Ingenu, a vendor in delivering connectivity exclusively to machines, and KONČAR INEM, a producer of industrial electronics and power electronics devices and systems, announced delivery of Internet of Things connectivity solution to provide digital oilfield capabilities to the Shell Nigeria pipeline facility, at a significant cost savings of over $1 million in investment. Integrated and supported by Upland Consulting, a technology services firm based in Nigeria, the digital oilfield solution provides pipeline surveillance and wellhead monitoring capabilities to remote infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
The key criteria for selecting a solution were the technology’s ability to cover difficult terrain, power performance, and long-range transmission as well as network scalability, two-way communications, and secure data transmission. The solution combines IT automation and instrumentation technologies to provide a support platform to utilise remote field data while optimising operational efficiencies. This integrated technology platform offers faster analysis and more efficient data management to provide insight into field processes, resulting in safe and efficient oilfield operation.
In addition to Ingenu’s Random Phase Multiple Access network technology, Shell evaluated communications solutions, including satellite, PI to SMS, and GPRS. Each of these required significant infrastructure investment for towers, radios, data communications equipment, battery banks, logistics and installation. Conversely, Ingenu’s low-power, wide-area RPMA network solution required minimal infrastructure, which resulted in a total project cost savings of more than $1 million over the alternatives.
Utilising end-point devices enabled with RPMA, KONČAR provided Shell Nigeria with a collection of field data pertaining to pipeline pressure, temperature, and flow. The KONČAR Remote Terminal Units and wireless pressure and temperature transmitters were installed in flow stations, manifolds, and wellheads to provide connection from the field to the back office, ensuring reliable information transmission.
“Upland evaluated several communication technologies to present Shell Nigeria with a solution to replace its manual oilfield data collection processes,” said Bola Awobamise, President and CEO, Upland Consulting Nigeria. “The key criteria for selecting a solution were the technology’s ability to cover difficult terrain, power performance, and long-range transmission as well as network scalability, two-way communications, and secure data transmission. Ingenu’s RPMA offered all of these attributes and eclipsed the competition with its connectivity, network capacity, and exceptional value.”
Utilising globally available spectrum, Ingenu’s Random Phase Multiple Access technology is purpose-built for M2M, IoT connectivity, offering range, coverage and capacity with extremely low power requirements and longer-lasting battery life. It enables devices to connect more efficiently and cost-effectively in both the uplink and downlink. Requiring fewer towers to provide coverage to large areas, RPMA is rapidly becoming a global standard for IoT communication.
Ingenu is building a wireless machine network, an IoT network dedicated to connectivity for machines only. Operating on universal spectrum, the company’s RPMA technology is a proven standard for connecting Internet of Things and machine-to-machine devices around the world, with 38 private networks deployed over seven years. The machine network will have further reach, global range and longer lasting battery life than any existing network.
KONČAR Electronics and Informatics has main activities of development, engineering and design, production, testing, commissioning and maintenance of industrial electronics devices and systems. The company’s Digital Oilfield solution is based on RPMA network and provides range of reliable and robust wireless field devices.
