Using Data in the Drilling Industry

The use of data in today’s industries has greatly increased from what it once was. One specific industry is that of the drilling industry. What once was recorded only on paper by hand has now been passed to computers to manage and track. If I was in charge of keeping track of all that information, you can be sure there would be some mistakes made! Data is a big part of the drilling process and is used for a variety of reasons including for safety, management and analysis.

What once was all done by hand has now been passed to computers. This not only helps minimize mistakes, but it also allows more data to be produced. Now a timeline is available to the operation engineers and overseers to see what is happening at all times not only onsite but also remotely. In the past, this was done through fax or over the phone but the data was limited. However, today with the advancement of technology, all the data can be placed directly in front of you no matter where you are. 

One of the main reasons data is recorded, is for analysis. The data provides insight which enables the operator to see how to improve future well operations. 

In many regions, local and federal governments require well-operations and equipment reports to be submitted either electronically or through hard-copy. Tracking this data through historian software make this very simple for organizations to create these and manage these reports.   

So what does all this mean and how does it relate to you? Simple. If data has changed this one industry, improving and advancing it, don’t you think that data has the potential to improve your industry as well? We live in a world that is constantly changing and people are realizing how important information can be.

Data has the power to change. Change how we do things; change how we see things. We know that to improve something, we need to intimately understand how a system works. Data gives the understanding that companies need to profit and grow. This is what makes it valuable. This is why using data in the drilling industry has increased and made it the industry that it is today.

Source
http://petrowiki.org/Drilling_data_management

Counting the Cost: The Real Price of Data (PART 2)

In my last post, I talked about the benefits of having time-series data. Having the data has the potential to save your company thousands of dollars.  It saves you time when it comes to figuring out problems and it helps eliminate or minimize fines when the inspector rolls around. Now I want to talk about the real price of data. Yes, I have established pretty well that data is important and can save you money, but now I want to discuss what life looks like without the data. There are many instances where companies have regretted the decision not to record the data; and it cost them dearly.

What if an accident occurs at one of your production locations where all your data is lost? All the information about the equipment that was recorded was lost after the accident.  

What was the source that caused the accident? Could it have been prevented? Will it happen again? How can we prevent it from happening again at other locations?

Fines might occur costing millions of billions of dollars depending on the accident and what occurred. The greater the effect on the environment, the greater the cost.

With the Canary Historian, it backs all this important data up on a separate system so there is no loss if a disaster occurs. If this system is in place at the time of the incident, it will lead to answers. A company will know the answers to why it happened and how it happened. This knowledge is invaluable to company and can save millions in future costs.

More and more companies are realizing the big need for big data. This is why they are taking measures to build the security of their companies and utilizing the information that comes from big data. Producing the data does not produce money. Producing data gives you something that is much more valuable, insight.

When you have the data, you have knowledge. Knowledge about the equipment, knowledge about your operator’s ability to run the equipment, and knowledge about how to better run your organization. Problems are solved faster and more efficiently. Insight is given that gives you a better idea of how to run your company and become more profitable. And it helps provide security to the future of your business.

Many companies don’t realize the value of this knowledge. It provides a foundation on which you can base your decisions. It provides awareness to create a safer work environment. Lastly, it gives insight into how to make your company more efficient, saving you money. That’s the power of data!

Have you counted the cost?

Counting the Cost: Not Having the Data (PART 1)

When I buy a product, I always stop and consider the cost; is it worth the price I’m paying for it? Do I really need it? Will it stand up to other products out there? Many companies have the same or similar questions about data collection and the historians on the market today. Questions like: “Is it worth the price?” Or even, “Do I even need to collect data at all?” These are all viable questions but there is one more you need to consider: What is it costing me by NOT having the data? The answer is, a lot. 

Having the Data provides:
- Faster Solutions
- Accurate Reporting

Data helps prevent or reduce:
- Downtime
- Fines
- A Wrong Diagnosis of a Problem

You can record vast amounts of data: machine pressures, humidity, and quantity… the list goes on and on. Keeping track of all this data is difficult but necessary. When a piece of equipment breaks down, the simple fact is that it costs the company money; sometimes thousands of dollars per hour. Most times, trial and error are used to solve the solution, but this can take a lot of time out of the day. If you have the time series data in your hands, you are able to quickly determine what went wrong based on what the data tells you. A drop in pressure will tell you what went wrong and when it happened.

Sometimes the inspectors require reports; in these cases a company needs reports that are accurate, otherwise fines might be inflicted. When there is no data, there is no report. In these cases a fine is more than likely. But with accurate data reports, a fine might be lessened or even eliminated completely.  Knowing what actually took place gives a company better credibility with an inspector.

In short, there is a lot that could go wrong. The software might be faulty. The pressures might be awry. The equipment might be broke or the operator just might need better training. Whatever the problem is, it helps to know the problem. Sometimes basing the solution off of a gut feeling doesn’t solve the problem. It is better to have the answer right in front of you instead of playing a game of Russian roulette.

If you don’t know the problem, you won’t be able to find the solution.

Data can also help in other areas of your company such as decision making and planning, but I’ll save that for my next post.

The Big Need for Big Data

The need for data may not seem large, but this is in fact a growing need in the industrial world. We want to know how to make our machines more efficient. We want to see a timeline of pressures and output. We want to know how to prevent problems from occurring. But most importantly, we want to know how to save money. These are needs that many industries face today and big data is the solution. Some of these industries are Gas and Oil, Industrial Automation and Energy Production and Distribution. 

The Oil and Gas Industry

Currently, one of the industries we are most involved in is the Oil and Gas industry. There are many options that we offer to these companies that have helped to reduce company costs by providing solutions that once were a major problems that companies had to face. Canary Labs provides solutions to such problems and makes the transition easy for the company so as not to disrupt daily flow.  

Industrial Automation is another industry that can benefit from the collection of data. When companies have this option it allows them to improve information flow. It also increases corporation knowledge so that future decisions can be made quickly and easily. Efficiency is also improved because having a timeline of all the data in front of you, highlights areas that need improvement. This educates you giving you resources you never had before.  Having all the information makes life easier on you.  

Another industry that finds the collection of data very useful is that of the energy industry. Many energy companies use our product as a means to measure energy production. Some of our software is used in wind turbines across the country. This real-time visibility and analytics are also useful in viewing distribution, consumption and maintenance management. All the while helping to lower operation costs.

These are just a few of the industries we are currently involved in. Some of the other industries are Water and Wastewater, Pipelines, Refineries, and Chemical plants. To see a full list of the industries we service visit our Industries page.*

*If your company’s industry isn’t listed, yet you feel like data collection might be a great benefit, call us at 814-793-3770 or email us at estern@canarylabs.com

Saving Time and Money

Everybody says the same thing: “Our product is easy to use!” It seems to be the tag line of every software company. There may be some truth to that phrase, but maybe it should read something more like: “this software is easy to use… for our own people who wrote it.” Sometimes when programmers write software they write it from their own objective view; what they think is easy to use. Problem is that’s not how the user thinks. This results in the company spending large amounts of money just to train their employees on how to use the software.

Training costs money.

 If I spend money on software, and this software is vital to my company and gives me the potential to save my company future costs, of course I’m going to want to put it into use as soon as possible. It’s only a natural human response. Many data software companies charge large amounts of money to train people on how to use it. 

Training costs time.

The simple truth is that training is usually difficult and time consuming. Who wants to deal with that? I know it is only temporary and the real reward comes later after you have been trained but give me the results without the extra time it takes to train. People want to know how to use a product right away.

Training costs time and money.

Canary Labs uses this same quote, “our software is easy to use”. What makes us different from all the other companies saying the same thing? It’s the truth. 

The difference is in the approach we took to building our software. We sought the minds of the people who would be using the software on a daily basis. We asked companies what would make it easier to use, and then we used that feedback as the building blocks to what eventually become today’s Canary software. 

When you open the box, the software is ready to use right from the start. This is where the real value is. We do offer Canary training as an option, but the majority of companies choose not to take it because of how easy it is to catch on to. Users can quickly gain understanding and insight into the process and as a result can effect real change to improve product quality, reduce losses, and improve efficiencies which go far beyond the cost of the Canary software. You save money. You save time. You save energy. That’s the Canary way.

How You Can Prevent Your Data from Being Lost

When collecting data with software, sometimes other obstacles prevent the data from being collected; obstacles such as loss of power or communication loss. These unforeseen circumstances can cause data gaps in the timeline which may be detrimental to your organization. I know that your data is very important to your company which is why this post is meant to educate you in ways to prevent data loss. 

Canary Labs has implemented a “Store and Forward” technology for remote data collection that utilizes cellular and satellite communications. This is so that temporary loss of communications will not result in the loss of important data. This helps decrease the interruptions of daily business flow when problems like this occur.  Remote system collection can be very complicated and it needs to be carefully thought out and planned to be in order to be completely productive. Canary Labs has the expertise to work with you to come up with an effective solution.

Here are some other suggestions that can help increase your data’s security and prevent these losses:

• Make sure the Historian server is running on a UPS power supply 
• Disable automatic OS updates and reboots that occur during the night on the Historian server
• Use a special Kepware OPC server that automatically switches between a primary and secondary PLC
• Use RAID drive configuration on the Canary Historian to protect against drive failure
• Backup historical data files off-site on a periodic basis via commercial backup software
• Use the Canary Mirror to maintain real-time backups from a primary to a secondary Historian
• Have totally redundant Historian Systems to capture the historical data independently
• Utilize the Canary Enterprise Historian HA which is designed to maximize uptime for even the most demanding of applications
• Consult Canary engineering who can help you design an overall system configuration that meets your data protection needs

All of these suggestions give your company more security when it comes to collecting your data and averting loss. This will save you time and energy as well as avoid future headaches. 

Sometimes it is not the software that causes the data to be lost; sometimes it is unforeseen, unpreventable circumstances that cause the interruption. That’s why it is very important to be prepared. These suggestions will not only benefit your company but secure your valuable data so that when the unexpected becomes a reality you can fight back.

Your Data, is Your Data

In my last couple of posts, I have tried to establish how important data can be to a company. However, a concern that comes along with collecting data is the fear of losing that data. Many historian software programs on the market lose some of the data in the process of collecting it. So there is always that fear of not getting all the data needed when the time to analyze comes around. This is a major problem that many companies face. When there is loss of data, the data has potential to lose its value to a company.

No loss of data.

Many historian software programs use a compression algorithm that compress the data by only collecting data within a certain limit. The main problem with this is that the company cannot go back and view the original data. This means that valuable data can be lost in the process, hurting the company. 

At Canary Labs, we know the value that this data can have, and how vital it is that there is no loss while collecting it. Our software, the Canary Historian, compacts the data without losing the resolution. It packs the data in a compact format that is loss-less. What does this mean? It means that the data returned from the historian is the same data that was stored. Canary Labs uses an exclusive method that squeezes the time

series value down to about six bytes of storage, storing the real history data in a more cost effective format without the fear of losing that data. Some modeling and forecasting tools require the real data values instead of approximations to provide accurate data. The Canary Historian gives you the opportunity to do this with all the data and not just approximations.

Our philosophy has always been that ‘your data is your data’. This philosophy has helped build our software. We know the value that this data can be to a company, so we developed this software as a means to get all the information to your desk without gaps in the timeline. So if this is one of your major concerns when looking for the right software to record your data, you no longer have a reason to be worried.