Petrobras has begun operating its new Harpia supercomputer, a machine with processing power equivalent to 10 million cell phones or 200,000 laptops. The company says this addition will help maintain its leadership in computational capacity in Latin America. The Harpia is the largest of five new supercomputers purchased by Petrobras at a total cost of R$500 million, with the Harpia alone valued at R$435 million. Together, these systems are expected to increase the company’s computational power by more than 60%.
The investment in high-performance computing is part of Petrobras’ strategy to remain at the forefront of technological development in the oil and gas sector, particularly in subsurface seismic imaging. The company says it continues to invest in research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) and advanced technology resources recognized by both industry and society.
The new high-performance computer (HPC) will be used by Petrobras geophysicists to process raw seismic data and produce detailed images of underground geological structures. “It’s like creating a 3D map of rock layers below the surface, with much sharper and more precise images of geological structures, essential for identifying petroleum systems and potential oil and gas reservoirs,” said Sylvia Anjos, Petrobras’ Director of Exploration and Production.
By updating and expanding its capacity to process geophysical and geological data, Petrobras aims to achieve faster and more accurate results for operational challenges in ultra-deep waters and new exploratory areas such as the pre-salt and Equatorial Margin.
“Obtaining more detailed seismic images of the subsurface allows us to refine the simulation of reservoir behavior, enabling more efficient production. In addition, large computational capacities allow Petrobras to compete globally, attract partnerships and business opportunities,” said Clarice Coppetti, Director of Corporate Affairs. The company has allocated US$4.2 billion for R&D&I projects between 2025 and 2029, representing a 17% increase over its previous plan.
The renewal of supercomputers is part of the company’s strategy to keep its technology infrastructure up to date. The Harpia HPC weighs about 50 tons and measures 50 meters in length when all parts are aligned. It will have approximately 146 PFlops Rpeak—one petaflop equals one quadrillion operations per second. Once fully installed, it will replace the Fênix, Atlas, and Dragão HPCs, which will be decommissioned as part of standard industry practice.
Other supercomputers recently added include Ada Lovelace (dedicated to geostatistics) and Capivara (for seismic imaging), both already in operation at Petrobras’ Research Center Data Processing Center (Cenpes). Quati is in testing and set to begin work this month on seismic analysis. Tupã 2 is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of next year and will focus on multiphysics geophysical methods that analyze various subsurface rock and fluid properties simultaneously. All five supercomputers were acquired from Lenovo through a competitive bidding process.
Petrobras has led Latin America in the Top500.org ranking of high-performance computers for the past five years. The company notes that Harpia was designed with energy efficiency in mind and that sustainability considerations guided both the supercomputer’s design and the development of its dedicated facility.
The company says it remains committed to investing in innovation and technological development to support new discoveries and ensure Brazil’s energy security.
