According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of wireless devices featuring cellular, satellite or LPWA connectivity in the oil and gas industry is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3 percent from 7.8 million units at the end of 2023 to 18.8 million connected devices by 2028.

Remote monitoring of assets such as industrial equipment, tanks and pipeline infrastructure in the midstream and downstream sectors comprise the most common applications for wireless industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions in the oil and gas industry. The expected growth in cellular device shipments is attributed to a higher adoption rate of sensor applications based on LTE-M and NB-IoT technologies and continued preference for cellular communications in the remote tank monitoring segment. Since many remote monitoring applications have limited requirements on bandwidth, Berg Insight is of the opinion that non-3GPP LPWA technologies such as LoRa can achieve a significant position on this market as well.

Partnerships among industrial automation vendors and technology companies continue to be a theme in the oil and gas industry while expanding in scope with oil and gas operators and software companies. Global automation vendors including ABB, Emerson, Hitachi, Honeywell, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Yokogawa can deliver complete solutions thanks to their extensive partner ecosystems.

In addition, the choice of preferred network topology and communications standards depends on the application area as each activity in the oil and gas value chain has its own specific need for connectivity. Many providers recognise the industry’s diverse needs by integrating different types of wireless capabilities into single box solutions. Connectivity providers such as Advantech, Cisco, HMS Networks, Moxa, MultiTech and Robustel offer modular routers and gateways where different wireless interfaces can be added to the device.

Wireless sensor solutions for remote asset monitoring are today offered with various options for communications such as LTE-M, LoRa and satellite. This suggests further convergence of wireless technologies and flexible offerings featuring hybrid solutions to serve the full range of connectivity needs in the oil and gas industry.

“Oil and gas companies are increasingly relying on data from IIoT devices to make better informed decisions”, said Veronika Barta, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight.

Today, IIoT devices can collect vast amounts of sensor data such as pressure, level, flow and temperature. As operators move towards more remote and autonomous operations, the need to collect greater volumes of data increases. The large data volumes call for edge processing capabilities to acquire data significance. In upstream applications, edge computing is used to collect and analyse real-time data from devices at drilling rigs and production wells. This enables operators to analyse data locally, reduce latency and make faster decisions to improve asset performance and reduce downtime.

Ms. Barta, concluded:

“Deployments of wireless IIoT devices with edge computing will be key to optimise assets and improve oil and gas operations.”

The post The installed base of wireless IIoT devices in the oil and gas industry to reach 18.8 million by 2028 appeared first on IoT Business News.

• Hiber launches HiberHilo, a subscription based IoT solution, as organisations operating remotely call for simple solutions amid COVID-19 pandemic

• A first of many out-of-the-box offerings, the Oil & Gas Well Integrity Monitoring solution will exponentially increase well safety, enabling connectivity anywhere, at any time

• Proven by Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) and Royal Dutch Shell, HiberHilo can monitor up to 250 wells in a 10km radius, wherever they are in the world

Dutch satellite Internet-of-Things (IoT) solution startup, Hiber, today announces the launch of HiberHilo, its first end-to-end solution for Oil & Gas Well Integrity Monitoring.

HiberHilo is also the world’s first subscription service for IoT-enabled remote Oil/Gas Well monitoring and the company will be introducing similar services for other specific use cases in 2021.

There is a growing demand for remote monitoring in industries such as Oil & Gas to create more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, especially with COVID-19 limiting travel halting routine maintenance checks. However, the IoT SaaS market in this space is nascent and lacks simplicity. Having already been one of the first firms to develop a remote IoT connectivity solution with the launch of its proprietary nano-satellites in 2018, Hiber identified the urgent need for readily available out-the-box end-to-end subscription based offerings. These must be designed bespoke for particular use cases, as well as being simple and efficient for businesses to install and implement.

The HiberHilo solution for Oil & Gas Well Integrity Monitoring is the first offering of this kind that Hiber will launch because this process is currently complex, time-consuming and expensive (costing up to $40,000 per field visit). Additionally, manual monitoring is prone to error and is often not conducted frequently enough.

Monitoring is critical to ensure that anomalies are identified early and addressed – this can include potential leaks which, if left unaddressed, can impact people’s health and safety as well as negatively impact the environment. HiberHilo’s out-of-the-box subscription solution utilises Hiber’s global satellite network to empower organisations to automate continuous annulus pressure and wellhead monitoring of up to 250 wells in a radius of 10km, even in the most remote locations on Earth. Pricing starts at $449 per month per well (1 sensor and a 5 year contract).

The all-in-one product is available as both a starter kit and in the form of an enterprise solution, both of which feature:

• A pressure and optional temperature sensor to ensure accurate and regular measurements – organisations can add more sensors to the network if required
• Easy connectivity anywhere, sending up to 24 messages a day or one per hour
• Alarm and alert settings
• An intuitive dashboard for desktop and mobile
• Support both on-site and via mobile

Coen Janssen, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Hiber said:
“We are excited to launch this first-of-its-kind IoT proposition for remote monitoring at a time when it is needed more than ever. HiberHilo has already been proven by Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) and Royal Dutch Shell (better known as just “Shell”) on an abandoned on-shore well.”

“This technology can be installed in less than 2 hours and within 0.25% accuracy levels of a traditional wired system, which is extremely reliable.”

“We look forward to more companies embracing this new proposition as it will save them time, money and lives by allowing teams to monitor well integrity from home as well as reducing the risk of well integrity issues to create more sustainable practices. The future for remote monitoring is very bright!”

Hiber entered the market in 2018 purely as a connectivity provider, utilising its own proprietary nano-satellite technology to unlock IoT connectivity in the 90% of the world without it.

The post World’s First End-to-End IoT Subscription Service for Remote Oil & Gas Well Integrity Monitoring appeared first on IoT Business News.

According to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of devices featuring cellular or satellite connectivity deployed in oil and gas applications amounted to 1.3 million at the end of 2018.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8 percent, this number is expected to reach 1.9 million units by 2023. Remote monitoring of tanks and industrial equipment in the midstream and downstream sectors comprise the most common applications for wireless solutions in the oil and gas industry.

Berg Insight expects that shipments in the upstream sector will grow faster, although from a much smaller base, as cellular communications become an increasingly viable alternative to proprietary radio due to improved 4G LTE coverage in North America and broader support from the industry.

While the market has been affected by the decrease in oil prices in recent years, significant developments have taken place in regard to the industry landscape and technological advances. Major automation vendors such as Emerson, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Yokogawa, Honeywell and ABB are investing heavily in the development of software platforms to support use cases surrounding predictive analytics and digital twins. Recent developments further include Rockwell Automation’s joint venture agreement with the major oilfield service company Schlumberger to create Sensia, an integrated automation solution provider in the oil and gas industry.

On the communications side, several initiatives have been launched to promote the adoption of cellular technologies in the utilities industry, primarily in the US.

In early 2019, leading cellular device providers, including Sierra Wireless, Cisco, MultiTech Systems, GE and Encore Networks together with spectrum licensees and utilities formed the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA) to advance the development of private LTE networks for critical infrastructure industries.

Solutions for remote monitoring of assets such as wellheads, storage tanks and pipeline infrastructure are offered by major industrial automation vendors, as well as a large number of specialised providers.

“Key consolidators in the market for remote monitoring solutions are the private equity held companies Quorum Software and DataOnline that have acquired six and three businesses respectively between 2015–2019”, said Fredrik Stalbrand, IoT Analyst, Berg Insight.

He mentions recent deals such as Quorum’s acquisitions of the Coastal Flow Measurement family of companies and Flow-Cal in March 2019, as well as DataOnline’s purchase of Sierra Wireless’ iTank business in December 2018. Important vendors that specialise in remote SCADA and tank monitoring further include AIUT, Critical Control, eLynx Technologies, Silicon Controls, SkyBitz, WellAware, Zedi and ZTR Control Systems.

Mr. Stalbrand concluded:

“Several players continue to have inorganic growth as a key strategy, so further M&As can be expected among IIoT solution providers targeting the oil and gas industry in 2019–2020.”

The post The installed base of wireless IoT devices in the oil and gas industry reached 1.3 million in 2018 appeared first on IoT Business News.

Why any company in Oil and Gas would invest in IoT?

Most of the Oil and Gas companies prefer investing in IoT and hence increase their operational efficiency because:

1. A single pump failure can cost $100k to $300k per day.

2. The cost of unscheduled shutdowns in refineries averages $20 billion a year or 5% of cost production.

3. Upstream industry loses $8 billion a year on non-productive time as engineers spend 70% of their time searching for and manipulating data.

How IoT concept solved these problems?

Implementing IoT Solutions and catering following features eradicated the challenges faced by any Oil and Gas company:

1. Predictive Failure: Increased asset uptime and reduced service costs.

2. Adaptive Diagnostics: Improved uptime, cut service and warranty costs.

3. IoT Device Management: Enhanced the integrity of the device.

4. Condition based maintenance: Improved efficiency and reduced service costs

5. Asset Optimization: Improved the asset performance and their efficiency

6. Asset Utilization: Improved the product design and their compliance

How the Internet of Things has reignited the Oil and Gas Industry?

The Oil and Gas Industry has already harnessed the power of big data and simultaneously improved the efficiency of the industry by using the Internet of Things (IoT). With the increasing usage of devices and sensors, the Internet of Things has improved the efficiency, decision making and real-time management of the industry. To make the optimize use of IoT, the Oil and Gas industry caters the following real-world implications:

1. Remote Monitoring and tracking management: IoT technology has enabled the connection of various systems to network and sends the programmed information back to a device. Once the information is collected from each system, the real-time monitoring of the overall system is done. Accordingly, alerts are sent when the system experience a malfunction, high-pressure situation or any other dangerous issue.

2. High Security and Reduced Risk: Cyber Security has been noticed as the greatest one which can cause harm to the automated processes and especially the upstream operations and productions have been at the highest cyber risk. A proper risk management strategy reduces the risk in all areas and thus reduces the probability of cybersecurity. At the different stage, there are different risk-prone and serious issues such as exploration, production and abandonment, and development.

3. Real-time Fleet Management System: With the latest technology of IoT in Oil and gas, an exact real-time location of any equipment can be tracked. Any occurrence of operational or environmental hazard enables the geolocation system to analyze the data. The Oil and Gas industry is no more dependent on human input or the manual working of the assets being used in fact it is dependent on the real-time tracking of the assets.

4. Sustainable Environment: Sustainability being a broad term helps in the safety of environmental and social issues. Various environmental hazards like waste and spills harm our environment and hence disturbs the sustainable environment being created. As IoT in Oil and Gas enables real-time tracking, quick decisions after various hazardous situations help in keeping the environment safe and sustainable. For keeping sustainable environment factors like economic efficiency, social impact and climate strategy plays a major role.

5. Equipment check and preventive maintenance: A huge amount of capital is invested by any Oil and Gas industry to get the real equipment work. On the same side, the industry faces losses when any equipment fails. The data analysis and real-time tracking send the alerts about the equipment failure well before time. If you want your equipment to last for a longer period of time then preventive maintenance can be provided by sending alerts for the features like coolant temperature, low battery, and many other factors. Notifications and alerts for low fluids and overheating engine help in improving the maintenance of the equipment. The warning signs save the cost for Oil and gas industry and improve the efficiency of the equipment. Maintenance plays a key role in fostering profit of any industry.

Internet of Things as a concept has totally fascinated the world. Global IoT in the Oil and Gas market is foreseen to develop to $30.57 billion by 2025. It is required to be for the most part determined by a deficiency of talented work, expanding a number of digital assaults, maturing framework, and need to increment operational proficiency, which will go about as key drivers for the development of this market.

The post Revealing the power of IoT in Oil and Gas appeared first on IoT Business News.

The partnership brings together two power-houses, OleumTech with their domain expertise operating in hazardous environments, and Sigfox, with their worldwide LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) network. The Sigfox enabled C1D1 devices will allow users to benefit from out-of-the-box LPWA wireless connectivity, leveraging OleumTech’s patented self-contained, battery-powered wireless transmitter technology with an intrinsically safe design made for operating in hazardous environments.

OleumTech, a leading provider of M2M communications and industrial automation solutions, today launched a full line of certified C1D1 wireless sensor nodes with their partner Sigfox, the world’s leading provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT).

As a leading pioneer of design innovation in the digital oilfield, OleumTech manufactures and distributes industrial wireless automation systems across various sectors including Energy and Water. Having already launched a general-purpose line of Sigfox enabled products, our products have radically transformed how companies gather data in the field, providing visibility to disparate assets, especially in remote, hazardous locations, enabling real-time optimized decisions regarding resource deployment and regulatory compliance. With a global installed base of over 350,000 devices, OleumTech’s products provide critical data for measurement variables such as pressure, flow, temperature, level, alarms, etc.

Companies can now benefit from OleumTech’s C1D1 intrinsically safe wireless sensor nodes. Specifically designed for use in industrial hazardous environments with numerous benefits including:

• Exceptional battery life – up to 8 years in most Sigfox applications
• Easy servicing with no hot work permit or requiring removal from the process
• Convenience of LCD version providing local indication
• Extended range of up to 30km to cost effectively monitor remote assets

“OleumTech continues to release innovative products and platforms, enabling customers to take advantage of the Industrial Internet of Things, and reimagine their operations. Our Sigfox enabled C1D1 offering reinforces this commitment”, said Brent McAdams, Sr. Vice President of Global Strategic Initiatives, OleumTech.

“The ultimate benefit of our C1D1 (zone 0) Sigfox enabled transmitters is that they can be deployed in hazardous environments where there is always explosive liquids, vapors or gases present and customers can have confidence that through our intrinsically safe design, we will not generate enough energy to even cause a spark, providing the safest operating environment for both personnel and equipment.”

“We recognize the significant effort and investment required to obtain regulatory approvals for the Class 1, Division 1 (Zone 0) certifications”, said Raouti Chehih, Chief Adoption Officer, Sigfox.

“With this global offering, the OleumTech product line fills a much-needed gap in our Sigfox ecosystem enabling customers operating in hazardous environments to benefit from our global connectivity solution”.

The intrinsically safe C1D1 line of OleumTech wireless transmitters with embedded Sigfox connectivity is now available.

The post Sigfox launches certified C1D1 wireless sensor nodes with partner OleumTech appeared first on IoT Business News.

Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. today announced Alta Industrial Automation’s (AIA) eSensordata remote monitoring device relies on the MultiTech SocketModem® Cell to provide cellular transmission of sensor information from remote monitoring of assets from the oil and gas industry – whether it data be tank levels, temperature, flow, emissions or more.

“In the past, systems were monitored manually through an operator who was required to drive out to the site to collect data and adjust operational parameters,” said Kevin Blanchette, Director of Business Development at AIA. “This costly, time consuming, practice was prone to human error, and still does not allow data to be easily transferred to a centralized database. AIA’s remote monitoring solution is easily deployed and allows various levels of user access so staff can perform their daily tasks based on timely and accurate data.”

The fact that the MultiTech modem was already a PTCRB-certified solution with network certifications was a differentiator for AIA, as the time required to certify a product is typically too long for short product life cycles or for products requiring a fast time to market.

“Using the SocketModem allows us to make design changes as required without impacting the PTCRB certifications,” said Kevin Blanchette, Director of Business Development at AIA. “The SocketModem gives us the opportunity to design products with shorter life cycles and lower annual production volumes, which ultimately opens up more opportunities for us to meet our customer requirements.”

MultiTech offers a wide variety of communications devices for the Industrial Internet of Things, all of which are pre-certified and which leverage a variety of bearer technologies including analog, cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS and LoRaWAN. The company has been serving the industrial space for more than forty years with rugged, high-quality, innovative communications products, of which there are more than 22 million performing essential duties for businesses around the globe.

“We are pleased to be a part of this important solution,” said Duane Wald, Vice President of Sales.

“In an industry like oil and gas, understanding the state of equipment and materials is critical, not only to business processes, but to safety and the environment as well. Connected solutions like eSensordata enable real-time alerts in order to optimize the handling of hazardous materials.”

MultiTech’s SocketModem form factor has become a design standard for AIA’s new product development, allowing them to focus on the immediate needs of their clients. “We trust MultiTech’s long term road map and migration plans. Knowing that MultiTech will continue with the effort to support the SocketModem allows us to focus on our immediate needs,” added Blanchette.

The post Alta Industrial Automation Chooses MultiTech to Enable Remote Monitoring for the Oil and Gas Industry appeared first on IoT Business News.

New Offering Enables Users to Monitor and to Control Pump Site Machinery Remotely Utilizing M2M Technology.

Numerex,a leading provider of interactive and on-demand machine-to-machine (M2M) enterprise solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) today announced the launch of its AVIDwireless portfolio of monitoring solutions preconfigured for Oil & Gas well sites. AVIDwireless, a Numerex Solution, provides cost-effective, wireless M2M solutions for managing complex, interdependent, multi-device industrial M2M deployments. This new offering fits any size remote well site, from small marginal wells to large multi-location fields.

The AVIDwireless intelligent, end-to-end monitoring solutions improve performance, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies for Oil and Gas well operations. These remote monitoring solutions act as a gateway for checking, analyzing, and reporting data from smart sensors; providing information from all of the assets in the field. The three new AVIDwireless preconfigured solutions include:

• AVIDwireless Tank Monitoring – Constant monitoring of capture-tank levels allows automated pump shutdown when a high-level condition is detected. Control pumps remotely from the website or by utilizing a mobile device in the field. Alerts and notifications can be sent immediately, keeping operators informed and assisting in avoiding capture-tank issues.
• AVIDwireless Generator Monitoring – Wireless remote monitoring, control and diagnostics for power generator systems help maximize uptime through monitoring of fuel levels, power, runtime, and by providing the physical location of equipment. Mitigate performance risks through remote monitoring of battery level, block heater performance, and other common failure points.
• AVIDwireless Site Automation – Designed for multi-site applications, this solution offers constant monitoring and remote control of levels (tank, pressure, temperature, pump status, flare, ESD events) utilizing AVIDSmartNodes and an AVIDdirector controller. The solution features Modbus protocol for easy connection with existing equipment. Operators can deploy multiple AVIDSmartNodes, with a range of 2 km; permitting control of multiple wells from a single AVIDdirector.

“Numerex is a pioneer in developing innovative M2M monitoring solutions that leverage data, network connectivity, and cloud-based applications to optimize the performance of equipment and environmental conditions in a number of vertical markets including oil and gas, water/wastewater, and industrial equipment industries with deployments worldwide. This new offering simplifies the purchase decision by providing standardized solutions for tier 2 and tier 3 oil producers,” said Stratton Nicolaides, Chairman and CEO of Numerex.

“The AVIDwireless Solutions, centered on our award-winning service delivery platforms, provide a single intelligent, flexible, wireless, remote control solution that enables connections to a wide variety of wireless and wired sensors for continuous monitoring of equipment and environmental conditions.”

The post Numerex Announces Remote Solutions for Oil & Gas Field Automation appeared first on IoT Business News.

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of devices with cellular or satellite connectivity deployed in oil & gas applications worldwide was 423,000 at the end of 2013.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.4 percent, this number is expected to reach 1.12 million by 2018. The split between cellular and satellite based M2M devices at the end of the forecast period will be 871,000 units and 244,000 units respectively. The oil & gas industry is characterized by remote and inaccessible facilities where wireless communication in many cases is the only viable option for transferring M2M data.

North America is the most advanced market for M2M applications in the oil & gas sector. The region is also the home of a majority of the players specialising in the oil & gas industry. Pason Systems, Zedi and Critical Control are North American based companies which are major vendors of field instrumentation, equipment, services and M2M solutions for the of the oil & gas industry. A majority of the companies headquartered in major oil & gas producing regions such as North America and UAE are focused on providing solutions for upstream and midstream activities.

Oil and gas M2M specialists in Europe such as ISA, Powelectrics, Sensile Technologies and Silentsoft are typically more focused on downstream activities such as tank monitoring. Sierra Wireless, Digi International and Calamp are major M2M players that deliver solutions to a wide range of industries, including oil & gas. Other important players are global technology and automation companies. General Electric, Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric are three such companies which have made substantial investments in SCADA and wireless M2M solutions aimed at the in oil & gas market in recent years. Vodafone, Numerex and Orbcomm are examples of communication providers which through in-house resources and acquisitions have developed end-to-end oil & gas M2M applications.

The main drivers for adopting M2M apps in the oil & gas industry are safety and environmental concerns, regulation compliance and demand for improved operational efficiency. Machine-to-machine solutions can be found in applications such as monitoring and control of drills, wells and pipelines.

Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst, Berg Insight, said:

“Booming production volumes of shale gas and tight oil in North America has increased the use of wireless M2M solutions in the upstream segment.”

Real-time pipeline monitoring is driving the adoption in the midstream segment. Wireless M2M solutions are retrofitted to existing infrastructure as well as incorporated in new pipeline projects across the world. He adds that:

“In the downstream segment, cellular telemetry solutions have proven to be a great fit for remote monitoring of storage tanks”.

The post The installed base of wireless M2M devices in the oil and gas industry reached 423,000 in 2013 appeared first on IoT Business News.