The oil and petroleum industry has grown manifolds in the past five decades or more and is still a crucial source of energy. At the same time, these industries have hazardous environments that require a lot of regular scrutiny to keep safety levels in check and prevent accidents, thefts, and mischief.
In an industry where profit margins are relatively slim, safety investments often take a back seat. As a result, most sites fail to meet the OSHA-regulated safety standards and are highly prone to accidents and crew fatalities. Below are the four major threats to safety on oil rigs:
Even for the most trained workers, such threats can result in fatal and irreversible health and bodily problems, including, limb loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even death.
Therefore, sites like oil rigs require specialised surveillance systems such as explosion-proof cameras to thwart accidents. These equipment are like virtual bodyguards that keep an eye on volatile infrastructure such as petroleum or oil rigs where a slight oversight can cause a serious accident.
“Explosion-proof” technology is often misconstrued as the devices safe in case of fire or explosions. Instead, explosion-proof means technology that contains any spark, flare or fire that arises from within the camera enclosure. If something goes erratic, the seals, gaskets, stainless steel and other types of barriers that form the part of these cameras can restrain the path of the spark, prevent its exposure to the explosive atmosphere outside, and avert a potential resulting explosion.
As mentioned above, explosion-proof cameras help avert catastrophic accidents caused by a spark. Hence, these surveillance systems are designed to aid potentially regulated sites, such as onshore oil rigs, where drilling and refining are done regularly.
Below are some of the major areas where explosion-proof surveillance systems can be put to use in oil rigs:
The first and foremost aspect of any CCTV security camera is to keep the entire worksite under surveillance, and an ex-proof camera is no exception. Through the help of these cameras, the operator can remotely control the drilling plant for any unusual happening at the worksite through clear and immediate commands. Through smart AI integrations, any malfunctions or trespassers can immediately be detected with a minimum margin of error. Such complete situational awareness allows the managers to tackle the safety and security risks efficiently before they could potentially result in a major fatality, theft, or accident.
The plants such as oil drilling rigs are sensitive areas and vulnerable to accidents. Ex-proof cameras are specially crafted to endure the harshest temperature and the extreme mechanical stress caused by oil drilling. These cameras are capable of capturing minute details in harsh conditions and alert the workers of any impending danger through an audible warning.
Another important aspect of using surveillance systems in oil rigs is to keep the mischievous activities or vandalism under control. If needed, recordings from the oil rig security system can help find out the root cause of the disaster caused by a worker or trespasser, willingly or unwillingly, and take the required precaution to prevent such incidents in the future.
The offshore oil platform and other such facilities are critical assets, contributing significantly to the national economy. Hence, surveillance cameras are used to monitor the situation and gather data on the work progress in these sites. The dynamic real-time monitoring reveals a lot about the functioning and operations involving mud pump fields, drillers, monkey boards, mud tanks, draw works, drilling, and power generation equipment.
The system can directly display the operational status of the infrastructure and store the video recording for playback at a later time. Such seamless technological efficiency in monitoring cannot be achieved with regular CCTV surveillance.
It is vital to keep a check on the safety, efficiency and ensure the quality of the drill that could eventually reduce the overall cost. The camera system let the driller check the pipe stripping in and out, and remotely see when a travelling block is reaching the monkey board. It can significantly cut down the labour intensity of the driller and increase accuracy. With the recent wave of artificial intelligence, AI-integrations in ex-proof cameras have marked a transition in how operations are conducted in hazardous industries like oil rigs. AI uses an input log to smartly monitor and detect any intrusions, malfunctions, and illicit activities, protecting the site from several safety and security liabilities. At the same time, intelligent video surveillance detects threats in the most remote locations. Further, its cloud feature logs the data systematically for future reference and legal purposes. Such AI and cloud automations in operations in contrast to human monitoring ensures accuracy and efficiency in operations with a negligible margin of error.
The explosion-proof camera system is an important piece of device which ensures safety on oil rigs. Because of their economic importance, these critical sites can be targets for criminals and terrorist activities as it is difficult to secure large water areas or open regions on the land. The night-vision (IR) capability of ex-proof cameras can be extremely useful in monitoring critical areas of oil rigs. Some cameras come equipped with a 360-degree feature covering the area from all angles and securing the sector from potential security threats.
It is vital to keep a check on the safety and efficiency of operations at drilling sites to ensure the quality of the drill that could eventually reduce the overall cost. The ex-proof camera system allows the driller to check the pipe stripping in and out, and remotely see when a travelling block is reaching the monkey board. It can significantly cut down the labour intensity of the driller and increase accuracy. Additionally, easy integration of these cameras with other systems at the site reduces false alarms, avoiding panic and frenzy among workers at critical sites. For instance, in case of integration of ex-proof cameras with temperature control systems, whenever there is an abnormal rise in temperature in a zone, the temperature control systems will alert the operators and the camera will automatically show the feed of the target area, so that the managers can assess the situation remotely, verify if it is a false alarm, and assign resources accordingly.
Oil and gas industry was valued at 6.5B USD and projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.80% between 2023 and 2030. Along with the exponential industry growth, there is a spike in the demand for oil rig safety systems, particularly considering the stringent safety regulations instated for global industrial sites. There are several ex-proof camera and safety solution providers in the market, offering a wide range of cameras at a broad range of prices. In such a situation, finding the ideal camera type for your site can quickly become an overwhelming process.
To better understand the features of an ideal ex-proof camera, one needs to conduct a thorough site inspection and identify the core safety issues unique to your site and invest in surveillance solutions accordingly. Irrespective of the camera variant, here is a checklist of features of an ideal oil rig surveillance system:
Such scalability of surveillance systems handles extreme environments and frequent rig moves.
Compact design of the camera makes them easy to install, maintain, and use for everyday operations
High temperature-resilience along with explosion-proof, dust-proof, and weather-proof features ensure durability of the invested camera system.
As discussed before, these video analytics use real-time data to optimise operations at oil rigs.
International certification such as ATEX or IECEx ensure reliable surveillance in highly explosive environments.
The goal of any company is to automate these critical sites as much as possible. Beyond security, an organisation would want to perform a virtual inspection remotely by automating and watching drilling sites in real-time. Monitoring such processes is equally important. An ideal oil rig safety system is capable of doing both. SharpEagle offers the ability to manage multiple sites from a single location and get actionable data and real-time alerts to reduce cost and visualise assets in a better way. Through unique surveillance solutions, the brand opens avenues for entrepreneurs looking to expand their business into the oil & gas vertical. Explore our complete range of explosion-proof surveillance solutions on the SharpEagle website. For customised solutions, schedule a free consultation with our experts today!
Oil field surveillance involves using advanced surveillance cameras and monitoring systems to oversee operations, properties, and personnel in field environments. These systems can be accessed via smart devices from any location, allowing for real-time monitoring and response. Oil field surveillance plays a crucial role in ensuring safety, security, and regulatory compliance by continuously monitoring operations in the field.
Surveillance on oil and gas sites is vital for several reasons:
Oil and gas companies use various technologies, including CCTV surveillance cameras, thermal imaging cameras, drones, perimeter intrusion detection systems, and remote monitoring software. These technologies are deployed to provide comprehensive coverage and enhance situational awareness to optimise safety and security at oil and petroleum sites.
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