Remote - Spring 2014 - (Page 12)

Feature Article Wireless Field Area Communication Networks for Digital Oil and Gas Fields Bert Williams, Director Global Marketing ABB Tropos Wireless Communication Systems In digital oil and gas fields, modern process control as well as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems use two-way information flow to increase business and process interaction. Oil and gas exploration and production sites are turning to Internet Protocol (IP)-based wireless networks to monitor and control thousands of devices in the field and at large outdoor facilities. Providing network connection to devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and SCADA endpoints enable applications such as remote wellhead monitoring. Networked video surveillance cameras and intrusion sensors can secure remove pads and well sites. Providing wireless access to mobile field workers with laptops or handhelds improves productivity while VoIP service enhances employee safety by extending a lifeline in areas outside of cellular telephone coverage. Oil and gas fields can span hundreds or even thousands of square miles in remote areas that often lack cellular coverage. Some are subjected to extreme cold, ice and snow, others to searing heat and still others to high humidity, wind, rain and salt fog. Digital oil and gas field area communication requires high capacity wireless networks that operate reliably in these extreme conditions. Ideally, wireless oil and gas communication networks provide broadband speeds and form a scalable and reliable foundation to securely support multiple applications that increase operational efficiency and safety on one costeffective physical infrastructure. broadband point-to-point (PTP) wireless and/or point-to-multipoint (PTMP) wireless. In some cases, fiber and leased lines may also be used. The Tier 1 network connects to the Tier 2 FAN. * Tier 2: The Field Area Network (FAN). This tier uses wireless technology, preferably broadband wireless mesh. Networked end-points, e.g., PLCs, remote terminal units (RTUs), SCADA devices, safety/security systems and mobile workers armed with laptops or handhelds connect to the FAN. * Tier 3: The narrowband network. Wholesale replacement of currently installed end-points that employ 900 MHz narrowband network connections is generally not an option. Therefore, the Tier 2 FAN must offer connectivity to existing 900 MHz narrowband networks. These narrowband networks become the third tier of the overall architecture. Connections between the narrowband network and the FAN are generally accomplished using wired Ethernet or serial links between 900 MHz base stations in the Tier 3 network and wireless mesh routers in the Tier 2 network. Increasing Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Efficiency Oil and gas exploration and production operations have long measured a host of parameters such as temperatures, pressures and flows at drilling rigs and wellheads. Measurement, logging and adjustment were typically performed by well tenders who often drove long distances from well to well in remote areas. Wireless communications can significantly enhance the efficiency, productivity, safety and security of oil and gas exploration and production. Drilling rigs and wellheads can be monitored remotely, in real time, to better utilize skilled engineering resources, enable faster problem resolution and eliminate wasted driving time. In addition, a wireless network can cost-effectively provide voice and high speed data service to field facilities even in areas that lack cellular coverage. Legacy 900 MHz Networks No Longer Adequate Traditionally, when wireless networks have been used for oil and gas field communications, they have employed narrowband, point-tomultipoint, SCADA radio links operating in the 900 MHz frequency band. Increasingly, in oil and gas fields, the 900 MHz frequency band is becoming unreliable because its popularity is causing it to suffer from congestion and interference. As this article explains, moving to a wireless mesh network that operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, coupled with intelligent radio resource management software that both mitigates interference from other sources and minimizes interference caused by the mesh network, provides reliable, high-speed communications for digital oil and gas fields. Such a broadband wireless mesh network offers multi-megabit speeds and high reliability by leveraging multiple RF paths, channels and bands. Broadband Wireless Network Architecture for Digital Oil and Gas Fields To implement a broadband network that can support multiple digital oil and gas field applications, a multi-tier communication network architecture described as follows and illustrated in Figure 1 is recommended. * Tier 1: The core IP network. Because of the distances between wells and operations/data centers, this tier is generally implemented using 12 www.RemoteMagazine.com Figure 1: Recommended Digital Oil and Gas Field Communication Network Architecture Broadband Wireless Mesh: Recommended Technology Choice For Digital Oil and Gas Field Area Networks Broadband wireless mesh networks offer the following characteristics that make them well suited for implementing digital oil and gas field area networks: * Highly Available: Wireless mesh networks provide high availability by automatically selecting the best route through the network from multiple radio frequency (RF) paths, channels and bands. To withstand extremes in climate, mesh routers with extended operating temperature ranges, enhanced wind survivability and housings fabricated using specialized alloys and plating are available. * Scalable: Broadband wireless mesh networks have been proven to scale to large coverage areas (3,000 square miles in Abu Dhabi), large number of users transferring massive volumes of data, large numbers of M2M end-points and large numbers of routers. * High Capacity and Low Latency: Broadband wireless mesh networks can provide >10 Mbps of throughput at each mesh router with latency of <1 ms per mesh hop. * Secure: Broadband wireless mesh networks can implement a multilayer, defense-in-depth security architecture using open security standards. Open standard, enterprise security tools and techniques have been honed for years and are constantly being updated. As a result, utilities can leverage the past and ongoing work of the enterprise and internet security community. Using a multi-layer, defense-in-depth approach with standards based tools, wireless mesh networks have attained FIPS 140-2 compliance. http://www.RemoteMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Remote - Spring 2014

Editor's Choice
Top 10 Security Tech Trends for 2014
Facility Realities: An Inevitable Trend - Centralized Facility Management (CFM)
Unified Push-to-Talk: The Future of Remote Site Communications
Using PAS 55 to Manage Oil & Gas Assets
Wireless Field Area Communication Networks for Digital Oil & Gas Fields
100 Tunnels Under Control
Unique Spacer Cable System Powers Renewable Energy Plant Pipeline
Internet of Things North America
SCADA
Networking
Security
Onsite Power
Industry News

Remote - Spring 2014