Edge Computing in the Oil & Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry knows how to function on the edge due to the remote locations that are an unavoidable part of operations. But how effectively are businesses truly functioning out there on the edge, where connectivity is so vital, and yet so difficult to realise?

While the implementation of the Industrial Internet of Things increases data capturing and analysis, reliance on cloud computing continues to inhibit the true potential of many plants.

To fully realise the effect of IIoT on your plant, the implementation of edge computing in strategic unison with IIoT cloud computing is the next step.

Edge Computing in a Nutshell

Edge computing entails every avenue that helps to connect actionable intelligence directly into operations, enabling analysis to happen sooner and closer to the source. Moving away from centralised nodes, where all network traffic is directed through a single point, edge computing relies on various devices, called edge nodes, that route network traffic to where it needs to go. This ensures that data is directed from as close to its source as possible to where it needs to go in order to expedite decision-making and implementation.

Computing on the edge allows you to move away from sending data to cloud-based servers before it gets sent out into the field. By controlling data traffic closer to the source, privacy and reliability are improved because fewer stops are involved in the distribution of data.

Working from the Edge

In the oil and gas industry, the applications for edge computing are countless. Working with pipelines, wet stock management, loading and unloading facilities, those in the oil and gas industry know what it is like to work on the edge. Now they can take their data processing abilities and form a symbiotic relationship with IIoT cloud computing insofar that only select strategic data is transmitted to the cloud. High level information of plant performance will be displayed on a dashboard on the IIoT cloud. Detailed analysis of the plant, however, will always be conducted via an investigation at the edge via secure VPN.

Thanks to edge computing, environments that were unconnected, no longer need to be. Wet stock management, loading and unloading facilities and plant support facilities such as backup generators and fire pumps – these are only a few of the components that can now become more visible during operations.

From the workforce to the supply chain, the entire infrastructure of operations and distribution will be revolutionised, and data distribution at every stage will become more flexible and more efficient. Silos of information no longer need to affect operations, where only reactive action is a possibility.

Thanks to more efficient monitoring, more accurate tracking information can help you follow the progress of moving assets (such as petrol, diesel, paraffin, etc.) in real time, allowing process facilities and distribution to become more efficient, which gives you a broader view of operations in real time via the IIoT dashboard. More than that, predictive maintenance can also become more efficient than ever as warnings can be acted upon without delays caused by network hold-up.

Taking a broader look, when edge computing is applied along with IIoT solutions, operations can become pro-active rather than reactive, and run more smoothly and more efficiently than before. Edge computing in conjunction with Cyntech’s IIoT solutions, can transform the operations of your business and ensure a level of growth that has heretofore only been dreamed of.

This is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted. (E&OE)