Oil, Gas Companies Seek Technology for Data Delivery
Video and telemetry, communications and asset and data management are the three main areas where Oceaneering International Inc. sees demand for technology that can help oil and gas companies deliver data from offshore to onshore monitoring facilities, an Oceaneering official said during a presentation at OilComm 2016 Oct. 12 in Houston.
Oceaneering’s oil and gas clients are looking to communications technology to answer two questions: Where’s my stuff, and what’s going on with the weather, said Stevens during the presentation. Tracking assets in real-time – and determining whether resources such as a capping stack are available if an oil spill occurs – is critical for oil and gas companies. The monitoring of asset health is another common request now from oil and gas companies. Typically, these companies want to stream in data into a dashboard that can be monitored from a smart phone or tablet.
To address its oil and gas customer needs, Oceaneering over the past two years has collaborated with Portland, Ore.-based PacStar to deliver PacStar’s modular, scalable, ruggedized hardware and wizard-based, intuitive network nodal management to Oceaneering’s oil and gas customers. The company’s technology incorporates “best of breed” original equipment manufacturer technology with unified software to simplify system management.
The deployment of PacStar’s technology – which falls under the realm of Internet of Things (IoT) technology – is not only about enhancing data management, but about reducing the footprint and weight of communications technology, Jeff Sinclair, vice president of sales, told Rigzone. The technology also allows workers to effectively operate equipment with little training, Sinclair said. PacStar’s technology uses a standard Cisco operating system, “allowing technicians to go from working at Home Depot to a military router.”
The PacStar technology kit is deployed to an operator’s company man on board an Oceaneering vessel. The operator representative then uses the kit to relay information gathered back to their company’s central monitoring hub, Stevens told Rigzone. The use of this technology means that fewer people must be present. For example, only one person would have to be on board an inspection, maintenance and repair vessel. Previously, four people would be needed offshore, but now three of those people can work from an onshore monitoring center.
Oceaneering is also seeking to meet the oil and gas industry’s need for fewer workers in remote operations through technology such as its remote piloting and automated control technology (RPACT). RPACT allows ROV pilots to establish remotely operated vehicle (ROV) control through a satellite or wireless network link to support operations at a remote work site. Developed last year in the Gulf of Mexico, RPACT won a Spotlight on Technology award at this year’s Offshore Technology Conference.
Oceaneering also recently started conducting drone inspections of offshore rigs. Stevens said the company has subcontracted the drones used for inspections because of drone costs. The oil and gas industry has started exploring applications for drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, in upstream operations.
Drones are another example of IoT technology. IoT applications, which integrate sensing, communications and analytics capabilities, not only promise to help oil and gas companies managing exists assets, supply chains, and customer relationships, but create new value in formation in these three areas, according to a 2015 Deloitte report "Connected barrels: Transforming oil and gas strategies with the Internet of Things."
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Gunvor CEO Sees Russian Refining Capacity Taking Hit from Drone Strikes
- These Factors Helped Brent Oil Price Break Above $85
- Sinopec Engineering Posts Higher Annual Petrochemicals Revenue
- Imperial Pipeline in Winnipeg Goes Offline for Three Months
- Gaz System to Acquire Gas Storage Poland
- Subsea7 Secures Contract to Service Woodside's Trion
- Adnoc Inks Supply Deal for Ruwais LNG Project with Germany's SEFE
- EIA Boosts USA Crude Oil Production Forecasts
- TotalEnergies to Acquire TLCS Eyeing Bayou Bend CCS Project
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- EIA Drops 2024 Henry Hub Gas Price Forecast
- EIA and Standard Chartered Offer Up Latest Oil Price Predictions
- Red Sea Region Sees Another Watershed Incident
- Chevron Oil Project in Kazakhstan to Cost $48.5B
- OPEC Voices Encouragement after IEA Affirms Support for Oil Security
- Biden Govt Bares Strategy for Freight Charging, Hydrogen Fueling Infra
- Rystad Looks at the Buzz Around White Hydrogen
- Ukraine Hits Third Russian Refinery In Escalating Drone Strikes
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- Is Peak Oil Demand Close?
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- JP Morgan, Standard Chartered Reveal Latest Oil Price Forecasts
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Rystad Forecasts Net Production of Top Permian Producers in 2024
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension