Technology is increasingly being deployed in the oil and gas industry to improve exploration and production, but the automation of field operations lags behind. With unemployment at record lows, a generation of oil field workers retiring, and production at record highs, it’s hard to find enough people to cover existing sites, much less plan for growth.

The Event Velocity virtual operations software program improves the productivity of field operations by replacing routine site visits with event-driven visits. With Event Velocity, operators can monitor and manage remote and hazardous assets from a control room or mobile device. Virtual tours can be scheduled, or specific assets can be singled out for attention. Hazardous leaks can be detected immediately and remotely. Personnel and vendors on site can be visually monitored. Perimeter breaches or unauthorized access of prohibited areas can be identified in real-time.

These features, and others, improve site awareness, enabling more sites to be managed by a given number of field workers. Safety also benefits by reducing worker exposure and supporting the dispatch of prepared, targeted teams in response to alerts. Worker productivity increases, lowering costs and increasing margins. Windshield time is reduced. More sites can be serviced with the same workforce.

“Automation of field operations helps companies to increase production without increasing costs at the same rate—something that analysts call ‘cost inflation’. Automation uncouples cost inflation from increased production,” says Jonathan Murray, Pixel Velocity CEO.

Event Velocity is an IIoT platform that collects, displays, and alerts operating data from video cameras, infrared cameras, microphones, industrial control systems, and other IIoT inputs in a single dashboard.
Alerts trigger activation of asset-specific cameras so that operators can visualize the event. Automated workflows enable operators to cycle through and answer a sequence of questions in response to alerts. Workflows can be exported and saved.

The program is optimized to operate in edge computing environments where bandwidth is scarce, yet provides real-time 24/7 monitoring—even in the dark. It is hardware-agnostic, highly scalable, and can be integrated with any camera, sensor, or SCADA system.

A second set of benefits is available to users of Event Velocity: sensor data from multiple IIoT devices can be correlated and analyzed by data scientists to create algorithms that optimize production, improve operational efficiency, and support good safety practices. One example is Pixel’s Leak Detection System, which includes a proprietary algorithm coupled with an infrared camera for continuous leak detection monitoring. This solution has been proven to remotely identify gas leaks that are invisible to the human eye.

As oil and gas prices fluctuate and unemployment rates remain low, oil and gas companies must optimize operator productivity to manage costs, achieve profit targets, and maintain operator job satisfaction. Event Velocity is an affordable software tool that can help to achieve those results.