When one considers the role of telemetry systems in the remote monitoring of oil and gas levels, it may be the oil light of a car that comes to mind, with software under a car’s bonnet helping to alert drivers to low oil levels in a form that they can understand. However, there are also rather more sophisticated systems that exist in industry and which are provided by Oriel Systems (http://www.orielsystems.com) to a wide range of organisations in a reliable, flexible and cost-effective form.

The tanker loading and unloading operation for many firms in the LPG industry has traditionally required two operatives. Oriel Systems’ telemetry solutions, however, include a Driver Controlled Delivery, or DCD system that integrates safety, on-site control and level monitoring systems with CCTV so that only one man, the driver, is needed for the task. This arrangement makes possible the real-time supervision, monitoring and control of all tanker loading and unloading operations, which means that you no longer require two people at each site.

With tanker loading and unloading taking place on a 24 hours a day basis, a telemetry installation from Oriel Systems can therefore significantly reduce operational costs. It allows just one person to be present in the Control Centre for each operation, with the local depot having complete control in normal working hours over the process of unloading and loading the tanker. Each of the remote sites is equipped with an Oriel Video Intelligent Telemetry Outstation, which allows real-time viewing at the Control Centre and captures the CCTV images for later review.

The Video Intelligent Telemetry Outstation’s functions include the ability to bring multiple inputs and control outputs into the system. The depot manager also benefits from an unrestricted view of the entire operation from a local PC, with up to four live video feeds. The local on-site storage of all video feeds for the last three days allows them to be downloaded and saved on a computer for future review, should any “event” occur, with the analysis of procedures helping to prevent such an “event” happening in the future.

Alarms and an auto-shutoff are activated if the bulk tank is in danger of either running dry or overfilling, with the former possibility otherwise often leading to damaged pump seals. At night, meanwhile, the depot staff can simply exit, leaving control over the DCD system with the 24 hour Control Centre so that all CCTV video, monitoring, control and loading permissions can continue to take place remotely.

Contact Oriel Systems (http://www.orielsystems.com) for more information about the telemetry software that can be provided for both large and small oil and gas projects.