Overview

The oil-and-gas industry requires equipment and network connections that meet the highest standards in challenging environments. Any mistake in these demanding conditions can have extensive implications, including reduced operational efficiency, compromised on-site personnel safety, and a decline in organizational competitiveness. This highlights the urgent need for reliable, efficient, and futureproof solutions in the oil-and-gas sector. All players in this sector must recognize it as a necessity, not a choice.

A compelling example is Streamline Innovations, which encountered a substantial challenge when they had to remove hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from gas and convert it into agricultural-grade sulfur. This challenge demanded precise remote control over chemical reactions that were traditionally overseen by on-site experts. Fortunately, Streamline Innovations has achieved reliable connectivity and IT/OT convergence by adopting futureproof networking solutions and robust-designed devices. They can now remotely control and optimize chemical processes, leading to a 75% reduction in labor cost, improved uptime, and enhanced operational performance.

Their success story highlights the importance of embracing futureproof networking technologies and leveraging reliable products to minimize hidden costs. It’s tangible proof that the reliability of each networking device is vital in ensuring your oil-and-gas system provides quality output in the long run.

Read on to explore more real-world applications that highlight the importance of reliability in oil and gas, and how it can shape your operations in the future.

Application 1: Reliability on the Seas—Offshore Oil Drilling

In offshore oil drilling, where synchronized monitoring and operational support are challenging, dependable communication and reliable monitoring networks are crucial, not just a luxury. Disruptions or failures in this harsh environment can have catastrophic consequences, leading to costly production stoppages caused by equipment blockages or failures.

To address these challenges, a robust and reliable network infrastructure is the cornerstone of the solution. Specifically, products designed for durability in such demanding environments, emphasizing ruggedness, become essential. Incorporating redundancy within the network architecture is equally important, as it minimizes downtime and improves operational efficiency. Moreover, products that meet rigorous maritime certifications, like DNV, and hazardous areas certifications, like Class I Division 2 (CID2) and ATEX Zone 2, are crucial for operating in explosive gas environments, extreme temperatures, corrosive conditions, and vibrations.

Implementing these measures enables offshore oil-drilling operations to function effectively, even in the presence of rapid temperature changes, harsh corrosive conditions, and continuous vibrations. It not only eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming manual equipment operation by oil-well operators but also drastically cuts down on operational complexity and expenses.

These integrated solutions ensure precise process automation, maintaining 24/7 sustainable production. Furthermore, the incorporation of network management software enables real-time monitoring, reducing the requirement for extensive personnel patrols, and ensuring reliable, smooth operations. To sum up, these solutions ensure offshore oil drilling maintains its operational efficiency, reduces costs, and, in the end, supports sustainable production.

Application 2: Monitoring the Lifeblood—Oil-and-gas Pipelines

Another critical application involves ensuring the dependable transportation of large volumes of oil and natural gas across vast pipeline networks, often spanning thousands of kilometers. This requires management personnel to oversee multiple extraction stations, including valve, gas measure, and pressure reduction stations, to maintain consistent pressure during transportation. This challenging task involves ensuring that pipeline pressure remains constant, a complex and demanding responsibility.

To address these requirements, the deployment of robust, scalable, and flexible fiber optic Ethernet networks is essential for swiftly identifying, preventing, and resolving pipeline issues, including leaks, damages, and ruptures. With its reliability and ability to cover long distances, this Ethernet network backbone is ideal for transmitting data, enabling seamless remote control and monitoring essential parameters.

As previously stated, oil-and-gas pipelines span hundreds of kilometers in unstaffed areas, therefore, besides installing reliable devices, ensuring cybersecurity is of paramount importance to guarantee both seamless and secure data. To prevent unauthorized access to the network, networking devices must support authentication and access control.

In a nutshell, the combination of robust hardware and software elements forms the foundation for constructing a resilient network architecture. The intrinsic connection between reliability and security collaborates to guarantee the continuous flow of oil and gas within pipeline networks.

Overcoming OT Networking Hurdles and Transitioning to a Smart Digital Future

These futureproof networking solutions equipped with reliability, security, and simplified management undoubtedly guarantee smooth and seamless operations and play an indispensable role in strengthening competitiveness for organizations in the oil-and-gas industry.

To delve deeper into another significant application, oil refineries, download the application note. This insight can guide you on how to realize an efficient and futureproof industrial network architecture and ensure reliability and resilience within your oil-and-gas application.