Glossário de engenharia

A project delivery model in which a single contractor takes responsibility for the engineering design, procurement of materials and equipment, and construction execution of a facility. Used when the client wants a turnkey solution with a fixed price and schedule, and is willing to delegate operational risk in exchange for predictability.

A delivery model where the contractor performs engineering and procurement directly but manages construction on behalf of the client rather than executing it. The client holds the construction contracts; the EPCM firm acts as the technical and commercial integrator. Common for complex mining and oil and gas projects where the client wants visibility and control over construction subcontractors.

The detailed engineering phase that follows pre-feasibility and concept studies and precedes the EPC contract. FEED produces design documents at sufficient depth to define equipment lists, plot plans, P&IDs, control philosophies and capital cost estimates within roughly ±10 to ±15 percent accuracy. It is the basis for the final investment decision (FID).

The formal corporate decision by an operator or owner to commit capital and proceed with the construction and operation of a major project, typically taken at the end of FEED. Once FID is taken, the project moves into EPC execution.

A ship-shaped or cylindrical offshore facility moored above a hydrocarbon field that receives produced fluids from subsea wells via risers, processes them (separation, dehydration, gas treatment), stores the oil in its hull and offloads to shuttle tankers. FPSOs are the dominant production solution for deepwater fields where pipelines to shore are uneconomical.

All equipment installed on the seabed for hydrocarbon production: wellheads, christmas trees, manifolds, jumpers, flowlines, umbilicals, risers and control systems. Subsea systems route reservoir fluids from offshore wells to floating or fixed platforms, and back to shore where applicable.

The discipline that ensures hydrocarbons flow reliably from reservoir to processing facility under all operating conditions. Covers thermal management, hydrate prevention, wax and asphaltene control, slugging mitigation, erosion and corrosion analysis and chemical injection strategies. Critical for long subsea tiebacks and deepwater fields.

An asset in the later stages of its production life, typically past peak output, where additional recovery requires intervention: well stimulation, infill drilling, secondary or tertiary recovery, facility upgrades or production debottlenecking. Mature field projects are characterised by tight economics and brownfield engineering complexity.

A numerical simulation technique that models the motion of large numbers of discrete particles, used to analyse material flow in chutes, transfer points, mills, silos and conveyor systems. DEM allows engineers to predict and mitigate plugging, spillage, wear and segregation before construction.

An integrated discipline that combines geology, mineralogy and metallurgical testing to predict how different ore bodies will behave through the processing plant. Geometallurgical models inform mine planning, blending strategies and plant design by linking spatial ore variability to throughput, recovery and concentrate quality.

A Canadian Securities Administrators standard that governs how publicly-listed mining companies disclose technical information about mineral projects: resources, reserves, exploration results and economic assessments. Reports must be authored or supervised by a Qualified Person (QP).

The Australasian standard for public reporting of mineral exploration results, resources and reserves. Equivalent in purpose to NI 43-101 but governed by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee and predominant in ASX-listed mining companies.

Tailings are the residual waste material left after the valuable mineral fraction has been extracted from ore. Tailings management covers thickening, dewatering, dry stack disposal, tailings storage facility (TSF) design, water recovery and long-term stewardship. A critical area for safety, environmental compliance and social licence.

Engineering systems that move, transfer, store and load bulk solids such as ore, coal, concentrate or aggregate. Includes conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, silos, chutes, hoppers and ship-loaders. Performance is governed by particle characteristics, throughput, dust control and wear management.

Hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using electricity generated from renewable sources (wind, solar, hydro), with no fossil-fuel CO2 emissions at the point of production. Considered a key vector for decarbonising heavy industry, long-haul transport and seasonal energy storage.

A structured plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations, products and supply chains, typically aligned to science-based targets and the GHG Protocol. Covers carbon footprint baselines (Scopes 1, 2 and 3), abatement project portfolios, electrification, energy efficiency, renewable supply and offsets.

A framework used by investors and regulators to assess corporate performance on environmental stewardship, social responsibility and governance practices. ESG reporting standards include GRI, SASB, TCFD, IFRS S1/S2 and CSRD in the EU.

The most widely-used international accounting standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions, jointly developed by WRI and WBCSD. Defines Scopes 1 (direct), 2 (purchased energy) and 3 (value chain) and provides sector guidance for corporate, project and product-level inventories.

The global professional organization for systems engineering. INCOSE publishes the Systems Engineering Handbook, defines competency models and promotes practices such as the V-Model, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and requirements traceability. INCOSE methods are the backbone of complex project assurance.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) standard that codifies project management processes, knowledge areas and best practices. PMBOK covers scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, procurement, stakeholder and integration management, and is the reference standard for certified Project Management Professionals (PMP).

A formal approach to systems engineering that uses computer-based models (typically in SysML or similar languages) as the authoritative artefact for system requirements, design, analysis, verification and validation. MBSE replaces document-centric workflows with traceable, queryable digital models.

The international standard for quality management systems, applicable to any organisation regardless of size or sector. The 2015 revision emphasises risk-based thinking, leadership engagement and continual improvement. Certification requires independent audits.

A DNV recommended practice that provides a structured process for qualifying new or novel technologies for use in the oil and gas industry. Covers technology categorisation, threat identification, qualification basis, evidence and acceptance.

A safety performance benchmark indicating that no recordable safety incidents or accidents have occurred over a defined project or organisational scope. ZIA is the target state of mature HSE management systems and is widely used as a contract qualification criterion in oil and gas and mining.