Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in Oil and Gas Industry: Applications, Requirements and Existing Solutions

Abstract

Effective measurement and monitoring of certain parameters (temperature, pressure, flow etc.) is crucial for the safety and optimization of processes in the Oil and Gas Industry. Wired sensors have been extensively utilized for this purpose but are costly, not best suited for harsh environments and are difficult to deploy and maintain. Wireless Sensor Network Solutions is revolutionizing the Offshore Oil and Gas industry providing evolving solutions that introduces significant benefits in cost, ease of deployment, flexibility and convenience. The adoption of Wireless Sensor Networks is expected to be tremendous in industrial automation owing to a report that projected the deployment of 24 million wireless-enabled sensors and actuators worldwide by 2016. With limited literature on this specific subject matter, this paper presents a critical survey into oil industry monitoring specifications, requirements and Wireless Sensor Network applications as it directly impacts the Oil and Gas Industry. An overview of Wireless Sensor Networks is presented, applications from literature are highlighted and finally challenges and existing solutions are discussed.