It’s easy to picture oilfield workers staying in touch via two-way radios if the nearest cell tower is a hundred miles away. It’s not so easy to visualize the sophisticated data-communication networks that keep today’s oilfields safe and productive.
A recent white paper from Motorola Solutions notes that an oil rig can generate a terabyte of data in a single day — enough to fill 20 high-resolution Blu-ray DVDs. These data demands illustrate the rise of what Motorola Solutions calls the “digital oilfield,” which relies on internet protocol (IP) networks, high-tech sensors, two-way radios and advanced wireless technologies.
In the white paper “Improving Safety and Productivity in Oil and Gas Operations,” Motorola Solutions notes that oil demand is expected to increase by more than one-third over the next 20 years. Though the fourth quarter of 2014 saw an oil supply glut that has pushed prices lower, industry observers say this oversupply is temporary. As nations such as China and India become more prosperous, demand for oil is almost certain to rebound in the years ahead.
That demand will pressure oil companies to become ever more productive while reducing the risks of small accidents turning into major disasters. This is where the digital oilfield really demonstrates its value.
Improving safety on the digital oilfield
Motorola notes that a digital oilfield’s network can be optimized to speed reaction times in an emergency. Radios are configured to allow priority communications that ensure that the right messages get to the right people as soon as possible. Other must-have capabilities include:
- Early warning siren activation — The digital radio network can transmit tones and pre-recorded voice messages to specific sirens within the oilfield.
- Geographic redundancy — Switches can be installed in multiple locations with a ring interconnection so that if disaster takes one switch out of commission, another switch automatically provides near-instantaneous connectivity.
- Group call — Allows for group calls assigned according to different functions to increase communication efficiency.
- Man down — Automatically sends out an alert if the radio is tilted past a defined angle or remains stationary for a fixed period of time.
- Automate oil and gas production processes by performing many complex calculation tasks faster, controlling remote sites without active intervention from a control center.
- Improve system monitoring, control oil spills and leaks, detect fires, and implement emergency shutdowns.
- Support operations-critical data connectivity for multiple applications at remote sites, preempting equipment shutdowns and increasing production efficiency.