Managed Connectivity for Petroleum Operators

In today’s challenging environment, OptConnect understands that reliability is top priority for Operators and OEMs of Oil and Gas Equipment. These monitoring systems are mission critical systems that can quickly become a costly service call if they go down. As systems advance, the need to not only connect new equipment, but legacy equipment in the field increases.

In today’s post, we are sitting down with connectivity expert Hannah Flowers to find out what else makes connectivity so important for the petroleum industry.

Why are more and more petroleum operators turning to managed connectivity vs. doing it on their own?

Quite simply, managing connectivity themselves is time consuming, complex, and ultimately takes away from focusing on their core businesses. With a managed service, connectivity is completely taken care of so that customers can focus their time where they feel is best.

Why is connectivity crucial for Automatic Tank Gauges?

In the petroleum industry, connectivity is crucial for monitoring tanks that contain the oil. Automatic tank gauges (ATGs) monitor not only how much is in the tank, but also ensures it stays at the correct temperature. If these gauges aren't reliably connected, this can result in inaccurate readings which can lead to spoiled/unusable gasoline or a lack of gasoline. If either of these is the case, this results in loss of profits for the petroleum owners.

Why is connectivity crucial for oil pipelines?

Connectivity is crucial for oil pipelines because the EPA requires that these pipelines be monitored 24/7 to ensure they are not leaking into the earth. If leaks can't be detected and addressed promptly due to lack of reliable connectivity, this not only results in a loss of oil and profits, but also in legal reparations.

What OptConnect products do you recommend for Petroleum and why?

The neo2 and mylo can be good fits for different use cases. mylo is ideal for monitoring in warehouse, basement, and similar locations because it operates on the CAT-M1 network, designed specifically for communicating through cement and building barriers that wireless signals historically struggle to communicate through. The neo2 is ideal for tank monitoring in or outside of gas stations and pipeline settings because it is designed to operate on the super fast CAT-4 network.

What 3-4 aspects of a managed service are crucial for Petroleum?

I’d say uptime, ease of installation and saving money on truck rolls. With OptConnect you get close to 100% uptime with 24/7/365 monitoring. This is important because If the connection fails and the monitoring system doesn't report an urgent issue, petroleum is ruined, runs low, or leaks into the ground, and the owner will suffer great financial loss. Ease of installation is also important as our plug and play devices make setup quick and easy. You can also save money on truck rolls by assessing connection status with OptConnect’s monitoring platform Summit.

OptConnect’s managed cellular services ensure your equipment has the highest level of uptime to the internet. This helps connect equipment in the field to remote operations and monitoring platforms. Quickly and affordably get your equipment connected with OptConnect’s fully managed cellular services.