EXPLORATION • DRILLING • FIELD SERVICES OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
Megan Hine discusses the operational advantages that wireless gas detection can bring for the oil, gas and offshore sectors
WIRELESS? WHY CHOOSE G
as detection and monitoring has long-been a key priority for businesses operating in the UK’s oil, gas and offshore sectors.
But despite increasing attention by the Health and Safety Executive (which made reduction in the risk of offshore hydrocarbons a priority in its 2019/20 Business Plan) and by industry, there has arguably been relatively little innovation in the space. Until now, that is… Wireless technology may have become ubiquitous in most people’s lives for quite some time, but it’s only relatively recently (the past six or so years) that it has become a viable option for gas detection and monitoring for the oil, gas and offshore sectors. Te reasons for this coming of age are,
broadly, split into two key areas. Firstly, industrial wireless technology has seen considerable advances in recent years. Whilst the early adoption of wireless gas detection developed a poor reputation for patchy coverage and unreliable connections, data communications are now guaranteed; a crucial component for effective wireless monitoring systems, and which allows for detection of gas to be communicated reliably and in real- time using an ISA 100 industrial wireless
system. Tis system is guaranteed to be secure and is specifically designed to carry small data packages, of around the size of 10 text characters, within a specified timeframe and with complete reliability. Secondly, there has been considerable
progress when it comes to innovation in relation to device power consumption. Battery life has historically been a significant issue for wireless gas detection, but some of the more recent advances have resulted in step-change reductions in power consumption, and this has been critical in offsetting more power-hungry functions that have otherwise advanced device functionality. Te result is that battery life has
improved greatly, with certain devices on the market guaranteeing up to two full years of battery life, compared to only a few months in the early days. Te cumulative impact of this, and other minor, innovation has been considerable, and importantly, comes at a time when many legacy (wired) gas detection installations are desperately in need of updating.
INDUSTRY EVOLUTION Two or three decades after the UK’s first wired gas detection devices were
introduced, both the technology and key drivers for monitoring have evolved. Environmental issues related to methane detection could soon rank alongside ongoing safety concerns around explosion risk, etc, and standards around coverage and numbers of devices have also changed. Often, it is the inflexibility of hard-wired networks to respond to these sorts of changes, plus the vast costs involved in replacing cabling, that is now prompting operators to explore wireless alternatives. To prove the flexibility of wireless gas detection, it is now possible to rent a compliant fixed gas detection system for short- to medium-term coverage.
Te ability to do away with the miles of cabling, which often has a life span of just 10-15 years, is a major advantage of wireless technology. Although the outlay for a wireless device may initially be higher, when the saving on cabling alone can be three times the cost of the wireless device, it’s not a hard decision. Flexibility is another key advantage – if
for any reason a device is found to have been ineffectually placed, or an additional device is required, there is no need for new and potentially disruptive groundwork or cable re-routing.
The offshore sector is beginning to reap the benefits of wireless solutions
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