How Does IoT Help In Keeping Tons Of Oil Secured?
By Sanjeev Verma
Oil plays a crucial role in fueling our automobiles, and thus our lives mainly depend on it. Since oil is used for various purposes, it brings a huge responsibility for the industrial owners to produce a fine quality. Oil is a beneficial resource with its high energy density and is often exposed to thefts. Accordingly, its safety becomes a concerning matter for the industrialists.
We live in a technological era that comprises of sensor-enabled assets, offering enhanced security and data for better outcomes. The oil industry is one of the largest industries that helps supply energy for various industrial uses. However, the oil industry faces a lot of challenges in transporting the oil safely to the consumers. Both commercially and industrially, it has become the prime concern to keep our oil safe.
On an industrial level, tons of oil gets transported through trucking facilities. With the increasing oil transportation, the professionals are finding the best ways to avoid oil thefts, and one of those ways include 'The Internet of Things'.
IoT and Oil Industry – A Technological Relationship
The oil industry is a huge sector, which is transforming itself with the help of smart IoT methods. IoT uses sensor devices to fetch data from the assets, stores this data on a secured cloud platform, and professionals analyze it further to take improved decisions within the industry.
An oil industry plant comprises of big containers, treatment facilities, production floors, and much more equipment. All these systems work collaboratively to produce the final product. However, the advent of IoT is making it way easier for the plant owners to operate big machines and manage huge oil tankers. Also, the sensors are installed on the oil refinery assets such as pipelines for accurate monitoring at a feasible cost. These devices allow the business with resourceful insights to survey the drilling sites and choose the exact location for oil pumps. As the Internet of Things provides useful methods to manage huge oil refineries, it also provides safety for its supply.
Adding Security to Every Drop of Oil through IoT Techniques
The Internet of Things is an advanced technology that helps monitor the data of every connected asset. Before the implementation of technology, there had been no alternatives to match the quantity ratio of the transported and delivered products. Therefore, it has always been easier to steal liquid products like oil. Now, through IoT, the exact quantity of oil that moved from the warehouse can be measured until it reaches the end customer. IoT solutions are specially designed with advanced methods to monitor the liquid levels in real-time and immediately notify the owners in case of theft.
Example
As per the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), there was an increase of 77% in oil and fuel pipeline vandalism cases last year. This has resulted in rising the insufficient pipeline safety cases in Nigeria, where even during the critical conditions of the pipeline network, the corporation continued to provide distribution across the country. It led to excess wastage of the oil and also allowed theft to happen. Had the corporation implemented IoT powered anti-theft system with their existing pipelines, this situation could have been avoided. However, the authorities are now adopting new and performance-based pipeline protection systems to nullify the chances of oil getting stolen.
Oil theft has always led to economic losses. It is also harming the environment with the undetected pipeline leaks. IoT, with the help of sensors, helps in identifying all the small and minor damages that cannot be detected manually. The sensors get installed on the pipelines and track the abnormalities like vibrations or noise in real time and alert the authorities to perform immediate repairs. Emerging technologies like the Internet of Things aim to provide real-time monitoring systems to the oil industry owners for extra security. These systems would help them track real-time location of oil getting transported, even remotely, resulting in oil safety and theft-proof processing.
Planning for a cost-effective technological transformation to your oil business? Why not! Technology is advancing, and so should your business. Implementing an IoT-powered oil/fuel theft system will improve the safety of the transported oil and allows you to stay updated with every activity of the tanker. Owning an oil industry brings lots of credibility and value to your business. The question lies in how you manage it. Get a full-fledged solution as per your requirements concerning oil security and we are here to guide you with any of your IoT-related issues.
Sanjeev Verma is the founder and CEO of Biz4Group, based out of Orlando, FL. He has conceptualized the idea of Biz4 Brand and founded Biz4Group and Biz4Intellia. He has 20+ years of experience in boosting IT-based startups to success. In the past, he has worked on leadership positions with Marriott Vacations, Disney, Mastercard, State Farm, and Oracle. Biz4Group excels in developing, implementing, and monitoring digital solutions ranging from IoT solutions and products, mobile and web development, and digital marketing to full stack development and CMS solutions