas desfavoráveis), o oconsumo de gás termelétrico ocorre de forma esporádica. Uma forma de se aumentar a eficiência do uso do gás, mesclando duas classes de consumidores se dá através dos contratos interruptíveis, que proporcionam ao produtor a capacidade de atender consumidores industriais bicombustível (gás e óleo por exemplo) com o gás ocioso das termelétricas. Como a atratividade deste contrato depende do desconto dado com relação ao preço do contrato firme, que não é interrompido, o objetivo deste trabalho é a construção de um modelo analítico para a determinação do preço ótimo dos contratos de fornecimento de gás interruptíveis, por parte de um produtor monopolista. O consumo de gás das termelétricas será considerado como principal fonte de incerteza do modelo, que por sua vez será caracterizada através de cenários de operação ótima do sistema elétrico, simulados conforme a metodologia utilizada pelo ONS. O perfil de risco do produtor será caracterizado pelo Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR). / [en] Brazilian natural gas industry growth has been led by electricity supply. As hydro plants generate at lower costs, thermal units only produce when hydro electricity is insufficient. This makes natural gas consumption highly volatile: Either all thermal units generate together or don’t. When all units generate together, the gas trader has to buy LNG - Liquified Natural Gas at the spot market incurring price risk. This risk can be mitigated in case the gas trader is able to sell flexible contracts to the industrial sector that can be interrupted in case of thermal generation. Thus the gas volume sold under flexible contracts is used either by thermal generation or by the industrial sector, virtually reducing total demand and avoiding emergency LNG purchases. The determination of the optimal price for these contracts is the aim of this dissertation. The determination model proposed will try to maximize a convex combination of CVaR - Conditional Value at Risk NPV - Net Present Value and trader´s profit NPV.

The current work, through experimental and numerical investigations, analyses the process and cycle level deviations in engine response on fuelling multi-cylinder natural gas engines with producer gas. Producer gas is a low calorific value bio-derived alternative with composition of 19 ± 1% CO and H2, 2 ± 0.5 % CH4, 12 ± 1% CO2 and 46 ± 1% N2 and has thermo-physical properties significantly different from natural gas. Experimental investigations primarily address the energy balance (full cycle analysis) and in-cylinder response (process specific analysis) at various operating conditions covering naturally aspirated and turbocharged mode of operation with natural gas and producer gas. Numerical investigations are based on two thermodynamic scope mathematical models, a zero dimensional model (Wiebe function) and a quasi-dimensional model (propagating flame front heat release). A detailed diagnostic analysis on a six cylinder (E6) indicates, turbocharger mismatch, the first explicit impact of fuel thermo-physical property variation. Turbocharger matching and optimization resulted in a peak load of 72.8 kWe (BMEP 9.47) at a maximum brake torque ignition angles of 22 deg before TDC and compressor pressure ratio of 2.25. Engine energy distribution analysis indicates skewed energy balance with higher cooling load (in excess of 30%) as compared to fossil fuel operation. This is attributed to the presence of nearly 20% H2 which enhances the convective cooling through the higher thermal conductivity. Parametric variation of H2 fraction on a two cylinder engine (E2) with four different syngas compositions (mixture H2 varying from 7.1% to 14.2%) depicts enhanced cooling load from 33.5% to 37.7%. Process level comparison indicates significant deviations in the heat release profile compared to fossil fuels. It has been observed that with an increase in mixture hydrogen fraction (from 7.1% to 14.2%), the fast burn phase combustion duration reduces from 59.6% to 42.6% but the terminal stage duration increases from 25.5% to 48.9%. The enhanced cooling of the mixture (due to the presence of hydrogen), particularly in the vicinity of walls is argued to contribute towards the sluggish terminal phase combustion. Immediate implication of thermo-kinematic response variation is on the magnitude and sensitivity of combustion descriptors and the need for dependent control system calibration for producer gas fuelled operation is established. Descriptor analysis is extended to knocking pressure traces and a new simple methodology is proposed towards identifying the occurrence and regime of knock. Analysing the implications through numerical investigation, the influence of the altered thermo-kinematic response for producer gas fuelled operation impacts 0D simulations. Zero dimensional simulations fail with conventional coefficients requiring fuel specific coefficients. Based on fuel specific coefficients, the suitability of 0D model for the simulation of varying operating conditions ranging from naturally aspirated to turbo charged engines, compression ratios and different engine geometries is established. The analysis is extended to quasi-dimensional through the eddy entrainment and laminar burn up model. The choice of laminar flame speed and turbulent parameters is validated based on the assessment of the flame speed ratio (4.5 ± 0.5 for naturally aspirated operation, turbulent Reynolds number of 2500 ± 250 and 9.0 ± 1.0 for turbocharged operation, turbulent Reynolds number of 5250 ± 250). In the estimation of laminar flame speed, the limitation of GRIMech 3.0 mechanism for H2-CO-CH4 systems is explicitly established and GRIMech 2.11 is used to arrive at experimentally comparable results. In-cylinder engine simulation results covering parametric variation of load, ignition angle and mixture quality, for engine natural gas fuelled naturally aspirated operation and producer gas fuelled naturally aspirated and turbocharged after cooled are compared with experimental results. The quasi dimensional analysis is extended to simulate end gas auto-ignition and is validated by using experimental manifold conditions for turbocharged operation for which knock has been observed. Extending the model to a Waukesha cooperative fuels research engine, motor methane number of 110 is reported for standard composition producer gas. The use of quasi dimensional models with end gas reaction kinetics enabled for knock rating of fuels represents first of its kind initiative.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:27:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AndersonSS.pdf: 411955 bytes, checksum: 5e1635b0c0478f712655188f802072b8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-04-23 / In the middle of modern social changes produced by globalization and capitalism, several markets have changed. States have left the direct coordination of these markets (chiefly public utility sector in the form of monopolies), introducing regulation in order to promote competition. These changes have affected natural gas industry by promoting competition as a key factor to the development and the increase of firms in this market. The regulatory reform of natural gas industry ocurred in EUA and Europe Union and it has produced its first results. In Brazilian context, Constitutional Amendment nbr. 09 and Federal Law nbr. 9.478/97 ( Petroleum Law ) opened the natural gas market to a broad range of private economic agents and they finished the monopoly over the industry before managed by Petrobras. The new regulatory framework of Brazilian natural gas industry has designed competition as a central element to the new form of managment of business and contractual relationships of this industry. Among the regulatory instruments, open access regulation in natural gas pipelines is directed to promote competition. The questions arised about its implementation in Brazilian context are studied in the present work, in which it is discussed the constitutional rules and principles are to be applied to the open access regulation within the theme of statal regulation of economy present in constitutional economic order / No movimento de mudan?as sociais capitaneados pelo capitalismo global e pelo discurso neoliberal, t?m sido promovidas no mundo reformas nos chamados setores de infra-estrutura (antes geralmente geridos de forma direta pelo Estado sob a forma de monop?lios) no sentido de se introduzir uma regula??o que promova a concorr?ncia. Desses setores a industria do g?s natural vem sofrendo reformas institucionais relevantes que procuram retirar-lhe caracter?sticas monopol?sticas e permitir, dessa maneira, o aumento dos agentes nesse mercado. Em alguns paises essas transforma??es na industria do g?s natural encontram j? seus resultados (EUA e Uni?o Europ?ia). O Brasil tem promovido reformas no setor de g?s desde a Emenda Constitucional n? 09 e a Lei 9.478/97, abrindo as portas do mercado brasileiro de petr?leo e g?s para os investimentos privados, criando um cen?rio onde a Petrobr?s n?o est? mais sozinha na execu??o de atividades da cadeia do petr?leo e g?s natural. Acabou-se, assim, com o monop?lio da execu??o das atividades da industria do petr?leo e g?s (foi mantido o monop?lio da titularidade), passando-se a introduzir nesses setores a interven??o pela regula??o, a regula??o econ?mica. Dentre as pautas de regula??o importante da ind?stria do g?s natural encontra-se o chamado livre acesso (open access) aos gasodutos de transporte, fazendo-se pensar a regula??o do livre acesso ? luz da ordem econ?mica da nossa Constitui??o e projetar as rela??es entre Estado e Economia, buscando desenhar o conjunto de regras e princ?pios que orientam a a??o reguladora e fundamentam a possibilidade constitucional do controle de estruturas pelo livre acesso no segmento de transporte de g?s natural

An analysis of the Russian factor in China’s energy policy in Central Asia shows that the importance of energy abundant region Central Asia is getting increased as the world oil demand goes up and the instability in the Middle East gets into a more serious position. As the second largest consumer of energy, China is getting more interested in this region. China’s reluctance to become excessively tied to the Middle East as a source of oil also is another reason that turns China’s face to Central Asia. Not being the only one who is starving for energy makes China to face with other great states (Russia and the US) who has the common interests with China in the region. Therefore, in order to understand China’s energy policy in Central Asia, one has to consider about the policies of other great states in the region. This study focuses on Russian factor in China’s energy policy in Central Asia. There is no doubt that, Russia’s policy in the region has a great effect in China’s every tactic in the region, but today’s one supreme power has an enormous effect on both of the states in the region. The main conclusion of the analysis is that Sino-Russia relations are likely to be more cooperative than competitive. Russia, with its abundant energy resources, is a very good partner that China can get into an energy-trade relationship with. They both are against the US influence in the region. Sino-Russian relations are likely to remain stable in the short and medium term, based on a convergence of interests. The happy state of the relationship may end in the longer term when both side dont need eachother in economic terms. China-US and US -Russia relations are more competitive than cooperative. So there is a big struggle for energy among these three great states. Energy rich Central Asian states’ -Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan- more pragmatic policies make these trilateral relations more complex.

As the diploma's thesis it was chosen the theoretical analysis of the geopolitical position of Russia. The primary objective of this study is the evaluation of current geopolitics of the Russian Federation after the collapse of Soviet Union and outlines its future development. This work tries to answer a few basic questions. What is the current geopolitical situation in Russia, in what direction it develops, and whether we can declare a major shift to any direction. The work is divided into several main parts. Introduction is followed by a theoretical grasp of key concepts and the main actors involved in geopolitics. The other two parts contain an analysis of the relationship of Russia to key actors such as the US and NATO, the EU, China, Ukraine, the near neighborhood in Central Asia and the Transcaucasia and geopolitics of oil and natural gas. The last is practical part, in which the information from the previous sections is applied to specific examples in Russian foreign policy. Keywords: Geopolitics, Russia, eurasianism, foreign policy, the US, the EU, China, Central Asia, Ukraine, NATO, energy policy, oil, natural gas

This thesis studies the impact of shale gas on commodity and stock markets in the U.S. by employing wavelet approach and conducting a time-frequency analysis of dynamic correlations between natural gas and important representatives of commodity markets: crude oil, coal, corn, wheat, and several indices. It covers the period from 2006 to 2015 and is performed on daily data. Our thesis enlarges existing literature on comovement between natural gas with other energy commodities and stocks using wavelet coherence - a methodology which allows analyzing comovement among assets not only from a time series perspective but also over different frequencies. Financialization of natural gas and its involvement in investment portfolios under changing conditions on the U.S. gas market provide space for examination of gas proper correlation estimates in respect to other financial assets. Our results reveal natural gas comovement behaviour with examined commodities during the Financial Crisis. They show gradual decoupling between gas and crude oil prices in time. To the best of our knowledge we are the first to address natural gas using wavelet coherence in connection to agricultural commodities corn and wheat. These commodities together with natural gas are primary sources for bioethanol production being used in...

A atividade industrial é um dos principais causadores dos impactos negativos ao meio ambiente, pois, para operar um processo produtivo, é indispensável o uso de insumos oriundos de recursos naturais. Para amenizar esse problema, é importante ampliar a participação de insumos energéticos mais limpos na matriz energética da indústria brasileira, a fim de promover um crescimento calcado nas propostas do desenvolvimento sustentável. Uma alternativa energética, que passou a ter importância diante da crise energética de 2000/2001, foi o gás natural (GN). O GN traz grandes expectativas ao consumidor do setor industrial, quando comparado com alguns dos seus energéticos substitutos, pois é capaz de contribuir com a redução de custos, mitigar a poluição e garantir o nível de produção sem riscos de interrupção em períodos de estiagem dos reservatórios nas hidroelétricas. Com base nisso, o presente trabalho analisa a aplicabilidade do gás natural do ponto de vista mercadológico, econômico e ambiental, por meio da identificação dos atributos que interferem na adoção do GN como energético alternativo nos principais setores industriais dos Estados de São Paulo (SP) e do Amazonas (AM) e da análise da eficiência produtiva relativa de um conjunto de equipamentos (caldeiras e aquecedores) do setor industrial, a fim de comparar o desempenho dos equipamentos que utilizam o gás natural com os que utilizam os demais energéticos. Como forma de atingir os objetivos expostos, o método compreendeu uma combinação da utilização da técnica do incidente crítico (TIC) e da análise conjunta (AC). A aplicação da técnica do incidente crítico forneceu os atributos considerados importantes para a adoção desse energético no setor industrial, e a análise conjunta serviu para determinar a utilidade e importância relativa dos atributos relevantes na escolha do consumidor. Além disso, foi utilizada a análise por envoltória de dados (DEA) como forma de analisar a eficiência produtiva relativa dos equipamentos estudados. Vale ressaltar que a análise por meio da DEA foi baseada na relação custo/benefício dos equipamentos. Os benefícios considerados eram de natureza econômica e ambiental. Com o presente trabalho, foram obtidos resultados importantes que podem ajudar as empresas usuárias e não usuárias do GN a mensurar, de forma mais objetiva, os benefícios oriundos da utilização deste energético nos processos produtivos e, também permitir ao governo estabelecer estratégias adequadas para incentivar o uso do gás depois da prevista ampliação da sua oferta devido às descobertas recentes de reservas na camada pré-sal e do funcionamento do novo gasoduto Urucu-Coari-Manaus. / Industrial activity is one of the main originators of negative impacts to the environment, given that the use of raw materials from natural resources is indispensable when operating a production process. To mitigate this problem, it is important to broaden the participation of cleaner energy inputs in the Brazilian energy sector in order to promote growth based on the proposals of sustainable development. An alternative energy is natural gas (NG), which became important after the energy crisis of 2000/2001. When compared with some of its energy substitutes, NG brings great expectations to the consumer industry since it is able to reduce costs, mitigate pollution and ensure the level of production without the risk of supply interruption from the hydroelectric plants during the dry periods. Based on this context, this paper analyzes the applicability of natural gas from a marketing, economic and environmental point of view, by identifying the attributes that influence the adoption of natural gas as alternative energy in the major industrial sectors of the states of São Paulo (SP) and Amazonas (AM), and examines the relative productive efficiency of a set of equipments (boilers and heaters) in the industrial sector, in order to compare the performance of equipments that use natural gas with those using other energy sources. To achieve the stated objectives, the method used included a combination of the critical incident technique (CIT) and conjoint analysis (CA). The application of the critical incident technique provided the attributes considered important for the adoption of this energy source in the industrial sector, and the conjoint analysis determined the usefulness and relative importance of the pertinent attributes in the consumers choice. Additionally, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used as a way to analyze the relative productive efficiency of the equipments that were studied. It should be noted that the DEA analysis was based on the equipments cost-effective ratio. The benefits considered were essentially economic and environmental. This study obtained important results that can help NG user and nonuser companies to more objectively measure the benefits of applying this energy source in production processes, as well as enable the government to establish appropriate strategies to encourage gas use after its foreseen production expansion, on account of recent discoveries of reserves in the pre-salt layers and the operation of the new Urucu-Coari-Manaus gas pipeline.

A legislação brasileira estabelece que o Estado tem a obrigação de preservar o equilíbrio econômico financeiro das concessões de serviços públicos. Assim o Estado deve garantir que as tarifas dessas concessões sejam capazes de cobrir os seus custos operacionais e ainda ofereçam um retorno justo para os agentes privados que nelas investiram. Nas concessões de distribuição de gás natural canalizado e de energia elétrica os reguladores brasileiros optaram por aplicar uma regulação baseada em incentivos, que se inspira no modelo inglês de regulação por preço teto. Esta opção regulatória fez com que a Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica adicionasse à remuneração dos acionistas das concessionárias um prêmio de risco regulatório refletindo a diferença entre o risco das distribuidoras inglesas e o risco das norte americanas, pois as inglesas praticam uma forma de determinação de tarifas considerada mais arriscada que as norte americanas. Tal adição de retorno encontra amparo na teoria econômica, mas é questionada por estudos empíricos que mostram que a diferença entre os graus de risco do regime inglês e norte americano não é estatisticamente significativa. Nesta dissertação é testada a hipótese de que o grau de risco de mercado da regulação por preço teto é maior do que o da regulação por custo de serviço. Para tanto são usados dados de distribuidoras de gás natural e energia elétrica da Argentina, Brasil, Chile e Estados Unidos, sendo que apenas neste último país se pratica regulação por custo de serviço e nos demais é adotada a regulação por preço teto de inspiração inglesa. Os testes aqui realizados indicam que não há evidências de que o risco de mercado seja maior em países com regulação por preço-teto do que em países com regulação por custo de serviço. Mais do que isso, esta dissertação conclui que o principal determinante do diferencial entre o risco de mercado das concessionárias brasileiras e o risco de mercado das empresas norte americanas comparáveis de distribuição de energia elétrica e de gás natural é a volatilidade do índice IBOVESPA e não o modelo tarifário adotado pelos reguladores. / Brazilian Law establishes that preservation of the economic balance of utilities is an obligation of the Brazilian State. Thus the State must set tariffs that not only cover utilities operational costs but also cover its capital cost, giving a fair return for utilities investors. In tariff setting, Brazilian regulators estimate a weight average cost of capital, of which market risk is one of the components. Brazilian regulators of natural gas and electricity distribution utilities choose an incentive based model of regulation, inspired in the English regulatory model of price cap, or RPI X. This regulatory model is considered riskier than the American model of cost of service, or (fixed) rate of return regulation. Thus, the choice for a price cap model made Brazilian electricity regulator (ANEEL) add a regulatory risk premium in the equity component of WACC to incorporate the risk differential between the English and the American regulatory models. Such regulatory risk premium is validated by economic theory, but is questioned by empiric studies that show that, across many countries, the difference between the risk of English and American models are not statistically significative. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that the market risk of price cap regulation is greater than cost of service regulation. In order to test such hypothesis data from natural gas and electric energy distributors from Argentia, Brazil, Chile and United States is used. Only the latter practices cost of service regulation and all other countries adopt the english inspired price cap regualation. The tests performed indicate that there is no evidence that the market risk is greater in countries adopting price cap regulation than in countries using cost of service regulation. Moreover, this dissertation concludes that the main aspect determining the difference between market.risk of Brazilian utilities providers and American comparable natural gas end electric energy distributors is the volatility of the IBOVESPA índex in spite of the tariff model adopted by the regulators.

Nas últimas décadas, a fonte eolielétrica é a que sinaliza maior crescimento mundial dentre as demais. A curva de aprendizagem tecnológica do setor mostra queda do custo entre 15% a 20% a cada 3 anos. Países ativos no setor eólico se esforçam pela meta de 12% de participação na produção elétrica mundial em 2020. A contribuição da geração eolielétrica offshore é fundamental para essa meta, pela proximidade aos centros de carga, com ganhos de eficiência, de escala e reduzido impacto ambiental e visual. Apesar do crescimento do parque gerador nacional em 2006, há carência na produção no curto prazo. Contraditoriamente, há ventos abundantes para geração eolielétrica e o prévio arcabouço industrial que seria necessário para desenvolver o setor. Apesar do incentivo governamental (PROINFA), o setor eólico brasileiro ainda não decolou como esperado. O objetivo deste trabalho é reforçar o debate sobre a importância da diversificação da matriz, em prol da estratégia de segurança do suprimento energético nacional e da redução da emissão de gases de efeito estufa. Em rumo a esse objetivo, são colocados argumentos com abordagem ampla e com abordagem específica. Na abordagem ampla, esta pesquisa propõe uma maior inserção da fonte eólica na matriz elétrica nacional como uma das opções a serem consideradas de maneira mais relevante nas táticas de diversificação da matriz, a exemplo do que já fazem países com maior abundância de gás natural que o Brasil, como o Reino Unido. Sob um ponto de vista específico, a investigação exemplifica possibilidades de contribuição da fonte eolielétrica, na sua versão offshore, para as táticas de diversificação da matriz nacional que se entendem importantes, a exemplo do já fazem países com maior predominância da fonte hidráulica que o Brasil, como a Noruega. O método utilizado para se alcançar o objetivo desta dissertação envolve os seguintes passos: (1) esclarecer quanto aos principais aspectos do setor energético a nível mundial e o problema ambiental que está vinculado à produção de energia por fontes fósseis; (2) esclarecer quanto aos aspectos do desenvolvimento de sistemas eolielétricos onshore no Brasil e no mundo e também do desenvolvimento de sistemas offshore em países de interesse; (3) explorar exemplos de articulação dos sistemas eólicos offshore com projetos de produção de energia fóssil em ambiente marítimo, como forma de produzir sinergia útil a ambos os setores; (4) analisar e debater sobre as propostas do governo brasileiro para o futuro da matriz elétrica do país; (5) propor algumas possibilidades de desenvolvimento de sistemas eólicos offshore no Brasil, partindo de pequenos projetos-piloto. Caso as propostas deste trabalho se tornem realizadas, os resultados para este país líder em energia limpa e renovável seriam: a criação de valor nas operações offshore de produção de energia fóssil, o ganho de aprendizagem sobre a tecnologia eólica, o alívio parcial da oferta energética para centros litorâneos no curto prazo; a racionalização do uso, transporte e dependência externa do gás natural; a dinamização dos Mecanismos de Desenvolvimento Limpo (CDM / MDL) e de novos mercados e empregos para a indústria. / In the last decade wind power source was the fastest-growing energy source. Technological learning curves for this sector fall down by a 15% a 20% rate each 3 years. Countries which are committed with wind power are running after the target of 12% wind into the worlds electrical production by 2020. The contribution of the offshore wind power (OWP) source is fundamental on covering such target, due to the proximity to load centers, efficiency & scale savings and reduced environmental and visual impact. Although the growth of the Brazilian power generation system in 2006, there is a gap on fulfilling demand in the short run. Nevertheless, Brazil has abundance of winds suitable for power generation, as a previous industrial framework, necessary on developing this sector. Even that a governmental program has come (PROINFA), wind power sector has not risen as expected yet. The goal of this thesis is to reinforce the debate about the importance on diversifying the Brazilian power matrix, towards the strategy of energy security supply as the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. On reaching such a goal, this thesis states arguments by a generic approach and also by a specific approach. In the generic approach, it proposes a larger share for wind into the Brazilian electrical matrix as one of the options that should be considered in a more relevant manner for the tactics of diversifying the electrical matrix, following the example given by countries with larger abundance than Brazil regarding on natural gas production, as it is the case of the United Kingdom. In the specific approach, this investigation exemplifies possibilities of contributions from the OWP for the tactics of diversifying the matrix, following the example given by a country with higher predominance than Brazil regarding on using large hydropower as the main national power source, which is the case of Norway. The method taken for reaching the thesis goal involves the following steps: (1) to clarify on some aspects regarding energy production and its respective environmental problem related to the greenhouse gases emissions;(2) to clarify some aspects about the development of wind energy systems in Brazil and in the world and also some aspects about the development of OWP projects in selected countries; (3) to explore examples of articulation between OWP systems with offshore fossil energy production systems, in order to argue about the synergy that is possible between them; (4) to analyze and debate about the Brazilian governments proposal for the electrical matrix in the long run; (5) to propose some possibilities of developing OWP systems in Brazil, starting by small-scale pilot projects. If the case the propositions of this thesis come true in the future, the earnings for this country, which a world leader in clean & renewable energy, would be the following: value creation into the offshore fossil energy production; growth of learning about the OWP technologies; the partial relief of power supply for the coastal load centers; rationalization on the use, transport and foreign dependence of natural gas resources; pushing dynamics for Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM), as for industrial markets and employment.

Esta dissertação apresenta um estudo ergonômico sobre o trabalho de operadores de processo de plataformas marítimas de produção de petróleo. As primeiras investigações sobre as atuais práticas e produtos finais de projetos de sistemas produtivos de grande porte resultaram em indícios de um ambiente de produção com aspectos operacionais não equilibrados e desintegrados. A partir destes indícios, foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica que destacou as considerações e limitações de aspectos relacionados à Ergonomia em assuntos como gestão de projetos, projetos de engenharia, de sistemas produtivos e de arranjo físico. A revisão relativa à Ergonomia destacou seus conceitos básicos, a Ergonomia de Concepção e estudos relacionados ao trabalho de operadores de produção contínua, tendo o objetivo de indicar possibilidades de atuações desta ciência em projetos de plantas produtivas. Desta forma, a pesquisa de campo desenvolvida procurou destacar aspectos operacionais como dificuldades e constrangimentos enfrentados pelos operadores. Tais aspectos foram investigados com o objetivo de ressaltar os desequilíbrios presentes nesta situação de trabalho e as estratégias desenvolvidas por estes operadores para manterem o funcionamento satisfatório da unidade produtiva, atendendo aos objetivos da organização empresarial em que se inserem. / This work presents the ergonomics study based on offshore oil production platforms, in operation works for the process plant. The first investigations resulted on indications of disintegrated and unbalanced operational aspects into the production environment. From those evidences, the bibliographical revision indicated the considerations and limits of aspects related to Ergonomics in subjects as design management, engineering design, productive systems and layout design. The revision of Ergonomics included basic concepts, Ergonomics of Conception, and studies related to the operator works of continuous production process, having the aim of indicating participation possibilities of this science in production plants design. In such a way, the developed research tried to raise operational aspects as difficulties and constraints daily faced by operators. Such aspects were investigated intending to stand out the disequilibriums in this situation of work and strategies developed by these operators to keep satisfactory performance of a productive unit, taking care of company goals where they are inserted.