Pipelines have complex demands and problems in today’s market and the pandemic has only exacerbated those issues. While some of these challenges are unique, many are shared by other industries, and solutions to pipeline issues can be good learning models for other companies and markets. In a recent session at the Emerson Exchange Virtual Series titled Automation for Pipeline Controls – Edge Controls, Emerson experts Denka Wangdi, Jason Sulzener and Jill Burdette discussed how recent events are driving pipeline enterprises to take immediate steps toward automation that were previously planned but slowly implemented. These steps are not only helping the bottom line today in a constrained market, but also driving pipeline companies toward a more profitable future.
The pipeline industry is over 100 years old and 50% of the pipelines today were installed underground in the 1950s and 60s.The huge increase in demand on these systems, especially since the 2008 boom and the crisscross of pipelines with fracking, has greatly increased the potential for leaks and spills demonstrated by the catastrophic Keystone pipeline spill in 2019. Simultaneously, environmental demands and regulations have increased, a common issue in many industries.
The needs, pipeline operators agree, are three: greater transparency, increased operational efficiency, and further adjustment to life post COVID. This is where edge technology comes in.
Transparency – The huge volatility of the current oil and gas market makes the need to respond in real-time to market and demand changes a paramount consideration. While pipeline companies are collecting some data, the problem is putting that data to work. Pipeline companies all over the world are recognizing the ability of edge technology to get the transparency they need fast and cost effectively. Industrial edge control devices are built to operate close to the machine in the highly challenging environments of pipelines and they can immediately segregate data, providing desperately needed analysis to the operators at the machine, while sending-on plant wide data for use in enterprise decisions.
Operational Efficiency – For pipelines to continue to make money in the future, it’s vital to decrease downtime and the cost of maintenance. Edge analytics can predict impending operational issues, allowing operators to respond to problems before they happen. Analytics can reduce false alarms and use drones or cameras to evaluate real alarms rather than dispatching personnel into potentially hazardous conditions. Maintenance can be scheduled, the costs significantly reduced, and personnel protected. Edge analytics can also monitor power consumption closely allowing reduced costs and decreased carbon footprint.
The New Future – The pipeline market preceding the pandemic was already putting strains on operators, but the last year has pushed everyone forward. Operators already notice that the companies making the most progress are those using the stresses of the pandemic to prioritize digitization. Big banks are often basing funding on a company’s commitment to automation and digital transformation. The great benefit of edge technology as designed by Emerson is the ability to now implement edge on a small scale with the option to grow exponentially as required in the future. Scalability is key.
Evidence shows that the companies able to invest in automation technology in general and edge technology in particular are emerging from the pandemic already prepared for the future. The high availability, scalability, ruggedness, ease-of-use and affordability of Emerson edge control makes it the digitization strategy of choice.
More information on Emerson edge control technologies can be found here.