The energy sector is going through a transformational period, and last year the amount spent on transition reached more than half a billion dollars.
Despite this shift, however, and the money being spent, many of the assets and equipment currently in use will still be employed during the next phase of the industry. Starting from scratch would be too expensive, too time-consuming and too inefficient. Retrofitting legacy assets with IoT technology to track its impact is a game-changer.
The success of this process is dependent on the quality of data being collected.
Using sensor technology, operators can develop ‘smart rigs’ as well as remotely monitor other assets like chemical processing equipment and pumps – though this is not without its own challenges.
Connectivity is a necessity
90% of the surface of the planet has no access to a cellular network. The issue of poor connectivity remains in many remote and hard-to-reach areas, which often happen to be where energy assets are located, including off-shore.
To maximise the success of retrofitting, resilient and reliable connectivity is a necessity in order to access timely data. Downtime costs money and can result in workers having to make lengthy, potentially dangerous trips to retrieve the kind of enterprise grade data that with proper coverage would be available to them remotely.
Utilising space technology alongside cellular is the answer
For the energy sector to retrofit assets anywhere on earth and guarantee their data will flow at all times – even in extreme weather – it needs to employ a solution which can tap into different technologies.
Krucial CONNECT does this, using multiple backhauls, including satellites, which means that data is collected and delivered continuously to mobile and desktop for team members anywhere on the planet. If you want to find out the condition of an asset in the middle of the ocean 3,000 miles away instantly, you can. This results in more accurate predictive maintenance, more robust data to inform future CapEx, and a better insight into environmental conditions to make more sustainable business choices.
How does it work?
Simply connect IoT devices, such as sensors, to securely transmit data from your assets, sites, infrastructure, and buildings. Krucial CONNECT automatically switches between satellite and cellular, so your operational data keeps flowing. Durable and futureproof, Krucial CONNECT can be deployed anywhere – even your more remote and hard-to-reach sites. And thanks to a robust API, you can easily integrate with internal systems and workflows, so you have the data you need to make quick and informed business decisions.
Slow connection and poor communications infrastructure could significantly hinder efforts to digitise the retrofitting effort within the energy sector and slow the move to more sustainable practices as a result. Using the Krucial CONNECT solution, there’s no longer any reason why that should be the case – data blackspots are a thing of the past.
To find out more about Krucial CONNECT, visit Krucial Connect – KRUCIAL.
