New Baker Hughes Research and Technology Center in Brazil Demonstrates Next Phase in Network of Global Technology Solutions

HOUSTON, Oct. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker Hughes (NYSE: BHI) announced today the opening of a new research and technology center in Rio de Janeiro designed to enable the development of technologies and solutions to unlock the full potential of deep water and pre-salt reservoirs.

"Baker Hughes' new research facility on the CENPES (Centro de Pesquisas Leopoldo Americo Miguez de Mello) campus will open up a new level of collaboration with our customers and Latin American universities. Together we will build a new generation of highly specialized wellbore construction tools and services to economically produce the pre-salt reservoirs in offshore Brazil," said Andy O'Donnell, president of the Western Hemisphere for Baker Hughes. "The new Baker Hughes Rio Research and Technology Center in Brazil represents the next phase in the expansion of our global technology network and strengthens our capability to provide local solutions."

The Brazil center is one of 10 major research and technology facilities globally situated in the U.S., U.K., Russia, Germany and Saudi Arabia. The centers focus on providing solutions to oil and gas challenges specifically related to applications engineering and geosciences. In addition, the facilities enable Baker Hughes to provide support for field testing of new products and regional customization of existing commercial products.

By the end of 2012, the Rio Research and Technology center is expected to create 45 new jobs and the company will continue to add to its workforce by recruiting regional scientists and engineers and other professionals to the center as new projects are initiated.

Baker Hughes is already partnering with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Petrobras to consult on the design, construction and operation of a full-scale laboratory drilling simulator located near the university. Baker Hughes will reproduce field-drilling conditions in a controlled environment so that the drilling process can be monitored, characterized and improved.

Baker Hughes provides reservoir consulting, drilling, formation evaluation, completions, pressure pumping and production products and services to the worldwide oil and gas industry.

SOURCE Baker Hughes