Introduction

As of 2022, the oil and gas industry stands as one of the world's largest sectors by monetary value, yielding approximately $5 trillion in global revenue. Comprising three main segments — upstream, midstream, and downstream — this colossal industry is built upon a complex infrastructure. 

Upstream operations encompass activities involved in the exploration, drilling, and extraction of crude oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs. Midstream operations involve the transportation, storage, and processing of these resources after extraction but before they reach end-users or refineries. Finally, downstream operations entail the refining of crude oil into various petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, as well as the distribution and marketing of these refined products to end-users, including consumers and industries. 

Transmission and distribution pipelines serve as the major mechanisms for the oil and gas industry, providing an efficient, cost-effective, and safe method to transport processed or unprocessed materials to downstream refineries. Hence, ensuring the pipelines operate efficiently and safely is paramount. Prompt notification and resolution of any issues are essential to maintain uninterrupted operations.

To meet these demands and exceed customer expectations, Antaira offers several features tailored to support the unique needs of the oil and gas industry. In this white paper, we will deep dive into the specific challenges that oil and gas pipeline systems face and how we can help them overcome the challenges to enhance the pipeline transportation in an intelligent and sustainable manner.

High Reliability and Availability of Network Infrastructure

For the oil and gas industry, the safety and reliability of pipelines and underlying infrastructure are paramount concerns. Managing and monitoring oil and gas pipelines poses significant challenges, as they frequently traverse vast geographical distances, endure harsh environmental conditions, and have limited access to communication and power infrastructure. 

In this context, Antaira’s switches designed for the oil and gas industry, from unmanaged to managed ones all support a wide temperature range of -40°C to 75°C to sustain the harsh environment and an IP67 ingress protection enclosure against solid particles and liquids. The conformal coating is a protection layer applied to electronic components and circuit boards to safeguard them from environmental damage, chemical corruption, and other hazards. 

Moreover, Antaira's managed switches, featuring the G.8032 ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching), provides fast protection and recovery for Ethernet ring topology, which ensures high availability and resilience for mission critical networks. ERPS offers a sub-50ms protection switching time, enabling rapid detection and recovery from link failure to maintain seamless network connectivity.

802.3bt PoE++ Capability with Solid Security Implementations

Protecting pipelines is an important topic for users in the oil and gas industry, often necessitating the installation of cameras alongside the pipeline to monitor its status and facilitate immediate action in response to issues or events. One of the most popular camera types that many oil and gas industry uses are the PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras, which need a larger power demand due to their motorized movement capabilities and large size, sometimes with additional features such as heaters, blowers, or IR illuminators.

In addition, the pipelines are typically situated in remote and sparsely populated areas where access to reliable power infrastructure is limited. With the increasing adoption of PoE technology, these challenges can be effectively addressed. Antaira’s PoE switches boasting IEEE 802.3bt PoE technology deliver the robust power supply necessary for PTZ camera operations.

Pipelines are vulnerable to cyber attacks that can disrupt operations, compromise sensitive data, or even cause physical damage. Cybersecurity measures are essential to safeguard against malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in the pipeline network. Antaira provides several security features to prevent unauthorized access to the devices. For edge switches, customers can configure ACL (Access Control List) rules, determining the access criteria to allow authorized access to the devices, which prevents rogue or malicious access to the facilities.

In addition to controlling the device's access, Antaira also has solutions for client access to enforce the whole security entrance mechanism. When enabling the 802.1X Network Access Control protocol, any client who would like to access the network has to be authenticated by the authentication server, which will grant access only after passing the verification.

When the device works with the Port Security feature, the administrator can limit the number of connected clients to each switch’s physical port. Once the connected number is configured to allow only a single client to access the switch, it will block other clients’ access when the legal physical port is intentionally used to connect another switch to this port. 

The access control will be even enhanced when it works with the IP-MAC binding feature, which will associate the switch's port, the client’s IP address and MAC address, and even the VLAN ID. This is a strict association rule, and all criteria have to be matched before granting the access right. 

Antaira provides a strict and comprehensive access control security solution to customers, protecting their assets from malicious access intentions. The ACL rules protect device access and leverage the 802.1X Network Access Control, Port Security, and IP MAC Binding features to establish strict and solid client access security protection.

Transferring Collected Data from Serial to Ethernet Protocol

In the oil and gas sector, efficient and reliable pipeline operation is crucial. To achieve this, it is quite common for users to employ serial sensors distributed along the pipeline network. These sensors continuously monitor parameters such as pressure, temperature, flow rates, and leak detection. The collected data is then transmitted to the central control center using a Serial-to-Ethernet device. This real-time data enables proactive maintenance, early detection of anomalies, and swift response to any operational issues, ensuring the safety and integrity of the pipeline infrastructure.

Antaira’s Serial-to-Ethernet devices support diverse port combinations and functionalities, providing a flexible choice based on customer’s application requirements. Antaira’s Modbus gateway products allow legacy MODBUS RTU/ASCII devices to operate on a MODBUS TCP network. The Serial-to-Ethernet switch connects any serial device RS232/422/485 to any existing Ethernet network.

Wireless Remote Secure Connection with IIoT Gateway

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) gateway plays a pivotal role in our connected infrastructure. It seamlessly collects critical information from various sources, including the aggregation switch, which consolidates data from sensors, devices, and machinery across the network. Once gathered, this valuable data is efficiently transmitted to the central control center using a robust 4G LTE connection. This real-time data flow enables informed decision-making, proactive maintenance, and swift responses to operational events.

Antaira’s IIoT gateway goes beyond mere data transfer. It incorporates advanced features such as Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunneling and Network Address Translation (NAT) to ensure the security and integrity of data transmission. 

The IIoT gateway establishes a VPN connection. This encrypted tunnel safeguards data as it travels between the aggregation switch and the control center, protecting it from unauthorized access. NAT allows the gateway to mask internal IP addresses when communicating externally. By doing so, it enhances security by preventing direct exposure of internal network details.

This gateway is also equipped to handle communication using the MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol. MQTT is lightweight, efficient, and well-suited for IoT applications. It facilitates efficient data exchange between devices and the control center, making it an ideal choice for IIoT deployments.

Comprehensive Network Management and Monitoring

The continuous operation of oil and gas pipelines is vital. To ensure uninterrupted flow, it’s necessary to leverage aNetwork Management System (NMS) diligently to monitor the network status. In the event of an issue, it immediately notifies administrators, allowing swift action to maintain pipeline integrity.

The NMS provides comprehensive monitoring and real-time notifications for devices supporting the SNMP protocol. It oversees network health, ensuring timely responses to anomalies.

Antaira’s NMS solution is based on ISO FCAPS model, which provides

• Fault Management: Detects and addresses network faults.
• Configuration Management: Manages device settings.
• Accounting Management: Tracks resource usage.
• Performance Management: Monitors network performance.
• Security Management: Ensures robust security measures.

With Antaira’s NMS, the software constantly monitors connected devices. When issues arise, whether due to faults, performance degradation, or security breaches, it alerts users promptly, enabling proactive maintenance and safeguarding critical infrastructure.

The ATEX/CID2 Certification for Oil and Gas Industry

The midstream phase is one of the three stages in oil and gas energy operations, sandwiched between the upstream and downstream sectors. It primarily focuses on the processing, transportation, and storage of petroleum and natural gas. Midstream companies play a crucial role in transforming raw crude oil from oil fields into usable products for end-users.

Why does certification matter? The midstream operations involve handling flammable substances like oil and gas. Certifications ensure that electronic devices used in these environments are safe and won’t cause sparks or heat sources that could lead to explosions.

Regulatory bodies often require adherence to safety standards. Certifications demonstrate compliance with these standards.C1D2 and ATEX certifications mitigate risks associated with explosive atmospheres.

Antaira’s oil and gas industry product line is fully compliant with C1D2/ATEX certification.

Conclusion 

With the industry's significant economic value and complex infrastructure spanning upstream, midstream, and downstream segments, ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of pipeline networks is paramount. Antaira's comprehensive product solutions are showcased as key enablers in overcoming these challenges. From switches designed to withstand harsh environments and ensure uninterrupted operation to security features such as access control and network monitoring, Antaira offers a suite of solutions to enhance the safety, reliability, and efficiency of oil and gas pipeline networks.

By prioritizing operational reliability, safety and security, and efficiency and cost-effectiveness, Antaira's solutions empower oil and gas pipeline operators to optimize their infrastructure, mitigate risks, and safeguard critical assets. Through a combination of cutting-edge technology and industry expertise, Antaira is committed to supporting the oil and gas industry in meeting its evolving network infrastructure needs and ensuring the sustainable transportation of vital resources.