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The sheer demand for oil and natural gas is growing globally. On the flip side, prices are down and costs are going up. This mix is driving an increased demand for cutting costs to maximize profits from every well in the field. Modern well site automation is helping fuel the oil and gas industry.

Old Ways Of The Oil And Gas Industry

Since its beginnings in the 19th century, oil and gas production has been a very labor intensive industry. It started with the sheer brute force of workers in the field drilling down into pockets below ground. In a short amount of time, engineers were designing and building equipment specialized for this kind of production. This cut down on the brute force needed but did not cut down on the need for crews to continually monitor and manage the wells.

Crews would go into the fields on a daily basis to check well output and to ensure each site was secure and working properly. They would make appropriate adjustments to equipment before moving on to the next site.

Well Site Automation Shifts Operating Styles To Cut Costs

With costs rising and profit margins narrowing, there is growing need to operate by exception. That is where well site automation becomes so important. Well site automation diminishes the need to have men at every well, every day.

• It offers a way to monitor equipment from remote monitoring centers.

• It gives the central office eyes on the site and the equipment.

• It provides early warning of leaks or equipment failure so that crews can react quickly before major problems occur.

• It is an effective way to maximize production while minimizing maintenance and manpower costs.

A typical automation implementation at a well site includes a number of components that connect to the central monitoring office via a network connection. Sensors and controls connect with programmable logic controllers or remote terminal units, which, in turn, connect to the network. The central office receives all this data and can send commands back to the site to make equipment adjustments as needed.

Increased environmental regulation is also a driving force. Remote automation makes it possible to detect problems quickly and get resources on site as soon as possible. This makes it easier to meet environmental regulations, without driving up costs.

Champion Automation can add remote monitoring to your new and existing wells. Give us a call today.