Is There A Way Oil & Gas Automation Technology Can Make Truck Rolls More Inexpensive?

When working on various oil & gas assets, there is no way around truck rolls for maintenance of certain types of equipment, particularly when equipment is located in remote or geographically distributed facilities. On the other hand, not all equipment alarms or problems need an immediate trip to the asset.

A technician may be sent to the asset to address certain issues, only to find out that equipment works fine, can be fixed remotely, or additional spare parts are needed in order to carry out repairs.

This is just one instance of how oil & gas automation technology can assist in reducing the costs associated with truck rolls. Information about equipment conditions and performance can be provided to operators remotely, without a need for personnel to travel to the asset.

Data from drives, motors, pumps, sensors, and other equipment will allow maintenance crews to know what has been changed, making it easier to determine whether the problem needs immediate attention or can be addressed later on.

Where a site visit proves to be necessary, remote equipment data can assist in preparing the technician for such visits. Knowledge about the problem, and the data available on the operation of the machinery can help to determine what tools and resources will be required.

It can prove to be especially helpful when the distance between the remote site and the maintenance facility proves to be large. The preparation of the maintenance team can mean that the number of visits necessary will be reduced to one.

The use of automation can also help in the long-term maintenance plan of the company. With historical data available, it will become possible to pinpoint equipment that experiences recurrent problems or situations that indicate the presence of a future problem.

The aim is not to do away with all truck rolls. Some maintenance needs to be done physically on the oil and gas assets. The aim is to prepare for those visits that are required through automation.

In the case of operators that need to take care of their equipment remotely, automation and remote monitoring together will help in reducing unnecessary travels and in having an organized maintenance process.