A survey with up to 580 participatory oil and gas companies reported a 21% increase in fatalities since 2013. Most of these incidents are connected to poor work processes or processes that could be better optimized.
The oil and gas industry comprises the downstream, upstream, and midstream. As interconnected as the processes are, they have differences that translate to their operation and how they can be optimized.
Meshed companies like Shell, Chevron, and Exxon-Mobil can streamline their processes. Still, the resources needed for each phase of production differ. This article will discuss optimizing operations and their benefits across the three key operation levels.
What are Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream Operations?
Upstream operations are all the processes involved in discovering oils and minerals or predicting that land is oil-rich. It includes geologic surveys needed for exploration and bringing oil and natural gasses from the ground to the surface.
On the other hand, downstream operations involve all the processes involved in converting crude oil and natural gas to finished products for consumer use. Downstream oil and gas companies produce gasoline, diesel, kerosene, asphalt, dyes, and other hydrocarbon products.
The midstream is about storage, preservation, and transportation before downstream productions occur. It involves building pipelines and infrastructures to travel crude oil downstream.
Optimizing Upstream Operations
Optimization in the upstream industry means using advanced analytics to locate oils and encouraging safety technologies for workers. For example, introducing sealless magnetic drive pumps can:
- help increase the lifespan of pumps by decreasing vibration
- reduce lead time because it's simpler to install and easier to integrate
- reduce emissions and leakages of corrosive chemicals.
An optimized midstream means efficient dirt excavation, certified and trained labor who understand policies and legal requirements, and oil field maintenance. All of these can be made easy by hiring oil field maintenance companies.
Optimizing Midstream Operations
Arguably, the most technical area in the oil industry is midstream operations. It consists of storage, transportation, and processing, which translates to labor, pipelines, tankers, etc.
For instance, using cathodic protection for your metal assets, coordinated transportation, remote monitoring software, and increased use of technology for a more cohesive operation.
Optimizing Downstream Operations
Here, using project management methodologies and project software can come in handy. Instead of pulling each piece of equipment in for inspection, using advanced wireless mesh networks with open communication protocols (Networks and Standards), IoT sensors, and augmented intelligence can do a faster and much more effective job.
Using IoT-level monitoring solutions can also enhance fuel-level monitoring and other aspects. The important thing is to build a team dedicated to discovering enhanced technologies and training to seek more efficient processes.
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