How information and communications technology can help companies reduce expenses and gain a competitive advantage

New Technology Magazine — The oil and gas sector in Canada has more than 70% of its workers in the field. Given the size of this remote workforce, companies are looking for ways to improve field productivity by the innovative use of information and communications technologies. A 2008 IDC study states: "As IT budgets tighten, technology buyers will turn to those IT suppliers that understand their business and can help them to do more with less. IT solutions and services that can help the buyer reduce expenses, mitigate risk, and become more intimate with their customers will resonate well."

A number of new information and communications technologies are particularly suited to the demands of field work. A typical field worker carries a mobile device that is used primarily for conversation and email. But the potential is far greater. A large number of manual processes can be automated and mission-critical business applications can be extended into the field.

Field safety is one of those mission-critical applications. A common problem for most large companies is having line of sight to regulatory and safety deficiencies. All companies are required to address safety and environmental concerns and this is done in the field through inspections or checklists. Technology is now available that allows field workers to access and complete these inspections electronically, wherever they may be. Intrinsically safe devices allow this type of work to be performed even in hazardous areas. Companies are finding that this technology not only increases productivity in the field, it also reduces business risk by creating an audit trail that shows they are meeting their corporate and regulatory obligations.

Energy companies are also using information and communications technologies to monitor the safety of remote workers and respond to emergency situations. Work alone legislation requires employers to protect the safety of their workers by identifying potential safety risks, eliminating or controlling them, and refining communication among workers to notify them of these hazards.

Wireless technologies such as Push to Talk (PTT) allow workers to instantly communicate safety concerns to a team member or the entire crew with a push of a button. Rugged, intrinsically safe handsets with PTT are now available for workers in the field. They are designed to have low electrical and thermal output, which eliminates the risk of producing sparks and therefore enhances worker safety. Remote workers can also proactively signal an emergency by using either a dedicated device or a combination of a Bluetooth-enabled pendant and an intrinsically safe handset.

Another alerting solution can be delivered through a technology called Automated Vehicle Location (AVL ). Class 1 div 1 no-motion sensors can be connected wirelessly to a modem in a vehicle equipped with AVL . Some of these devices are built specifically for the energy patch; they work in extreme conditions and can transmit over frequencies that will not interfere with wireless SCADA networks. Another useful service is out-of-truck notification. These timer-based out-of-truck-notification systems utilize failsafe timers at the vehicle to notify drivers and responders of a potential incident.

AVL combines global positioning system (GPS) with energy-specific mapping, sometimes Web-based. These maps, which provide details such as pipelines, well batteries and facilities, can prove critical in vehicle location, routing and worker safety.

AVL not only enhances safety, it is also a field productivity tool. Some systems allow companies to monitor speed, location, time and position of their fleet, resulting in more efficient routing and dispatch. Companies are achieving cost savings through reduced service delivery time and increased unit hour utilization of assets. In addition, by monitoring vehicle usage and wear (through engine control modules), proactive maintenance schedules can be developed to further reduce fleet costs. Some in-vehicle modems have ports so that workers can plug in laptops or tablets and use the secure connectivity in the truck. This mobile gateway can enable other productivity applications such as driver logs, compliance reporting and field ticketing.

The convergence of improved system capabilities, reduced costs and a growing demand for safety and field productivity has resulted in information and communications technologies becoming widely available. Energy companies are using these technologies to remain competitive and safe, even in challenging economic times.

Contributed article by Roland Labuhn, vice-president, TELUS Energy Vertical