The oil and gas sector is under mounting pressure to improve operational and financial results, while continuing to meet the expected demand for energy. Use of RFID has a proven track record for many other verticals such as retail and access security. The use of RFID in the Oil and Gas industry is showing some significant positive returns.
The use of RFID has crept into almost every sector of the oil and gas industry. RFID is beginning to be used in exploration and production, throughout the crude supply network, through the refining process, and is widely accepted in the transportation and distribution network and is becoming commonplace in the retail side of the business.
GAO RFID has a complete range of active, semi-passive and passive solutions for most oil and gas application requirements.
RFID is being used to ensure that pipework joints are properly assembled in the crude supply chain. Although bar code has been and continues to be used for these requirements, RFID is proving to be a more reliable way of ensuing the right parts and torque pressures are being used during the assembly process. RFID tags can withstand harsh conditions and remain operable long after bar codes would have been washed or worn away.
Refineries are always looking for ways to ensure that their processes meet safety and audit requirements. RFID can assist refinery operators to identify key inspection points and provide the audit trail required to meet audit standards. Adherence to inspection protocols of critical components such as valves, flanges and pressure settings can be improved using RFID technology.
RFID is being used throughout the distribution network from managing trucks down to the actual shipments. RFID is being used to track the movement of trucks to ensure optimum utilization of expensive capital and labor. Key assets are being tagged and tracked throughout the entire oil and gas distribution supply chain. RFID is also well suited for tagging parts that have to be maintained to predetermined routines. May fleet operators are turning to RFID to make sure such repairs and maintenance are done on schedule but only when required or specified. RFID tagging is also used to monitor cleaning schedules of tankers.
The oil and gas sector has a problem common to almost any other business – asset tracking. The special challenge is that some assets are hard to tag and even harder to track because of size and geography. Active RFID technology is being used to monitor and manage inventories and fixed assets in almost any kind of environment.
From pipework to refinery QA checks to tracking trucks and mission critical assets, RFID is playing an ever-important role in the oil and gas industry. GAO RFID has the enabling technology required for most of these tasks. LocateWare™, an easy to install and use RFID middleware, speeds up the time it takes to get started with most closed loop RFID projects.
