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Perspectives on Chemical Automation & Innovation
3 Tips to Improve Underground Injection Control Programs
Injection wells are important in two key ways – they help us dispose of produced water, as well as implement enhanced oil recovery (EOR). At the same time, injection wells pose some risk to underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) if not managed properly. Consequently (and understandably), underground injection is highly regulated. Due to these … Read more
How to Improve Frac Tank Monitoring With Automation
Frac tanks are commonly used across the oil and gas industry during hydraulic fracturing, flowback, and produced water management. In the fracking process, they store large volumes of water, chemicals, and proppants used to create the fracturing fluid, ensuring a continuous supply to the well site. According to a report by Ceres, around 5 to 6 million … Read more
How to Improve Frac Tank Monitoring with Automation
In a pinch? Use our frac tank volume calculator to get a quick strap from your frac tank level gauge. Frac tanks are essential in the oil and gas drilling process, and as you’ll read below, frac tank level gauges and frac tank level monitoring are crucial to supporting frac tank operations. We rely on these portable metal … Read more
Always the latest and greatest: Using WellAware’s over-the-air updates
When was the last time you downloaded an update to your smartphone? Just as we expect our devices to stay current with the latest technological advancements, so too should our industrial edge devices. In today’s fast-paced technological landscape, maintaining a competitive edge requires embracing innovations that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve performance, all while … Read more
Revolutionizing Data Management: Introducing WellAware Admiral, Commander and Scout!
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted healthcare organizations on multiple fronts. Obviously, there are incredible challenges with battling an unfamiliar disease. Patient volumes have spiked in certain regions, quickly overwhelming staff and resources. Those on the front lines are constantly at risk, given their regular exposure. And in the hardest-hit places, physicians have to make impossible … Read more
Achieve Immediate ROI with WellAware’s Chemical Automation Solutions
WellAware’s cutting-edge automation technology and data-driven insights are revolutionizing operational efficiency in the chemical automation sector. Our solutions demonstrate strong, evidence-based return on investment (ROI), with thousands of units in the field showcasing daily success for our customers. Through a combination of labor optimization, fuel reduction, lower capital equipment costs, improved injection variance, and lower … Read more
Why Oilfield Water Services Companies Should Automate
As we all know, water is critical for oil and gas well completions. According to the USGS, a single frac job could need up to 16 million gallons of water. Of course, we’ve been fracturing during completions for well over a decade now, so why the focus on water? We’ve covered ESG extensively in our content, but … Read more
Superior Data at a Lower Cost
Better Data, Better Results®: How WellAware’s Automation Platform Transforms Energy and Oilfield Chemical Operations In the evolving landscape of the energy sector, effective data management is not just a necessity—it’s a competitive advantage. WellAware, an industry leader in energy and oilfield chemical optimization, has long recognized that the key to operational excellence lies in the … Read more
Data silos isolate valuable data away from industrial teams
In the industrial space, data silos are everywhere. Many industrial companies today still rely on cumbersome data management systems that render operations data inaccessible to those who need it most. In other words, your data is “siloed”. Siloed data is a major problem for organizations that are trying to take advantage of digital transformation. Before … Read more
The 3 Types of Automation for Oilfield Water Management
It’s a good time to be an oilfield water services company. Oil prices have stabilized above $100/bbl, the US rig count is the highest it’s been since pre-pandemic times, and the combination of domestic water shortages and ESG fund growth places a premium on sustainable water use. All together, oil & gas producers are willing to pay a premium for quality oilfield … Read more
Can I install automation if my site doesn’t have cell coverage?
Oilfield automation systems, including things like tank level monitoring and remote pump control, require an internet connection to send data. Unless the devices are connected to a completely air-gapped SCADA system, they’ll connect to the internet at some point. Note: Most modern SCADA systems now use cloud-based data historians like those offered by AWS. Even if … Read more
Oilfield chemicals companies have no choice but to automate
This blog is the final excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services market, all were interviewed under the condition of anonymity. As such, all names have been fictionalized to preserve that anonymity. … Read more
Should you buy a submersible or external tank level sensor?
When you invest in tank level monitoring, perhaps the most critical question you have to answer is: What type of sensor should I choose? A while back we published a very popular blog to help people choose between sensor options, including hydrostatics, ultrasonics, floats, radars, and capacitive style tank level sensors. You can read that here: Choosing … Read more
Oil and gas operators need better chemistry, faster
This blog is the seventh excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Chemical field services need to become more efficient
This blog is the sixth excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Oilfield chemical services companies must do more with less
This blog is the fifth excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Data sharing becoming more important for oilfield chemical services
This blog is the fourth excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Oilfield chemicals companies should pay attention to ESG
This blog is the third excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Supply insecurity means slimmer margins for oilfield chemical vendors
This blog is the second excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Oilfield chemical services companies are dealing with a labor shortage
This blog is the first excerpt from The State of Oilfield Chemicals in 2022. Each week, we’ll release an additional excerpt as a blog. For those that want to read ahead, click the link here. Note: To produce this article, dozens of oilfield services stakeholders were interviewed. Due to the highly competitive nature of the oilfield services … Read more
Freezing temperatures mean lost sales for oil & gas operators
Everywhere you look, signs of the holiday seasons have appeared. Carved pumpkins have rotted and been discarded in favor of string lights and inflatable Santas, your local gym is playing Jingle Bells, and Starbucks is serving those (unbearable) pumpkin spice things they call coffee 🤮. And while the signs of the holidays might bring joy … Read more
Tips for automating corrosion inhibitors in oil and gas
Corrosion inhibitors may be the single most important chemistry applied in the oil and gas industry. Used to protect wells, pipelines, tanks, compressors, and nearly every other kind of downhole or surface equipment, corrosion inhibitors are the backbone of a good asset integrity program designed to keep equipment failure rates at bay. Without corrosion inhibitors, … Read more
How to automate hydrate inhibitor in oil and gas operations
It’s common knowledge in the oilfield that, as the weather turns colder, methanol use ramps up. Operators across the globe turn to methanol, and hydrate inhibitors like it, to prevent serious operational issues. But what, exactly, is methanol used for in oil & gas? How do hydrate inhibitors in oil and gas work? And most … Read more
The best tank level sensor for oilfield chemicals
If your job involves managing oilfield specialty chemicals, no doubt you’ve considered implementing chemical tank level monitoring. Maybe you’ve even set up a few chemical tank level sensors here and there to try it out. Whether you work for an oilfield chemical service provider, a producer, or a pipeline company, you probably have the same question about your chemical … Read more
How to measure water quality in wastewater treatment plant controls
In our last blog post, we gave an overview of the four types of sensors most commonly used in wastewater treatment facilities. Now we want to zoom in and take a closer look at how sensors help us measure water quality in particular. Maintaining water quality is crucial, of course, because nobody wants to drink, bathe, or use … Read more
The 4 Types of Sensors used in Wastewater Treatment Controls
Sensors are the foundation of water treatment control systems. They are what originally convert physical parameters from equipment and processes into digital information that machines and people can use. Put simply, water treatment plant control without sensors is a non-starter. Period. To understand what can be monitored, controlled, or automated in a water treatment plant, many are … Read more
Water Treatment Plant Controls: Quick Wins for Wastewater Automation
Water treatment plant controls are used to monitor and control wastewater treatment plants, an absolute essential in the modern world. Today, 15,000 waste treatment plants help us clean domestic sewage gathered from nearly 1,000,000 miles of pipeline. In the U.S. and Europe alone, humans generate around 67 billion cubic meters of wastewater every year, all of which require treatment … Read more
How to Calculate (and Improve) Pump Efficiency
Pumps are everywhere and critical to industrial processes involving liquids. The oilfield is no different! Pumps come in all shapes and sizes – some inject a few trickles a day while others pump tens of thousands of gallons a minute. Pumps tend to be one of the biggest energy consumers in industrial operations. Pump motors, specifically, … Read more
What is Pump Control? What You Need to Know About Pump Automation
Pumps are the backbone of numerous industrial processes. We use pumps today in dozens of industries – oil and gas, wastewater treatment, manufacturing, facilities management, and more – to move millions of gallons of water, crude oil, chemicals, and lubricants. In essence, wherever there are liquids, there are pumps. Pumps use mechanical energy to pressurize liquids … Read more
How To Monitor Water Level In a Tank: A Complete Guide
Water tanks are everywhere. We use water tanks in many industries, from oil and gas to agriculture. That’s why remote water tank monitoring is important. To maintain control of their operations, engineers and managers need to know how much water is in their tanks at all times. Many also use tank-level data to inform other processes, like turning … Read more
How to Export SCADA Data into Production Software
Production engineers use a number of tools to help them optimize production from oil and gas wells, ranging from Artificial Lift Optimization software to Business Intelligence to good ol’ Excel. One of the most important pieces of software that any Production Engineer uses, however, is Production Software. “Production Software” – a somewhat vague term that can … Read more
How SCADA and IoT Equipment Monitoring Can Work Together
The SCADA versus IoT debate is one of the more heated discussions consuming industrial IT departments today. SCADA teams are protective of their “babies,” defending vast data acquisition networks of sensors, gateways, and RTUs. They’ve invested tremendous time and capital to help their teams get the data they need in harsh and hazardous environments, and … Read more
What’s the difference between SCADA and IoT?
SCADA vs. IoT. It’s a years-old debate, but it most often occurs between industry analysts, IoT vendors, and desk jockeys. Our goal in this blog is to provide an engineer’s perspective on the important differences between SCADA and IoT. Ask any engineer what their top 3 goals are for the year, and they’ll probably tell … Read more
How Are Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measured?
Greenhouse gases (GHG) are continuing to dominate the discussion about climate change and sustainability, especially for energy producing and consuming enterprises. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, causing temperatures on Earth’s surface to rise. The most common GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide, all of which are byproducts of both natural and … Read more
How We Stayed Online During Winter Storm Uri
Last week, Winter Storm Uri brought freezing temperatures, snow, and ice to much of the southern United States, namely Texas (WellAware’s HQ). Millions lost electricity, heat, and running water (as a result of water pumps failing due to lack of power) – in some cases, people lost their lives. One of the primary reasons Uri was so … Read more
Why Oil and Gas Companies Should Care About ESG
You’ve heard the whispers. Everyone is talking about sustainability this, ESG that…and with the start of the Biden presidency, the oil and gas industry is on edge – will a more liberal administration bring new frustrations and red tape for producers? It’s a fair question. But the exact answer may not matter for our purposes here. Regardless … Read more
Sustainability: Finding a higher purpose for the Internet of Things
Much has been said about the game-changing potential of IoT technology, especially for industrial sectors. For years, IoT vendors have promised “actionable insights”… but, let’s be honest, does anybody really know what that means? Operators continue to struggle with the “pilot purgatory” problem; they’re stuck waiting on results to justify moving forward with full-blown IoT solutions. Leaders … Read more
How Much Does Tank Level Monitoring Really Cost?
The cost of a tank level monitoring system is often top of mind for many operations leaders. There are many, many layers to tank level monitoring, and all of them contribute to tank level monitoring prices. First, you need to pick the right type of sensor. Then, you have to figure out all things connectivity — from networking … Read more
Why Bluetooth Makes Sense as an Edge IIoT Network
The industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is completely transforming how most organizations operate today. Through the power of smart technology and wireless networking, leaders can automate manufacturing and industrial processes that would otherwise require human intervention. Looking ahead, the potential for innovation is enormous. According to Quince Market Insights, the IIoT market is currently valued at $82B. … Read more
Keys to Successfully Installing a Tank Level Monitoring System
Tank level monitoring systems are great for industrial companies that want to mitigate problems, automate processes, and more. However, to add value, tank level monitors have to provide accurate and reliable data. And one of the most important factors in making this happen is getting installation right. A proper installation will set your smart tank sensors … Read more
Three Ways to Take Tank Level Monitoring to the Next Level
In our last blog post, we discussed how remote tank level monitoring (TLM) helps us solve major industrial challenges (TL;DR: you can avoid MANY issues with accurate, reliable tank data). Here, we explore three ways you can take your tank level monitoring solution to the next level by expanding your remote monitoring and automation capabilities. We’ll touch on: We’ve … Read more
Tank Level Monitoring Can Help Solve These 5 Big Industrial Challenges
We’ve been making fantastic progress in our remote tank level monitoring blog series. Over the last few posts, we’ve covered how to pick the right tank level sensors, which industries benefit the most from remote tank monitoring, and what it takes to power up a complete solution. Today, we zoom in and discuss five specific industrial challenges that remote … Read more
The 5 Industries that Benefit the Most from Tank Level Monitoring
We’ve talked a lot about what remote tank monitoring is and how we implement it through our latest blog series. In this post, we zoom out and discuss how tank level monitoring is actually used in different industries to achieve meaningful business results. After all, that is the goal. So, what types of businesses have the most to gain … Read more
Here’s What You Need to Know About Wireless Tank Level Monitors
What do you get when you combine wireless IoT and tank level monitoring? Wireless tank level sensors! (if you were expecting a real joke…we’re sorry) Wireless tank level sensors make collecting accurate, reliable tank data so much easier. You don’t have to worry about running cables everywhere, which brings installation costs down. And you can … Read more
What’s the Best Tank Level Sensor? Choose for Accuracy and Reliability
If you keep up with tech innovation in the industrial world, you’ve no doubt heard about the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is changing the game in many ways, and the time to get in is now. But, where should you start? Consider tank level monitoring. Whether you’re monitoring a simple water tank or tracking frac tank levels for a … Read more
What is Remote Tank Level Monitoring? How to win with TLM
The goal of any IoT project is to generate trustworthy data that empowers people and processes to deliver results. Yet, it can be intimidating to plunge right into such a new and exciting world. We get it. For this reason, we see many organizations dip their toes in the IoT water with remote tank level monitoring (TLM). Tank monitoring … Read more
How to Use Chemical Pump Automation to Achieve Regulatory Compliance
Industrial chemicals play an instrumental role in helping organizations achieve both operational and business goals. However, chemicals are useful in another important way – they help leaders maintain regulatory compliance. Operators must adhere to oversight that is designed to protect consumers, workers, and the environment. Doing so requires applying chemical treatment responsibly to protect critical … Read more
The 3 Reasons Why ARM Architecture Makes Sense for IIoT Devices
This blog was co-authored by David Figoli, WellAware’s Chief Technology Officer, Over the next eight years, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is projected to explode. According to Quince Market Insights, the IIoT market will grow at a 21% CAGR between 2020 and 2028, driven by advances in manufacturing technology, Industry 4.0, and the proliferation of IoT … Read more
How Chemical Pump Automation Promotes Better Health and Safety
In the industrial sector, health and safety are paramount. If organizations can’t produce goods and substances while also protecting people and the environment, they won’t survive. While chemicals and other industrial additives might get a bad rap based on their potential toxicity or environmental contamination, they actually play a significant role in preserving human and … Read more
How to Use Chemical Pump Automation to Reduce Operating Costs
In many industrial sectors, companies produce commodity goods with relatively thin margins. There is little room for unanticipated capital outlays or inefficient operations that drain precious cash flow. Fortunately, with the right concentration and application of specialty chemicals, operators can preserve machinery, maintain production throughput, reallocate labor, and avoid downstream costs, all of which are … Read more
How to Use Chemical Pump Control to Enhance Production Quality in Industrial Operations
Industrial chemicals play an essential role in the quality of the goods that we produce. Without chemicals, the gas we put in our cars, the water we drink, the food we eat, and even the cosmetics we buy wouldn’t meet quality standards that exist to satisfy and protect end users and consumers. However, many industrial … Read more
How to Use Chemical Pump Automation for Production Assurance
Automated Chemical Production Assurance Industrial specialty chemicals are vital to so many industrial businesses. With industrial chemicals, we have the ability to develop quality products through highly efficient processes. Our factories, production facilities, and oil wells simply wouldn’t be the same without chemicals. One way that chemicals directly drive better business outcomes for manufacturers is … Read more
How to Use Chemical Pump Automation to Ensure Asset Integrity
Automating Chemicals We depend on industrial chemicals in countless ways. Chemicals are vital for developing products, substances, and resources that power the global economy, fill our stores, and feed our families. Ultimately, without chemicals, so much of the manufacturing work that drives production wouldn’t be possible. Industrial specialty chemicals are especially valuable when it comes … Read more
The Only Way to Secure the IoT is With Zero Trust Architecture
Zero Trust Architecture Cybersecurity continues to be a top priority for leaders all over the world. Over the last decade, high-profile cyberattacks have revealed how vulnerable our information and systems are when sufficient protections don’t exist. In some situations, the consequences have been enormous. For example, target paid out nearly $20 million to make amends for a … Read more
Why the IoT Needs Information-Centric Security Models
Over the past decade, highly publicized cybersecurity breaches have revealed weaknesses in our prevailing IT security models. In 2013, Edward Snowden took 20,000 documents from the NSA without using any sophisticated devices or software. In the same year, hackers stole credit and debit card data from 40 million Target customers by exploiting a vulnerability in the retailer’s building management … Read more
The Ultimate Guide to IoT Sensors for Industrial Applications
The Internet of Things shows a lot of promise to solve some BIG problems for industrial companies. When organizations pursue industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) projects, they often begin by exploring what types of industrial IoT sensors are available. Operations managers typically have an idea of what processes they want to monitor but aren’t always sure … Read more
The 4 Reasons That Service Level Agreements Will Change the IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming our world in many ways. With smart devices and sensors, we can collect data automatically in real time about critical processes, infrastructure, and events. However, IoT deployments don’t always play out as expected. At WellAware, we think this has to do with accountability – could Service-Level Agreements (SLAs) improve … Read more
What is Zero Touch Provisioning for the IoT?
Zero Touch Provisioning for IoT Data stream provisioning is a critical part of any remote asset management deployment. Zero Touch Provisioning, a term commonly used to define rapid IT network deployments, implies low-friction, software-defined data stream creation. Organizations that want to take advantage of the Internet of Things (IoT) must be able to configure smart devices … Read more
Top 5 Cybersecurity Threats to Healthcare Facilities Managers
Today, cybersecurity is one of the largest issues facing industries and the global population. It is the threat that cannot be ignored, and yet it is one of the most commonly neglected areas in modern business. Whether this is due to leaders being intimidated by the task at hand or the hope that their business … Read more
The 3 Reasons Why You Should Get Rid of Your Hospital BMS
Building management systems (BMS) are becoming more and more popular for facilities management teams across the world. Organizations realize now that there are tangible financial benefits to managing their physical assets effectively. Business leaders can reduce energy costs while also addressing shareholder demands for sustainable initiatives. According to Business Wire, the integrated BMS industry is … Read more
What are Managed Services for the Internet of Things?
Managed Services business models have become much more prevalent over the last few decades thanks to advances in cloud computing technology. More recently, Managed Services Providers (MSPs), in particular, have grown increasingly popular as companies try to optimize operations and decision-making around data streams. What are Managed Services for the IoT? So, what are Managed … Read more
How Much Are You Paying Your Systems Integrator?
Systems integrators (SIs) are a recent global phenomenon. Wikipedia defines a systems integrator as “a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole and ensuring that those subsystems function together.” In other words, they help customers manage the complexity of big technical projects, such as those involving digital transformation. Overall, … Read more
Your Remote Monitoring System Is Older Than Your Kids
Updating Remote Monitoring Remote monitoring and control systems consist of many interconnected layers of hardware, networks, software, and people. How do you know when it’s time for a remote monitoring system upgrade? On the hardware front, you have the physical assets themselves, the measurement hardware (sensors), processing hardware, and communications hardware. When it comes to … Read more
Don’t Dismiss What Your Remote Monitoring System is Telling You
Remote Monitoring Data Insights One of the main goals of implementing a remote monitoring system is to build a data-driven culture that produces positive business outcomes. With rich, quantitative data, leaders can enhance decision-making, optimize operations, and increase the productivity of their workforces. However, building an effective remote monitoring alerting is not as simple as … Read more
Greenfield IoT versus Brownfield IoT – Can you do both?
Large-scale industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployments tend to stall out and fail before they even get started. From data collection problems to bad technology, there are numerous issues that prevent organizations from implementing digital projects successfully. We’ve learned that many of these challenges exist as a result of how leaders approach IIoT deployments. They … Read more
Rapid, Incremental Change is the Key to Digital Success
Industrial leaders use the Internet of Things (IoT) to change the way they do business. They want to pursue digitization to make operations and infrastructure safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for their workers. However, many fail to realize that big business process change is hard to get right. Organizations can’t simply add an IoT layer on … Read more
Remote Equipment Servicing at the Forefront in 2020
At WellAware, we understand how much value there is in having real-time access to high-resolution information about physical assets. Service providers that can remotely manage smart sensors are empowered to proactively address equipment failures, reduce downtime, and optimize maintenance processes. They can study the health of valuable machinery and mitigate problems before they occur. Many … Read more
Why Remote Monitoring is Crucial for Employee Health & Safety
Whether in the office or at manufacturing sites and other production facilities, the health and safety of workers dictate the success of daily operations. In today’s environment, unforeseen health and safety hazards pop up at a moment’s notice. For industrial companies, equipping your factory or manufacturing operations with the tools necessary to remotely monitor and control assets is crucial to not disrupt operations during an unforeseen event. Working from a remote location then becomes an easy … Read more
How to monitor remote assets: Discover Missing Data
One of the biggest data challenges facing industrial companies trying to learn how to monitor remote assets is the problem of missing data. What do we mean by missing data? Basically, it’s valuable information about our people or assets that just isn’t being collected because the perception is that doing so would cost too much or … Read more
A complex relationship between cybersecurity and productivity
Welcome to the last (but certainly not least) post of our industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data problem series! Throughout this journey, we’ve covered a wide range of challenges and topics. Our goal has been to help leaders understand the data problems that industrial businesses face when deploying IIoT networks. We’ve saved cybersecurity for last, as it … Read more
Data from SCADA systems is incomplete
Continuing with our data problem blog series, we tackle the topic of incomplete data, another challenge many businesses face when considering digital technologies like SCADA systems to improve their business processes. Incomplete data is distinct from the problem of missing data. Missing data is information that companies don’t collect because it’s either unavailable or too expensive to gather. Incomplete … Read more
Industrial dashboards are full of unprocessed data
Digital transformation initiatives are full of utopian visions of beautiful dashboards that help engineers, managers, and executives make great decisions every time. But how sure can we be that these dashboards are telling the truth? Let’s talk about science for a second. Have you ever heard someone proclaim “It’s Science!” with great authority about a … Read more
Selecting an industrial monitoring system for compliance
Compliance managers, site superintendents, and engineering technicians are often responsible for connecting their assets to a monitoring system to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. People who are considering new systems, or need to replace or upgrade their existing ones, should keep in mind the most important factors as they evaluate their options. How … Read more
Remote monitoring systems can misidentify data sources
In our industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data problem series, we’ve arrived at the tricky issue of misidentified data in remote monitoring systems. Misidentified data is high-quality, complete, and on time. However, the identity of the asset it represents in the remote monitoring system has been mislabeled. As a result, the misidentified data is highly misleading. Digital monitoring systems … Read more
Edge compute solves the industrial low-res data problem
Through our data problem series, we’ve covered several data challenges that industrial companies face when pursuing digital projects. Some struggle with low-quality data, while others are limited by data silos and legacy systems. Many of the specific issues we’ve covered are symptoms of the Digital Age. We have more data than ever before at our fingertips, and we are … Read more
Industrial data structure should be optimized for search
When it comes to data structure, Google knows a thing or two. The tech giant basically structured the entire internet by encouraging website managers to implement certain SEO practices in order to achieve higher search rankings. Now, Google can organize millions of relevant search results in less than a second, enabling users to find exactly … Read more
The Overlooked Cost of Low Valued Assets
As the Chief Product Officer, I frequently speak with our customers about their business needs and goals surrounding remote monitoring systems. The conversations I have often begin with a focus on the highest valued assets – the ones on which production hinges, and where performance improvement can result in better business outcomes, lower operating costs, … Read more
Remote monitoring systems can misidentify data sources
In our industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data problem series, we’ve arrived at the tricky issue of misidentified data in remote monitoring systems. Misidentified data is high-quality, complete, and on time. However, the identity of the asset it represents in the remote monitoring system has been mislabeled. As a result, the misidentified data is highly … Read more
Edge compute solves the industrial low-res data problem
Through our data problem series, we’ve covered several data challenges that industrial companies face when pursuing digital projects. Some struggle with low-quality data, while others are limited by data silos and legacy systems. Many of the specific issues we’ve covered are symptoms of the Digital Age. We have more data than ever before at our … Read more
Data silos isolate valuable data away from industrial teams
In the industrial space, data silos are everywhere. Many industrial companies today still rely on cumbersome data management systems that render operations data inaccessible to those who need it most. In other words, the data is “siloed”. Siloed data is a major problem for organizations that are trying to take advantage of digital transformation. Before … Read more
High latency networks are throttling industrial productivity
Another data issue in our series of Industrial IoT data problems is that of Latent Data. High latency is limiting productivity for industrial companies across the globe. Simply put, latent data is data that doesn’t show up quickly enough to have value. Or, at the very least, its value is diminished. Even if sensors and … Read more
Data from SCADA systems is incomplete
Continuing with our data problem blog series, we tackle the topic of incomplete data, another challenge many businesses face when considering digital technologies like SCADA systems to improve their business processes. Incomplete data is distinct from the problem of missing data. Missing data is information that companies don’t collect because it’s either unavailable or too … Read more
Bad data from remote monitoring leads to bad decisions
Bad data collected by a remote monitoring system can wreak havoc on industrial organizations. When prevalent in business processes and analysis, bad data creates a fundamental disconnect between what is actually happening in the field and what decision-makers think is happening in the field. Put simply, bad data misrepresents reality. It “lies” about the current … Read more
How to monitor remote assets: Discover Missing Data
One of the biggest data challenges facing industrial companies trying to learn how to monitor remote assets is the problem of missing data. What do we mean by missing data? Basically, it’s valuable information about our people or assets that just isn’t being collected because the perception is that doing so would cost too much … Read more
The 10 Data Problems that Plague Industrial IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the world in many ways. Smart devices, machine-to-machine interactions, and edge computing are enabling us to digitize physical assets and unlock new efficiencies across numerous markets. However, progress has been slower than anticipated. Businesses are struggling to scale IoT deployments, especially in the industrial space. According to McKinsey, … Read more
Factors to consider when selecting an industrial monitoring system for compliance
Compliance managers, site superintendents, and engineering technicians are often responsible for connecting their assets to a monitoring system to ensure compliance with federal and state laws. People who are considering new systems, or need to replace or upgrade their existing ones, should keep in mind the most important factors as they evaluate their options. How … Read more
The California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal has a new name
Not sure if you noticed, but the California Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, (DOGGR) has a new name! As a result of new state legislation, Assembly Bill 1057, the division, which oversees and administers regulations for energy producers in California, announced on January 1st that it had changed its name. … Read more
Chemical automation for the oil and gas industry doesn’t always mean lower costs
Process automation is everywhere in the oil and gas industry. From emergency shutdowns to separator optimizers to smart completions, operators look to digital technologies to help them keep wells online and producing without spending an arm and a leg on manpower. And automation doesn’t just reduce costs associated with people; it also can create significant … Read more
How to save money on horizontal wells
Optimizing Horizontal Wells Horizontal well drilling accounted for 14% of US natural gas production in 2004 and jumped to 97% of all US oil and shale gas production in 2018. The rapid adoption of horizontal wells is also attributable to advances in technology, specifically hydraulic fracturing. Horizontal wells enabled operators to target tight oil zones … Read more