Mobilizing the Oil

& Gas Industry

MOBILIZING
THE OIL
& GAS
INDUSTRY

03

Introduction

05

Using Mobile in Oil & Gas Field Operations

10

Upstream Use Cases

14

Downstream Use Cases

18

Pairing Mobile With 3D Printing and ROVs

22

Conclusion

01

Introduction

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION
By the year 2015, a whopping $8 billion will be spent on oil and
gas mobile apps along with $168 billion on enterprise mobile
applications. The emphasis on mobile technology will only grow
as more people own smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices.
You must be wondering, How does mobile relate to the oil and
gas industry? Surprisingly, mobile solutions have proven to
be increasingly effective in the energy market for increasing
productivity, reducing costs, and improving decision-making.
Mobile technology works for both upstream and downstream
processes and some companies have already released apps to serve
the oil and gas industry. From monitoring oil and gas tank levels to
managing pipeline pressure and reporting production emissions,
mobile technology does everything. In this eBook, well cover the
benefits of using mobile in oil and gas field operations, upstream
and downstream use cases, and other mobile applications that can
be applied to existing technology in the industry.

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02

Using Mobile in Oil & Gas Field Operations

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

USING MOBILE IN OIL & GAS

FIELD OPERATIONS
According to an Oil & Gas IQ survey of CIOs, IT Directors, and project
leaders in the oil and gas industry, the #2 priority for CIOs in 2013 was
mobile technology. To add to that, 55% of CIOs believe that mobile
technology will greatly enhance operations, but only 16% have employed
a mobility strategy so far. Professionals in the oil and gas industry
understand that mobile is important, but many have not created a
strategy yet. The industry has a huge opportunity to transform its
workflow processes with mobile solutions. The following pages will
outline a few benefits of implementing mobile in the oil & gas industry.

55% of CIOs believe that

mobile technology will greatly
enhance operations
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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

07

BENEFITS OF MOBILE IN OIL & GAS

DATA CAPTURE

REAL-TIME INFORMATION

IN OIL & GAS ORGANIZATIONS, there

IN DRILLING AND PRODUCTION,

are derrick hands, roustabouts,

field managers, and geologists
working in the field and a number of
environmental elements that affect
them. Its not always convenient to
carry a bunch of papers or a laptop
around when you are trying to record
information. Mobile solutions make
it easier to capture data from the
field quickly and accurately. With a
device, people in the field can get
information easily and spend more
time doing other parts of their job
which reduces downtime. Workers
can also organize and review
information better with a mobile
device instead of trying to decipher
notes written from the field.

real-time information is very

valuable. Mobile solutions help in
delivering information like pump
rate, weight on bit, RPM, and mud
viscosity to decision makers who
can take that information and turn
it into actionable results.
The more relevant information a
person gets in real-time, the more
well-informed their decisions will
be. Real-time information helps
workers get the most accurate
information needed, which leads to
higher quality results. If production
is up or down wouldnt you like to
know in real-time?

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

08

BENEFITS OF MOBILE IN OIL & GAS (CONT.)

LOCATION
SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS

allow people to identify important

resources. Location information is
helpful in keeping track of workers
and equipment. If your team is close
to a drill site, you can mark down
the spot via the mobile device. In
addition, workers can use a mobile
app to quickly locate and alert the
nearest production engineer of
problems. Geolocation can improve
safety in the field by alerting workers
of dangerous areas. This is also
extremely useful for teams running
title early in the exploration process
so they can keep track of various
plots of land.

Location helps get information to the

right people at the right time in the
right context. Real-time operational
intelligence helps save money
and headaches.

Having a mobile device helps

enhance collaboration by giving
these people a tool to send realtime information and get
feedback immediately.

COLLABORATION
OIL AND GAS ORGANIZATIONS

are filled with many people that

need to work on projects together.
In the field, engineers face some
difficult situations. Its important
that operators, engineers, and
other executives collaborate on
projects since many organizations
operate across different countries.

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

09

BENEFITS OF MOBILE IN
OIL & GAS (CONT.)
BETTER DECISION-MAKING

SOLVE REAL PROBLEMS

WITH A MOBILE APP, workers can

ORGANIZATIONS in the oil and

get the most relevant information

on their wells. For example, an app
can organize wells with exceptions
by its severity and proximity so
that workers can prioritize their
tasks better. Knowing which well or
area to focus on first will increase
worker productivity and efficiency.

gas industry will definitely see a

transformation of their business
processes by implementing mobile
solutions that solve real problems.
Combining all these benefits together
will lead to less mistakes, happier
employees, and a higher ROI.

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03

Upstream Use Cases

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

UPSTREAM USE CASES

When youre working in the E&P part of the oil and gas industry, the
last thing youll want to deal with is a bunch of papers that you can
potentially lose while out working in the oil field. Mobile apps come in
handy when youre working in places outside of an office.
Field enablement apps as mentioned earlier can be useful in oil and
gas when implemented correctly. You probably wont see these apps in
the public app store since their purpose is to serve the internal users
at a company. For field enablement, mobile apps can include a variety
of features that are useful to field operators. For example, a well
organization app can have a list of wells that are associated with the
user. The list can help them figure out how to plan the day and which
wells to concentrate on first. In addition, another app for the field could
include an interactive map that helps workers figure out routes and well
locations. Since seeing measurements of production and downtime are
useful, an app that shows graphs with this data in real-time would make
it easier to visualize data and make faster, better decisions.

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

12

UPSTREAM USE CASES (CONT.)

AN OIL AND GAS FIELD OPERATIONS

manager can capture data from

the well site and oversee the
entire project execution with a
field operations management
app. Because of all the demands
and data collection requirements,
producers need to gather
information from a variety of
devices such as vapor recovery
systems, dehydration units, and
compressors. With the mobile app,
youll be able to input and manage
production data, landowner gas
data and readings, and oil tickets
and water tickets. In terms of field
operations management, you can

view alarms, manage parts, service,

and treatments for wells, coordinate
personnel, and view detailed reports
and graphs. You can essentially
manage the operations while youre
on the go and from anywhere
around the world.

data, equipment, and production.

Furthermore, apps can include
training manuals and guides
to help these new employees
navigate the site and equipment.

SINCE NEW OPERATORS, engineers

and other personnel arent

familiar with individual well sites,
there can be confusion around
assets and equipment which
leads to mistakes. To remedy
the situation, mobile apps that
use augmented reality help by
providing views of real-time

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

UPSTREAM USE CASES (CONT.)

THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE WAYS that mobile can be used in

the upstream sector. Mobile helps with integrated operations (IO)

or smart oil and gas fields, which refer to new work processes and
ways of performing oil and gas exploration and production with new
information and communication technology. Using mobile solutions
in your organization will help you work more efficiently and make
the oil and gas field smarter, leading to a higher ROI. In one of IBMs
business cases, a company with a fully developed field and a daily
production of 20,000 barrels of oil and 20 million cubic feet of gas
could gain over 350% with a break-even point of less than 3 years
from implementing a smart field. This large amount of return is no
small feat. In the next section, well cover how mobile can be applied
to the downstream sector.

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04

Downstream Use Cases

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

15

DOWNSTREAM USE CASES

In the downstream sector of the
oil and gas industry, mobile apps
can help as well. When youre
managing gas station reservoirs,
delays can be costly. With a mobile
solution, youll be able to decrease
delays and increase the accuracy of
fuel level estimates. For example,

gas stations can get advanced

notification of when a truck is
supposed to arrive. This way,
delays will be less likely to happen
because the gas stations will be
prepared. Another advantage is
just-in-time delivery. With an app,
you can receive the exact fuel level

in each gas station reservoir and

then send this information to the
logistics headquarters.
The headquarters will then know
the exact amount of gas that needs
to be delivered and can route trucks
in a more efficient manner.

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

DOWNSTREAM USE CASES (CONT.)

A MOBILE APP CAN ALSO
IMPROVE the customer

experience and increase loyalty

to gas stations. For example,
ExxonMobil has a Speedpass+ app
that lets people pay for gas with
their phones. It isnt available for
everyone yet, but if youre in one
of the participating locations, you
will be able to try the app out.
With Speedpass+, you can find
a participating Exxon or Mobil
station near you, safely encrypt
your ExxonMobil Consumer Credit
Card in the app, and then use
the app to authorize the pump
and start fueling. You can also

earn rewards for your gas and

car wash purchases like a Google
Play promo code or Amazon.com
gift card.

and has built-in customer

authentication steps in the initial
setup process.
IN THE FUTURE, mobile payments

FOR THOSE THAT LIKE to organize

their bills, the app lets you choose

how you want to receive a receipt
(email, at the pump, both, or not
at all) and saves old receipts to be
viewed later.
ONE OF THE inevitable questions

you may have is: How secure is

the app? According to ExxonMobil,
the app has the same security
standards as required by banks

apps like the Speedpass+ will

benefit from adding contextual
features. For example, once the
app is rolled out throughout the
US, a potential feature could be
the ability for your phone to send
you a push notification when
your tank is getting low and the
location of the closest Exxon gas
station when youre on a road trip.

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

DOWNSTREAM USE CASES (CONT.)

The app could also send you
coupons and information on
current deals once you arrive at
the gas station. Youll be able to
earn more rewards as you spend
more at Exxon. Adding contextual
features to the app will help drive
customer loyalty and engagement.

MOBILE APPS IN THE

DOWNSTREAM SECTOR will help

make the process of refining

and distributing oil and gas to
customers easier. As you can see
from the examples earlier, mobile
solutions enhance the entire oil
and gas supply chain.

Mobile solutions enhance

the entire oil and gas
supply chain
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05

Pairing Mobile With 3D Printing and ROVs

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

PAIRING MOBILE WITH 3D PRINTING AND ROVS

YOU MAY THINK that 3D printing

or additive manufacturing is a new

phenomenon, but in actuality, it has
existed since the 1980s and is used
for prototyping and designs in oil
and gas. The 3D printing technology
can actually be paired with mobile.
For example, you could design
something on your phone and then
send it over to a CAD program to
create a 3D object. Companies
like Sculpteo and Infinate Dreams
have already teamed up to create a
mobile app that lets you design and
paint pottery on your smartphone
or tablet and then send it directly to
a 3D printer to be created. The 3D
object is then mailed to anyone you
want around the world.

In another case, the computer

vision and geometry lab of the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology in
Zurich has developed an app that
can turn your smartphone into a
mobile 3D scanner. With the app,
you move the phone around an
object and after a few motions, a
3D model appears on your mobile
screen. The 3D model can be used
for augmented reality apps or for
3D printing. In addition, Google
launched Project Tango, which is
an Android prototype phone and
developer kit with advanced 3D
sensors that can actually build
a visual map of rooms using
3D scanning.

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MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

20

PAIRING MOBILE WITH 3D PRINTING AND ROVS (CONT.)

WITH APPS LIKE THESE

and additional apps that have yet

to be created, you could create
CAD designs easily on the go.
For oil and gas engineers, many
travel to various areas of the
world to visit oil rigs. Imagine a
scenario like this: You find out
that a piece of metal or part of
an oil rig needs to be replaced.
Since it will take some time to get
to the site, you use a 3D printer
instead to re-create the part you
need. With the app mentioned
earlier, being able to take a 3D
photo of something on the rig
can be a major advantage and
can help speed up the process of

product to market and decrease

downtime. Oil and gas mobile
applications paired with 3D
printing have great potential to
improve processes in the industry.
BESIDES ONSHORE EXPLORATION,

mobile solutions bring interesting

opportunities for offshore
operations. In spite of difficulties,
mobile solutions are being
designed today to work with
remotely operated underwater
vehicles or ROVs. One is the
Schilling ROV Explorer, designed
by Schilling Robotics, LLC. The
company manufactures ROVs and
has its own iTunes app as well.

In addition, the company focuses

on offering automated solutions
to increase productivity in oil and
gas operations. For instance,
the automation system can
notify user through texts and
emails about equipment that
may possibly need maintenance.
You can also control the product
movement from the field to the
terminal, using mobile-based
automated solutions.

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PAIRING MOBILE WITH 3D PRINTING AND ROVS (CONT.)

ANOTHER EXAMPLE would be the

large-scale mobile Underwater

Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN).
The underwater environment is a lot
different from the terrestrial one.
With floating mode mobility,
low-communication bandwidth,

and high-error probability, UWSNs

are different from other ground
network sensors. A mobile app that
can control this network can work
wonders, mitigating hours of worry
for the team.

Additional developments like the smartphone-controlled AquabotixHydroview underwater vehicle have surfaced as well. This vehicle, for
instance, can transfer live video feed easily to a ROV. Furthermore, the
ROV can even be operated with the help of your tablet or smartphone.
When combined with mobile, these technologies facilitate the
workflow, keep the whole team informed, alert you when maintenance
is needed, and allows you to explore further.

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Conclusion

06

MOBILIZING THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

CONCLUSION
There are a multitude of possibilities for oil and gas companies
that want to implement mobile solutions. The benefits of
mobile include data capture, real-time information, location,
collaboration, and better decision-making, which all can lead to
a better ROI. Why wouldnt you want to use technology to improve
your business? By reviewing the use cases mentioned earlier,
youll be able to see how mobile can be applied to your business.
Its time to start planning mobile strategies to prepare the oil and
gas industry for the future.

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