ConocoPhillips uses RFID technology to ensure the safety of offshore oil drilling workers
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A few days ago, American ConocoPhillips installed about 200 long-range readers on its Ekofisk Complex oil rig on the Norwegian North Sea shelf to track and identify oil workers in real time.
IDENTEC Solutions provides ConocoPhillips with an RFID tracking system called “WATCHERSERIES”, which includes active RFID tags, readers and system software. Frank Wehus, head of the company, said the identifying data could be preserved both offshore and onshore. In the event of an emergency, ConocoPhillips can monitor the location of staff from its shore office. IDENTEC provides a total of 4,000 tags, and Wehus estimates that 800 to 1,100 are currently in use.
However, the high metal content of the rig, the humidity brought on by the ocean, the extent of the installation required, and stringent requirements on the construction of electronic equipment and gas emissions all presented severe challenges to the installation of this real-time tracking system. According to Wehus, it is more challenging to debug the reader to suit a specific region and provide accurate readings.
ConocoPhillips oil rig in the Norwegian North Sea
The WATCHERSERIES software has integrated RFID readouts that provide real-time location data for each tag. In the event of an emergency drill or actual occurrence, the staff at the rig or the shore office can quickly view the list of on-site workers through this software, and also obtain the location data of the missing person when the worker is missing.
To date, IDENTEC has supplied similar systems to other offshore plants, mines and high-risk industries.
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