How the Oil and Gas industry is adopting global connectivity in mission to embrace the Energy Transition

Operators and service companies have started the evolution to become low carbon energy companies of the future. Many businesses openly advocate and invest in less carbon-intensive sources of energy including renewables. Although the Energy Transition will take time, COVID-19 has been the catalyst that has significantly reduced the demand for fuel, driving down the price per barrel, forcing energy companies to transition quicker to deliver efficiencies.

A recent McKinsey & Company report explored how connectivity could address some of the challenges faced during the Energy Transition whilst adding up to $250 billion to the value of the industry’s upstream operations by 2030. In the current climate, increased value is much needed to counteract declining demand.

We are committed to providing global connectivity to power the Energy Transition, today and for the future. For 30 years we have been delivering solutions that enable people and things to connect to anywhere, from everywhere. Our technology helps organisations realise the potential of remote operations, saving time, money and reducing their carbon footprint.

The oil and gas sector has its detractors, but the reality is there will continue to be demand for hydrocarbons for many years to come – even with the development and adoption of innovative technology such as electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. An outsiders’ view of the industry does not account for or appreciate the different ways oil is used in our daily lives. The below graphic, designed by visual capitalist depicts just how much one barrel of crude oil can produce.

Businesses and consumers are going to be dependent on this substance for some time, the industry will need to invest in ways to make the process from exploration to productisation more efficient. The connectivity and solutions that AST Networks deliver make this possible; not just in terms of reducing carbon footprint, but improving system uptime, increasing performance and reducing costs.

Net-Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050

The UK was the first major economy to pass its net-zero commitment into law by 2050. Other countries have and will follow as they strive to meet the legally binding commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement. These commitments to reducing carbon emissions and limiting climate change are the driving force behind the Energy Transition.

Our remote connectivity solutions are designed to help organisations minimise their carbon footprint, from simply reducing the need to travel to remote sites which leads to a reduction in the need for life support in these remote locations, training costs, insurance costs, HSE risk and more.

Reducing travel also positively impacts organisations in terms of minimising associated travel costs and health and safety risk for employees in isolated environments.

As quoted by Rami Qasem, Executive Vice President, Digital Solutions at Baker Hughes - “remote operations help customers move data, not people”.

Improved System Performance

A report published by BHGE highlights that adopting a more digital, predictive approach to maintenance will reduce unplanned downtime and offer organisations greater operational efficiency. The implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will be key to this, however for these AI platforms to work they need data and for that, reliable connectivity is essential.

AST Networks' Secure Resilient Iridium Certus solution provides remote connectivity that allows systems to be monitored and controlled from anywhere. This gives engineering teams real-time visibility of what is going on and helps them take proactive, preventive action when required.

AST Networks' innovative approach to connectivity not only helps to improve system uptime, drive down costs and make the whole process more efficient but enabling remote operations is driving the energy transition in the oil, gas, and energy sectors. As a trusted technology partner, we can help you on your journey toward a digitally-enabled ‘anywhere’ oil field.

Published by Barney Gray, Remote Connectivity and Complex Solution Specialist at The AST Networks.