Sistema inteligente para estimar a porosidade em sedimentos a partir da análise de sinais GPR

This Thesis presents the elaboration of a methodological propose for the development of an intelligent system, able to automatically achieve the effective porosity, in sedimentary layers, from a data bank built with information from the Ground Penetrating Radar GPR. The intelligent system was built to model the relation between the porosity (response variable) and the electromagnetic attribute from the GPR (explicative variables). Using it, the porosity was estimated using the artificial neural network (Multilayer Perceptron MLP) and the multiple linear regression. The data from the response variable and from the explicative variables were achieved in laboratory and in GPR surveys outlined in controlled sites, on site and in laboratory. The proposed intelligent system has the capacity of estimating the porosity from any available data bank, which has the same variables used in this Thesis. The architecture of the neural network used can be modified according to the existing necessity, adapting to the available data bank. The use of the multiple linear regression model allowed the identification and quantification of the influence (level of effect) from each explicative variable in the estimation of the porosity. The proposed methodology can revolutionize the use of the GPR, not only for the imaging of the sedimentary geometry and faces, but mainly for the automatically achievement of the porosity one of the most important parameters for the characterization of reservoir rocks (from petroleum or water)

Controle aplicado a poços com método de elevação e bombeio centrífugo submerso

The Electrical Submersible Pumping is an artificial lift method for oil wells employed in onshore and offshore areas. The economic revenue of the petroleum production in a well depends on the oil flow and the availability of lifting equipment. The fewer the failures, the lower the revenue shortfall and costs to repair it. The frequency with which failures occur depends on the operating conditions to which the pumps are submitted. In high-productivity offshore wells monitoring is done by operators with engineering support 24h/day, which is not economically viable for the land areas. In this context, the automation of onshore wells has clear economic advantages. This work proposes a system capable of automatically control the operation of electrical submersible pumps, installed in oil wells, by an adjustment at the electric motor rotation based on signals provided by sensors installed on the surface and subsurface, keeping the pump operating within the recommended range, closest to the well s potential. Techniques are developed to estimate unmeasured variables, enabling the automation of wells that do not have all the required sensors. The automatic adjustment, according to an algorithm that runs on a programmable logic controller maintains the flow and submergence within acceptable parameters avoiding undesirable operating conditions, as the gas interference and high engine temperature, without need to resort to stopping the engine, which would reduce the its useful life. The control strategy described, based on modeling of physical phenomena and operational experience reported in literature, is materialized in terms of a fuzzy controller based on rules, and all generated information can be accompanied by a supervisory system

Estudo do acoplamento do poço injetor nas simulações de injeção cíclica de vapor

Steam injection is a method usually applied to very viscous oils and consists of injecting heat to reduce the viscosity and, therefore, increase the oil mobility, improving the oil production. For designing a steam injection project it is necessary to have a reservoir simulation in order to define the various parameters necessary for an efficient heat reservoir management, and with this, improve the recovery factor of the reservoir. The purpose of this work is to show the influence of the coupled wellbore/reservoir on the thermal simulation of reservoirs under cyclic steam stimulation. In this study, the methodology used in the solution of the problem involved the development of a wellbore model for the integration of steam flow model in injection wellbores, VapMec, and a blackoil reservoir model for the injection of cyclic steam in oil reservoirs. Thus, case studies were developed for shallow and deep reservoirs, whereas the usual configurations of injector well existing in the oil industry, i.e., conventional tubing without packer, conventional tubing with packer and insulated tubing with packer. A comparative study of the injection and production parameters was performed, always considering the same operational conditions, for the two simulation models, non-coupled and a coupled model. It was observed that the results are very similar for the specified well injection rate, whereas significant differences for the specified well pressure. Finally, on the basis of computational experiments, it was concluded that the influence of the coupled wellbore/reservoir in thermal simulations using cyclic steam injection as an enhanced oil recovery method is greater for the specified well pressure, while for the specified well injection rate, the steam flow model for the injector well and the reservoir may be simulated in a non- coupled way

Modelagem do desempenho ambiental dos projetos de exploração e produção aplicando equações estruturais

A legislação ambiental e os principais agentes que se relacionam com a empresa se constituem em fatores exógenos que não podem ser negligenciados ao formular-se e avaliar-se a política ambiental corporativa. As influências exógenas e seus efeitos sobre a gestão ambiental e o gerenciamento de projetos de exploração e produção (E&P) e, por essa via, sobre o desempenho ambiental, foram objetos de estudo desta tese. Embora o desempenho ambiental seja um assunto relevante, a pesquisa sobre esse tema ainda é escassa. Tal carência desponta ainda mais acentuada quando se aborda o desempenho ambiental de projetos na indústria de petróleo e gás. O principal objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a relação entre a legislação ambiental vigente, as ações de órgãos reguladores, fornecedores, empresas terceirizadas e comunidades locais e o desempenho ambiental dos projetos de E&P na indústria de petróleo e gás e, também, analisar os efeitos do sistema de gestão ambiental e o gerenciamento dos projetos sobre tal desempenho. Na fase abdutiva, foi conduzido um estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa em uma grande empresa brasileira do setor de petróleo e gás, na fase dedutiva, foi realizada uma pesquisa survey explanatória de corte transversal com abordagem quantitativa, incluindo 113 projetos de E&P de cinco unidades executoras da empresa. Foi formulado um modelo conceitual, com cinco construtos e sete hipóteses de pesquisa, representativo dos efeitos de fatores externos sobre o desempenho ambiental dos projetos de E&P. Os dados foram tratados aplicando a Análise Fatorial Exploratória e a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais com aplicação dos softwares IBM® SPSS® Statistics 20.0 e IBM® SPSS® Amos 18.0. O modelo de equações estruturais foi reespecificado e estimado utilizando o método de Máxima Verossimilhança e o procedimento bootstrap com 2000 reamostragens, até alcançar adequados valores dos índices de ajustamento. O modelo mostrou boa aderência às evidências empíricas, representando uma teoria explicativa dos fatores que influenciam o desempenho ambiental dos projetos de E&P na empresa estudada. As estatísticas descritivas apontaram adequado desempenho dos projetos de E&P com relação aos efluentes descartados, volume de água reutilizada, redução de resíduos e práticas de reciclagem. Identificou-se que projetos de maior porte alcançam melhor desempenho ambiental em relação aos de menor tamanho. Não foram achadas diferenças significativas entre os desempenhos de projetos executados por unidades operacionais distintas. Os resultados da modelagem indicaram que nem a legislação ambiental, nem os agentes externos exercem influência significativa sobre a sistemática da gestão dos projetos de E&P. Os agentes externos atuam sobre a gestão ambiental da empresa exercitando capacidades colaborativas, obstrutivas e propositivas. A legislação ambiental é percebida como entrave ao desenvolvimento dos projetos ao longo de seu ciclo de vida, principalmente, pelas deficiências dos órgãos ambientais. Identificou-se que o sistema de gestão ambiental influencia diretamente o Programa de Desenvolvimento e Execução de Projetos de E&P, que, por sua vez, provoca efeitos diretos e indiretos sobre o desempenho ambiental. Finalmente, comprovou-se que o Sistema de Gestão Ambiental da empresa é determinante para o desempenho ambiental dos projetos de E&P, tanto pelos seus efeitos diretos, como pelos indiretos, estes últimos mediados pela sistemática de gestão dos projetos de E&P

Aplicação de técnicas eletroquímicas na determinação do potencial de corrosividade de ligas de alumínio em água produzida

The resistance of aluminum and their alloys, to the corrosion phenomenon, in aqueous solutions, is a result of the oxide layer formed. However, the corrosion process in the aluminum alloy is associated with the presence a second phase of particles or the presence of chloride ions which promote the disruption of the oxide layer located producing the corrosion process. On the other hand, the term water produced is used to describe the water after the separation of the oil and gas in API separators. The volumes of produced water arrive around 5 more times to the volume of oil produced. The greatest feature of the water is the presence of numerous pollutants. Due to the increased volume of waste around the world in the current decade, the outcome and the effect of the discharge of produced water on the environment has recently become an important issue of environmental concern where numerous treatments are aimed at reducing these contaminants before disposal. Then, this study aims to investigate the electrochemical corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy 6060 in presence of water produced and the influence of organic components as well as chloride ions, by using the electrochemical techniques of linear polarization. The modification of the passive layer and the likely breakpoints were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). In the pit formation potential around -0.4 to -0.8 V/EAg/AgCl was observed that the diffusion of chloride ions occurs via the layer formed with the probable formation of pits. Whereas, at temperatures above 65 °C, it was observed that the range of potential for thepit formation was -0.4 to -0.5 V/EAg/AgCl. In all reactions, the concentration of Al(OH)3 in the form of a gel was observed

Investigação e gerenciamento de áreas contaminadas por postos revendedores de combustíveis em Natal

Activities that have fuel subterranean storage system are considered potentially polluting fuels by CONAMA Resolution 273, due to the possibility of leak, outpouring and overflow of fuel into the ground. Being even more worrying when contaminate groundwater for public supply, as the case of Natal City. For this reason, the Public Ministry/RN, in partnership with UFRN, developed the project environmental suitability of Gas stations in Natal, of which 36% showed evidence of contamination. This paper describes the four stages of the management of contaminated areas: preliminary assessment of environmental liabilities, detailed confirmatory investigation of the contamination, risk analysis to human health (RBCA), as well as the remediation plan of degraded areas. Therefore it is presented a case study. For the area investigated has been proposed a mathematical method to estimate the volume of LNAPL by a free CAD software (ScketchUp) and compare it with the partition method for grid area. Were also performed 3D graphics designs of feathers contamination. Research results showed that passive benzene contamination in groundwater was 2791.77 μg/L, when the maximum allowed by CONAMA Resolution 420 is 5 μg/L which is the potability standards. The individual and cumulative risks were calculated from 4.4 x10-3, both above the limits of 1.0 x10-5 or by RBCA 1.0 x10-6 by the Public Ministry/RN. Corrective action points that remediation of dissolved phase benzene is expected to reach a concentration of 25 μg/L, based on carcinogenic risk for ingestion of groundwater by residents residential, diverging legislation. According to the proposed model, the volume of LNAPL using the ScketchUp was 17.59 m3, while by the grid partitioning method was 14.02 m3. Because of the low recovery, the expected removal of LNAPL is 11 years, if the multiphase extraction system installed in the enterprise is not optimized

Avaliação do petróleo por termogravimetria para simulação de curva PEV, fator de caracterização e resíduo de carbono

Petroleum evaluation is analyze it using different methodologies, following international standards to know their chemical and physicochemical properties, contaminant levels, composition and especially their ability to generate derivatives. Many of these analyzes consuming a lot of time, large amount of samples , supplies and need an organized transportation logistics, schedule and professionals involved. Looking for alternatives that optimize the evaluation and enable the use of new technologies, seven samples of different centrifuged Brazilian oils previously characterized by Petrobras were analyzed by thermogravimetry in 25-900° C range using heating rates of 05, 10 and 20ºC per minute. With experimental data obtained, characterizations correlations were performed and provided: generation of true boiling point curves (TBP) simulated; comparing fractions generated with appropriate cut standard in temperature ranges; an approach to obtain Watson characterization factor; and compare micro carbon residue formed. The results showed a good chance of reproducing simulated TBP curve from thermogravimetry taking into account the composition, density and other oil properties. Proposed correlations for experimental characterization factor and carbon residue followed Petrobras characterizations, showing that thermogravimetry can be used as a tool on oil evaluation, because your quick analysis, accuracy, and requires a minimum number of samples and consumables

Pirólise de borras oleosas de petroleo utilizando nanomateriais

The oily sludge is a complex mix of hydrocarbons, organic impurities, inorganic and water. One of the major problems currently found in petroleum industry is management (packaging, storage, transport and fate) of waste. The nanomaterials (catalysts) mesoporous and microporous are considered promising for refining and adsorbents process for environment protection. The aim of this work was to study the oily sludge from primary processing (raw and treated) and vacuum residue, with application of thermal analyses technique (pyrolysis), thermal and catalytic pyrolysis with nanomaterials, aiming at production petroleum derived. The sludge and vacuum residue were analyzed using a soxhlet extraction system, elemental analysis, thin layer chromatography, thermogravimetry and pyrolysis coupled in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py GC MS). The catalysts AlMCM-41, AlSBA-15.1 e AlSBA-15.2 were synthesized with molar ratio silicon aluminum of 50 (Si/Al = 50), using tetraethylorthosilicante as source of silicon and pseudobuhemita (AlOOH) as source of aluminum. The analyzes of the catalysts indicate that materials showed hexagonal structure and surface area (783,6 m2/g for AlMCM-41, 600 m2/g for AlSBA-15.1, 377 m2/g for AlSBA-15.2). The extracted oily sludge showed a range 65 to 95% for organic components (oil), 5 to 35% for inorganic components (salts and oxides) and compositions different of derivatives. The AlSBA-15 catalysts showed better performance in analyzes for production petroleum derived, 20% increase in production of kerosene and light gas oil. The energy potential of sludge was high and it can be used as fuel in other cargo processed in refinery

Sistemas de medição de desempenho para projetos de PD&I no Setor de Petróleo e Gás Natural

Organizations are seeking new ideas, tools and methods aiming to improve management process and performance. On the other hand, system performance measurement needs to portray organizational changes and provide managers with a set of true and more appropriate information for the decision-making process. This work aims to propose a performance measurement system in the academic field regarding Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) in the oil and gas industry. The research performed a bibliographic review in a descriptive exploratory manner. A field research was conducted with an expert focus group in order to gather new indicators. As for the validation of these indicators, a survey with experienced professional was also realized. The research surveyed four segments in and outside of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil such as oil and gas project coordinators, staff at Academic Planning Offices, FUNPEC employees as well as coordinators from Petrobrás. The performance measuring system created from this study features three interrelated performance indicators pointed out as: process indicators, outcome indicators and global indicators. The proposal includes performance indicators that seek to establish more appropriate strategies for effective institution management. It might help policy making of university-industry interaction policies

Uma metodologia para a análise do desempenho sustentável dos postos de revenda de combustível na cidade de Natal/RN, com o uso de data envelopment analysis-DEA

The increasing use of fossil fuels in line with cities demographic explosion carries out to huge environmental impact in society. For mitigate these social impacts, regulatory requirements have positively influenced the environmental consciousness of society, as well as, the strategic behavior of businesses. Along with this environmental awareness, the regulatory organs have conquered and formulated new laws to control potentially polluting activities, mostly in the gas stations sector. Seeking for increasing market competitiveness, this sector needs to quickly respond to internal and external pressures, adapting to the new standards required in a strategic way to get the Green Badge . Gas stations have incorporated new strategies to attract and retain new customers whom present increasingly social demand. In the social dimension, these projects help the local economy by generating jobs and income distribution. In this survey, the present research aims to align the social, economic and environmental dimensions to set the sustainable performance indicators at Gas Stations sector in the city of Natal/RN. The Sustainable Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) framework was create with a set of indicators for mapping the production process of gas stations. This mapping aimed at identifying operational inefficiencies through multidimensional indicators. To carry out this research, was developed a system for evaluating the sustainability performance with application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) through a quantitative method approach to detect system s efficiency level. In order to understand the systemic complexity, sub organizational processes were analyzed by the technique Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) figuring their micro activities to identify and diagnose the real causes of overall inefficiency. The sample size comprised 33 Gas stations and the conceptual model included 15 indicators distributed in the three dimensions of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. These three dimensions were measured by means of classical models DEA-CCR input oriented. To unify performance score of individual dimensions, was designed a unique grouping index based upon two means: arithmetic and weighted. After this, another analysis was performed to measure the four perspectives of SBSC: learning and growth, internal processes, customers, and financial, unifying, by averaging the performance scores. NDEA results showed that no company was assessed with excellence in sustainability performance. Some NDEA higher efficiency Gas Stations proved to be inefficient under certain perspectives of SBSC. In the sequence, a comparative sustainable performance and assessment analyzes among the gas station was done, enabling entrepreneurs evaluate their performance in the market competitors. Diagnoses were also obtained to support the decision making of entrepreneurs in improving the management of organizational resources and promote guidelines the regulators. Finally, the average index of sustainable performance was 69.42%, representing the efforts of the environmental suitability of the Gas station. This results point out a significant awareness of this segment, but it still needs further action to enhance sustainability in the long term

Proposta de modelo de interação da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte e empresas do setor de petróleo

Operational procedures may negatively interfere in negotiation and execution regarding universities and business companies. In some cases it may even derail business interaction. Thus, aiming to overcome this and other barriers a university-industry interaction model was structured. The model enhances the appropriation of technological solutions on behalf of enterprises, as well as aim to improve the quality of teaching and research done at the university. In order to conduct a case study, sampling considering the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) was made as well as the Oil and Gas sector. For data collection questionnaires, classroom observation, document analysis, semi-structured interviews were used. The study describes the companies as well as the internal organization of UFRN in their interaction context. The diagnosis related to past interactions as well as the expectations of the companies and the university s internal subjects regarding the university-industry relationship were also studied. Thus, specific questionnaires were applied for the three types of groups: researchers, managers and business companies. These subjects pointed out that the great deal of barriers they identified were related to issues regarding the university internal management. Given these barriers, the critical factors were then identified in order to overcome this reality. Among the nine critical factors only one belongs to the macro environment, while the remaining factors are related to organizational issues present in the university context. It was possible to formulate a university-business interaction model one the researched focused on the case study results and contribution from a theoretical framework that was enabled trough literature review. The model considers all business collaboration mechanisms; it focuses on a particular strategic productive sector and provides a co-evolution vision over time, according to the sector´s development strategy. The need for institutionalizing the relationship with the companies involved is pointed out. The proposed model considers all the critical factors identified by the research; it aims long-term relationship with the company and integrates teaching, research and extension actions. The model implementation was also considered. It was seen that it must be done in three phases. The phases will be defined by the level of maturity in the relationship between the university and the companies. Thus, a framework was developed in order to assess the interaction level regarding company institutionalization. Whilst structuring the model was a concern with replication came up. It was pointed out that this model should not only serve to this specific case study situation. So the final result is a model of university-industry relationship appropriate in the first instance, for UFRN, but has applicability, in general, to any Brazilian university

Modelagem matemática para o transporte de partículas sujeitas a múltiplos mecanismos de retenção

Discrepancies between classical model predictions and experimental data for deep bed filtration have been reported by various authors. In order to understand these discrepancies, an analytic continuum model for deep bed filtration is proposed. In this model, a filter coefficient is attributed to each distinct retention mechanism (straining, diffusion, gravity interception, etc.). It was shown that these coefficients generally cannot be merged into an effective filter coefficient, as considered in the classical model. Furthermore, the derived analytic solutions for the proposed model were applied for fitting experimental data, and a very good agreement between experimental data and proposed model predictions were obtained. Comparison of the obtained results with empirical correlations allowed identifying the dominant retention mechanisms. In addition, it was shown that the larger the ratio of particle to pore sizes, the more intensive the straining mechanism and the larger the discrepancies between experimental data and classical model predictions. The classical model and proposed model were compared via statistical analysis. The obtained p values allow concluding that the proposed model should be preferred especially when straining plays an important role. In addition, deep bed filtration with finite retention capacity was studied. This work also involves the study of filtration of particles through porous media with a finite capacity of filtration. It was observed, in this case, that is necessary to consider changes in the boundary conditions through time evolution. It was obtained a solution for such a model using different functions of filtration coefficients. Besides that, it was shown how to build a solution for any filtration coefficient. It was seen that, even considering the same filtration coefficient, the classic model and the one here propposed, show different predictions for the concentration of particles retained in the porous media and for the suspended particles at the exit of the media

Monitoramento da morfologia costeira em setores da bacia potiguar sob influência da indústria petrolífera utilizando geodésia de alta precisão e laser escâner terrestre

The objective of this Doctoral Thesis was monitoring, in trimestral scale, the coastal morphology of the Northeastern coast sections of Rio Grande do Norte State, in Brazil, which is an area of Potiguar Basin influenced by the oil industry activities. The studied sections compose coastal areas with intense sedimentary erosion and high environmental sensitivity to the oil spill. In order to achieve the general objective of this study, the work has been systematized in four steps. The first one refers to the evaluation of the geomorphological data acquisition methodologies used on Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of sandy beaches. The data has been obtained from Soledade beach, located on the Northeastern coast of Rio Grande Norte. The second step has been centered on the increasing of the reference geodetic infrastructure to accomplish the geodetic survey of the studied area by implanting a station in Corta Cachorro Barrier Island and by conducting monitoring geodetic surveys to understand the beach system based on the Coastline (CL) and on DEM multitemporal analysis. The third phase has been related to the usage of the methodology developed by Santos; Amaro (2011) and Santos et al. (2012) for the surveying, processing, representation, integration and analysis of Coastlines from sandy coast, which have been obtained through geodetic techniques of positioning, morphological change analysis and sediment transport. The fourth stage represents the innovation of surveys in coastal environment by using the Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), based on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), to evaluate a highly eroded section on Soledade beach where the oil industry structures are located. The evaluation has been achieved through high-precision DEM and accuracy during the modeling of the coast morphology changes. The result analysis of the integrated study about the spatial and temporal interrelations of the intense coastal processes in areas of building cycles and destruction of beaches has allowed identifying the causes and consequences of the intense coastal erosion in exposed beach sections and in barrier islands

Projeto, construção e análise de um prototipo vibracional em escala de bancada aplicável ao tratamento de água de produção de petróleo bruto, mediante inovadora operação híbrida de adsorção e auto-flotação

A self-flotator vibrational prototype electromechanical drive for treatment of oil and water emulsion or like emulsion is presented and evaluated. Oil production and refining to obtain derivatives is carried out under arrangements technically referred to as on-shore and off-shore, ie, on the continent and in the sea. In Brazil 80 % of the petroleum production is taken at sea and area of deployment and it cost scale are worrisome. It is associated, oily water production on a large scale, carrier 95% of the potential pollutant of activity whose final destination is the environment medium, terrestrial or maritime. Although diversified set of techniques and water treatment systems are in use or research, we propose an innovative system that operates in a sustainable way without chemical additives, for the good of the ecosystem. Labyrinth adsor-bent is used in metal spirals, and laboratory scale flow. Equipment and process patents are claimed. Treatments were performed at different flow rates and bands often monitored with control systems, some built, other bought for this purpose. Measurements of the levels of oil and grease (OGC) of efluents treaty remained within the range of legal framework under test conditions. Adsorbents were weighed before and after treatment for obtaining oil impregna-tion, the performance goal of vibratory action and treatment as a whole. Treatment technolo-gies in course are referenced, to compare performance, qualitatively and quantitatively. The vibration energy consumption is faced with and without conventional flotation and self-flotation. There are good prospects for the proposed, especially in reducing the residence time, by capillary action system. The impregnation dimensionless parameter was created and confronted with consecrated dimensionless parameters, on the vibrational version, such as Weber number and Froude number in quadratic form, referred to as vibrational criticality. Re-sults suggest limits to the vibration intensity

A gestão do conhecimento e a inovação tecnológica como fatores de sobrevivência e de competitividade na sociedade do conhecimento: uma análise exploratória das MPEs do Rio Grande do Norte

The study examines the process of Knowledge Management and Technological Innovation in Small and Micro Enterprises (SME) in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and proposes actions that can contribute to regional development and competitiveness of SME. Presents as technological innovation can help to make the SME entrepreneurial activities with innovative and competitive. Defines the phases and activities of the construction of knowledge in small organizations. Examines the process of Innovation, Research and Development (R & D) in SME. Identifies the use of knowledge management and technological innovation in management practices and social interaction to influence the competitiveness of SME. Covers the communities of practice as a diffuser of knowledge and learning. To obtain the data were used questionnaires with closed questions with multiple choice, direct observations and interviews with companies. The questionnaires and interviews covered the topics of Innovation, Knowledge Management and Competitive Intelligence on SME. The sample consisted of a total of 13 Small and Micro Enterprises Award winning MPE Brazil Competitiveness, sponsored by SEBRAE in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The assessment questionnaires dealing with the Knowledge Management (KM Diagnostics - Model Bukowitz and Williams, 2002) and the process of Technological Innovation (Adaptation of ANPEI - National Association for Research, Development and Engineering of Innovative Companies). With the analysis, we concluded that the SME perceive knowledge management, but not formalized management practices so as to facilitate the dissemination of information. Soon, these companies need additional supports to direct them to the innovative activities that generate added value and competitiveness in the market