Downstream oil & gas operations begin after the production phase and involve turning crude oil and natural gas into the finished products used by consumers and end-users. The global downstream segment is estimated to be worth US$1.15 trillion, demonstrating the sector’s important role in bringing usable products to the market.
Despite its global significance, the downstream sector faces several challenges that are driving the need for better Asset Integrity Management and maintenance programs. Maintaining equipment is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process, and many of the existing solutions are limited in their ability to detect and predict potential faults before catastrophic failure occurs.
As a result, Asset Integrity Managers and the Operations & Maintenance teams need to leverage new technologies to remain competitive.
To learn more about how downstream oil & gas companies can reduce operations & maintenance costs, improve reliability, and enhance safety, download (registration required) our latest white paper: Transitioning to Condition-Based Maintenance With Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions.
Introducing Touchless™ Monitoring for Downstream Refineries
Touchless™ Monitoring solutions from Systems With Intelligence offer downstream oil and gas refineries an alternative to time-based physical inspections by providing continuous, 24/7 monitoring of high-value assets and critical components.
Explosion-proof thermal, visual, and optical gas imaging (OGI) sensors automatically detect hot spots, sudden or prolonged temperature variations, flames, or gas leaks. Automatic alarms alert the Operations & Maintenance team, allowing them to visually inspect equipment, check gauges, and diagnose the issue using high-resolution cameras from a safe, remote location.
Compared to other technologies and platforms, Touchless™ Monitoring solutions are cost-effective, easy to deploy, simple to use and maintain, and suitable for a wide range of applications and deployment scenarios.
By taking a proactive approach, the Operations & Maintenance team can detect and diagnose minor faults before they grow into larger failures, prioritizing repairs and effectively allocating scarce technical resources.
Ensuring Ongoing Performance - Deploying Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions
Touchless™ Monitoring solutions are easy to procure, install, and use. But like any investment in technology, a strategic approach will help to ensure a successful implementation.
Before acquiring the sensors, take a step back to articulate the goals of the project. Conduct a detailed assessment of all assets and critical areas of the facility and determine which are most suitable for continuous monitoring. Next, start to work on the more specific details of the deployment. Understand the site and establish the ideal location of the sensors.
With the details finalized, determine project budgets, timelines, and milestones for deployment. Work closely with the vendor to identify the performance, capabilities, range, and functionality needed to effectively monitor each asset.
Once deployed, sensors need to be properly calibrated to ensure accurate data collection. Visualization software can also be tailored to ensure each user has access to the most relevant data for their roles.
Finally, Touchless™ Monitoring solutions integrate directly with SCADA and common Asset Management Systems using standard protocols to avoid data silos.
Mitigating Cybersecurity Risk
A recent Government of Canada threat assessment stated that 25 percent of Canadian oil & gas organizations reported a cyber incident, the highest of any critical infrastructure sector.
Fortunately, some simple steps can be taken when assessing the cybersecurity implications of Touchless™ Monitoring solutions.
One of the most effective ways to eliminate the risk of infiltration is to segregate the monitoring system from the organizational network. Authorization at every step and user and role-based permissions also restrict access only to those with a legitimate need. Finally, all systems should be regularly updated with the most recent security patches to address any new vulnerabilities.
Better Asset Integrity Management and Maintenance with Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions
The Operations & Maintenance team is under constant pressure to ensure that equipment is operating safely and reliably, and hazardous conditions mean the consequences of a catastrophic failure are severe.
Touchless™ Monitoring solutions leverage thermal, visual, and optical gas imaging sensors to provide a continuous, 24/7 view of high-value assets and critical components.
Once deployed, operators can take a proactive approach to maintenance and repairs and transition toward a Condition-Based Maintenance strategy that reduces overall maintenance costs, enhances worker safety, and improves the reliability and performance of equipment.
To learn more about how Touchless™ Monitoring solutions overcome the limitations of physical inspections and other technologies, download our white paper (registration required): Transitioning to Condition-Based Maintenance With Touchless™ Monitoring Solutions.