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The oilfield has always been in a tech race, but the downturn helped light a fire under some feet. Among the new inventions and systems that surfaced as a result is one recently recognized by the American Petroleum Institute. It is a cloud computing system designed by AE2S that can help maximize the deluge of data produced by oilfield sites.

For now, the system is being used primarily on saltwater disposal sites, but it would be useful in the oil and gas sector as well, according to Instrumentation and Control Systems Division Manager for AE2S Jason G. Sanden.

The oil and gas sector is looking to become more active, but it faces a tight labor pool. Cloud computing could help them meet their obligations more efficiently and with fewer people, Sanden believes. Typically, Bakken oilfield companies have sent employees directly on site to take readings and check tank levels, but the AE2S cloud computing system can handle that remotely. Alarms can be set to go off when parameters fall outside the desired range, triggering automatic adjustments to prevent problems before they happen.

We took the power of the internet and put the information up in the cloud, so you can get the information wherever you are, Sanden said.

Larger oilfield operators may have something like this already, Sanden said, but many of the smaller operators do not. Since the system is cloud-based, there are no special computers, nor particular software programs, for companies to buy, which makes it more cost-effective. Data that the company is already generating with its own systems can be pushed to the cloud into a customized program for real-time monitoring and control.

The company can access the resulting reports and schematics through a secure webpage on a device of choice, whether mobile or desktop. Encryption ensures that the page is not accessible to anyone who isnt authorized.

While sending employees driving around to well sites has been typical in the Bakken, its not necessarily the most efficient way to do it.

If something is shut down for a day, and you didnt know about it until you came around, thats a lot of lost production, a lot of lost operation, Sanden said. With real-time monitoring and control, you can see those as they happen and even take action remotely to change a pump, reset a valve and things like that.

The programs can even tag a variety of data for the particular equipment in question, such as maintenance schedules, run times and the last calibration. Being able to link so much historical data is another feature that makes the AE2S system unique, Sanden said. Another is the customizability that the company offers.

We didnt develop the technology, but we adapted it for the industry and have made it economical for the smaller operators, Sanden said. One thing we do a bit differently is we really customize our system for the client. There are some satellite-based systems out there, but theyre not that customizable. They are pretty canned as far as the services offered.

The AE2S system can be laid out physically the same as the operation, so it is easier to follow from beginning to end.

Companies that did this while they were booming have been able to take advantage of it in the downturn, Sanden said.

The company is now working on a data management system for day to day operations of a facility. Its not specific to the oil and gas industry, but its definitely applicable, Sanden said.

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Cloud computing streamlines oil field monitoring - Williston Daily Herald