NARRAGANSETT, RI - June 24, 2008 – Following the world’s largest oil discovery in eight years, the South America office of Applied Science Associates, Inc. (ASA) announces a contract with Brazilian oil producer, Petrobras, that represents a more dedicated model for emergency spill support.

Last year, Petrobras announced the world’s biggest oil discovery since 2000: the Tupi field. With the promise of expanded operations from this and other nearby reserves, Petrobras has expanded their relationship with ASA, a global environmental and technology solutions company, to provide an enhanced support contract for emergency preparedness through dedicated oil spill modeling and response. Many of the world’s energy producers purchase and use OILMAPTM, ASA’s oil spill modeling and simulation software. Traditionally, OILMAP licenses are purchased by energy companies with ASA providing support, training, and software updates. Expanding their commitment to emergency preparedness, Petrobras has commissioned a dedicated staff of ASA’s professional modelers to work on site and on-call 365 days a year. This 2-year commitment represents a new model for both ASA and energy companies and although more costly for Petrobras, provides a more dedicated approach to spill response.

Petrobras is widely recognized as a world leader in the development of advanced technology from deepwater and ultra-deep water oil production and ASA specializes in spill model and response tools for such operations. Petrobras is also recognized for being a large sponsor of social and environmental initiatives, and the company prides itself on its environmental responsibility and sustainability investments. A survey carried out by Management & Excellence (M&E) acknowledged Petrobras as the world’s most sustainable oil company. Ranked first in this study, scoring 92.25%, the company is seen as a global reference in ethics and sustainability. The analysis took 387 international indicators into account, among which included reduced pollutant emissions and fewer oil leaks, lower energy consumption, and emergency spill preparedness.

“Our new arrangement with Petrobras represents a dedicated strategy by an energy company to be a world leader in their commitment to emergency readiness to minimize environmental impact in the case of an emergency spill scenario or well blowout,” says Eduardo Yassuda, who heads ASA South America. “Poised for rapid growth, it is great that Petrobras, already a global leader in ethics and environmental concern, has entrusted ASA with these dedicated services. Our research and development of the OILMAP software is constantly evolving and our tools are always improving—this contract ensures that Petrobras has the latest and best spill modeling tools and service professionals that we make available.”

As part of the contract, ASA will provide their on-site scientists with OILMAP software enhancements and updates, including new high-resolution data integration, as often and immediate as the technology is developed by the Narragansett, Rhode Island, U.S. based company.

About Applied Science Associates (ASA):

ASA is a global science and technology solutions company. Through consulting, environmental modeling, and application development, ASA helps a diverse range of clients investigate their issues of concern and obtain functional answers.

ASA’s solutions are based on applied science and advanced research. Our services and products, along with our staff’s diverse technical backgrounds, are specialized in the analysis of marine, freshwater, air, and land resources; computer modeling of physical, chemical, and biological processes; geographic information systems (GIS); operational research; and data display.

Headquartered in Narragansett, RI, ASA also has offices in Australia, Brazil, and Dubai. The company’s website, www.asascience.com, contains numerous scientific reports written by its staff and extensive information about its products and services.

For more information about ASA visit http://www.asascience.com

About Petrobras:

Petrobras, is a semi-public Brazilian energy company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. The company controls significant oil and power assets, as well as related business activities, outside of Brazil in 18 nations in Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Asia. These holdings as well as its activities in Brazil give it total assets of $133.5 billion. For more information about ASA visit http://www.petrobras.com

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Lee Dooley
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