Real-time Data: The Key to Effective Decision-making in Oil and Gas

In today’s digital world, more and more industries rely on technology to optimize their operations and industrial processes. The oil and gas industry is not excluded from this shift.

Traditionally, oil and gas operations have relied on manual data collection or third-party data collectors that don’t offer immediate access to an operation’s insights. However, as the industry faces higher demand and becomes more competitive and regulated, companies are facing several challenges from this form of data retrieval:

• Delayed Insights: Operators must wait for reports which can lead to slow and inefficient responses
• Inaccurate or incomplete data: Manual entry can lead to errors, leading to poor decision-making.
• Inefficient resource allocation: Without access to critical information, companies struggle to correctly allocate labor, equipment, and schedules

While many companies rely on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platforms to remotely monitor and control and collect data from their operations, in many legacy systems, that data either isn’t easily accessible or it isn’t visibly available in real-time. 

To maintain a competitive edge (and ensure overall operational efficiency) companies should take advantage of SCADA platforms with integrated real-time data and analytics capabilities. This provides operators and executives with instant access to critical data, enabling them to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency, profitability, and safety.

How SCADA & Access to Live Data Optimize Decision-making

• Instantaneous Alerts and Reduced Downtime

Users can set parameters for their equipment and will be alerted if that equipment or those levels are operating outside of their desired thresholds. With access to those deviations in real-time, users can easily remedy the situation, reducing downtime and potential losses.

• Proactive Monitoring and Decision-making

Access to those deviations allow users to make quicker, proactive decisions rather than reactive. Instead of relying solely on historical data, integrated insights help users address variations before they escalate into actual problems. Combine that real-time data with those alarms that alert users to those deviations, and you have proactive responses that decrease downtime and improve productivity.

• Reduced Operational Cost

By integrating real-time data from SCADA, companies can optimize energy consumption, reduce unnecessary equipment wear, and prevent costly failures. Predictive analytics can detect potential equipment failures before they happen, allowing for proactive maintenance instead of costly emergency repairs. 

Real-life example: An operator at a saltwater disposal is notified via alarm from SitePro that one of the offloading tanks is at full capacity but the transfer pump is not moving fluid out of the tank as expected. To avoid a spill, the operator shuts down the lane and closes valves that lead to that tank. They can send a manager to check on the equipment, reopen the lane, and resume operations as normal. Because they immediately knew which piece(s) of equipment needed to be addressed, costly downtime is avoided but with reliable monitoring, remote control and alarms, the asset can remain unmanned, reducing staffing costs. This proactive response also saves the disposal from losing valuable product and the time and resources it would take to clean up the mess.

• Improved Regulatory Compliance

Oil and gas companies often face strict regulations regarding emissions, water usage, and environmental impact. SCADA ensures data related to compliance metrics is instantaneously available - and accurate.

The Bottom Line: Real-time Data Provides a Competitive Edge

Oil and gas companies that leverage real-time data to ensure their infrastructure is operating at its most effective (and within compliance) gain a significant edge over competitors who are still relying on manual data retrieval or even SCADA systems that don’t provide instantaneous data. 

SitePro’s all-in-one platform combines the power of data and analytics with our patented remote control and monitoring technology to help businesses like yours operate as efficiently as possible. Our real-time and historical data allows you to have an inside look into your operations at any moment or over a period of time. Gain visibility into how your site is operating at any time, and receive alerts when it's operating outside of the parameters you’ve set. Compare how that data is running day-to-day, week-to-week, or month-to-month to see where improvements need to be made.