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Amsterdam, Netherlands. 26, July 2022 – Hiber, the IoT-as-a-Service provider, has added new capabilities to its HiberHilo satellite-powered remote well-monitoring solution for the oil and gas sector, enabling connection over LoRaWAN to a wide range of specialised in-field sensors. By integrating ATEX-certified, wired-to-wireless (W2W) connectivity into the HiberHilo sensor portfolio, Hiber now provides over-the-air access to a broad array of in-field data parameters and metrics, equipping oil and gas operators with new ways to monitor and optimise production. 

The latest HiberHilo sensors, equipped with W2W hardware, can convert the analogue signal from any wired sensor (4-20mA or 0-5V output) into a LoRaWAN signal. This significantly expands the range of operating parameters that can now be monitored remotely, adding flow, methane detection, variable speed drive (VSD) readings, torque, voltage (for example, to ensure cathodic protection is intact), and more. The new HiberHilo W2W hardware can be connected to any existing or new sensor installed in the field, negating the need to purchase additional devices.

Technical specifications:

• Converts any analogue sensor output of 4-20 mA or 0-5 V into a LoRaWAN signal.
• Battery-powered, lasts up to 8 years.
• ATEX Zone 1 certified and IP68 certified
• Average installation time ~30 minutes

“Monitoring remote wells or keeping track of and optimising production of wells scattered across a wide area is difficult, expensive and complex without satellite-enabled IoT monitoring,” says Hiber CEO Roel Jensen. “The combination of the enhanced sensor options, and our expertise in IoT and connectivity, means we can now support a wider range of use cases for the oil and gas industry by providing a solution that is affordable, effective, and easy to install.”

HiberHilo unlocks new use cases for operators

The new monitoring capabilities delivered by HiberHilo solution provides operators with distinct advantages over legacy approaches:

• Improved plug and abandonment execution. By equipping annuli with sensors to monitor pressure over a wireless gateway, HiberHilo makes it easy to collect well data so that oil producers can continually monitor well integrity and implement more stringent plug and abandonment strategies without ongoing remedial work. Further, eliminating trips to oil wells during decommissioning lowers operating costs, improves crew safety, and reduces environmental footprint.
• Improved production for both artificial lift and natural lift wells. By installing the appropriate sensors on production tubing, operators can monitor pressure and flow data to optimise production rates. Near-real-time alerts provide downtime detection in minutes rather than hours or, worse at the next well visit.
• Optimised production of injection wells. Remote monitoring of injection wells gives oil producers insights into injection rates and production output. This facilitates precision injection rate delivery, reduces downtime, and provides the means to balance marginal costs against marginal revenue.

Why remote monitoring makes sense

Integrity monitoring in remote, off-grid locations is difficult and dangerous. By connecting the latest sensor technology to the industrial internet of things (IIoT), operators can ensure their remote wells are safe by accurately monitoring well temperature, pressure and flow, and a range of other parameters. If integrity issues manifest, operators can take immediate action to prevent spills, blowouts, and other costly and potentially environmentally catastrophic problems. As well, remote monitoring negates the inherent risks of dispatching valuable technicians to hard-to-reach places, reduces their carbon footprint, and eliminates travel costs and time.

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