American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2016 - 78

break down out of cell range can use the
wireless network to call for help," he
comments.

The presence of heat codes, pressure ratings and stencils shows that fittings, valves and
hammer unions are made by companies that put reliability and safety ahead of volume.
Manufacturers such as Anvil International say well-made, traceable products are critical
in oil and gas applications where premature failures can lead to spills or injuries.

problem," he recalls. "Partly because of
the search for usable signals, its operators
were driving 300 miles a day each. By
switching to a wireless network, they
were able to reduce that to 100 miles."
In addition to improving safety, Vaughn

says minimizing windshield time can cut
fleet maintenance costs.
"For employees who operate in remote,
harsh locations, such as North Dakota
during winter or Texas during a particularly
hot summer, roustabouts whose vehicles

Wireless Networks
According to Vaughn, wireless mesh
networks often have greater reliability
than public cellular networks or traditional
narrow-band SCADA systems. "If a cellular tower goes down-and at 200-300
feet tall, they are often the first thing
lightning hits-every modem pointing at
it may be stranded," he says.
"In contrast, a wireless mesh network
has a built-in self-healing mechanism.
When a takeout point goes down, the
network automatically reconfigures to
connect to an alternative, if one is available," Vaughn says. "There is no need to
send people to the field to re-aim the
modems."
Vaughn adds that wireless networks
generally have lower operating costs. "For
a large producer in the San Juan Basin
with 7,000 cellular modems, the operating
costs were quite significant," he relates.
"Each modem cost $15 a month to rent,
and eventually, all the modems had to be
replaced to stay compatible with network
upgrades. To avoid the replacement and
rental costs, the operator moved to a
private wireless network, which paid for
itself in less than 12 months."
In most applications, especially in
smaller fields, the time to achieve an acceptable return on the investment from
the network itself would be longer, Vaughn
allows. "However, if the network solution
is bundled with real-time analytics to
create actionable, intelligence-based production data and video feeds, the associated
reduction in windshield time and increase
in productivity may enable the network
to pay out quickly," he says.
Vaughn points out that wireless mesh
networks can augment existing infrastructure. "It's not a full rip-and-replace
scenario in most fields. Usually, an operator can boost his network's speed and
capabilities without sacrificing his previous
investment," he concludes.
Emissions Regulations
Over the past several years, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed, finalized and implemented rules
at a rapid pace, observes Georgette Reeves,
director of oil and gas sector services for
Trinity Consultants.
As an example, she points to Code of
Federal Regulations 40, Part 60, Subpart
OOOO (Quad O), which established emission limits for hydraulically fractured
natural gas wells, continuous bleed pneumatic controllers, reciprocating and cen-

78 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2016

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