Petrobras selects SKF for predictive maintenance


GOTEBORG, Sweden, Dec. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- SKF and Petroleo Brasileiro S/A - Petrobras - have signed a four-year contract by which SKF Reliability Systems will provide a predictive maintenance (PdM) program to keep rotating equipment on offshore platforms producing efficiently.

Petrobras started several years ago to outsource its PdM program -- data collection, analysis and correction of problems -- for machinery on 27 platforms at Bacia de Campos (Rio de Janeiro), Brazil, where petroleum reserves are in basins as deep as 1,300 metres. Three local service companies performed the predictive maintenance using SKF's portable data collector/analysers.

Petrobras now has decided to select a new company as supplier and has chosen SKF.


Aktiebolaget SKF (publ.)
For further information, please contact: 
PRESS: Lars G Malmer, SKF Group Communication
tel. +46 (0)31 337 1541
e-mail: Lars.G.Malmer@skf.com 

IR: Marita Bjork, SKF Investor Relations
tel. +46 (0)31 3371994
e-mail: Marita.Bjork@skf.com

TECHNICAL PRESS: Colin Roberts, Group Technical Press
tel: +31-306075608
e-mail: colin.roberts@skf.com

Aktiebolaget SKF, SE-415 50 Goteborg, Sweden
tel. +46 (0)31 337 1000, fax +46 (0)31 337 2832
www.skf.com

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