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Pason Assures Real-Time Drilling Data for Customers While Improving Operations

Quick Facts

Company

Pason Systems

Customer Profile

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Pason Systems Inc. is a leading global provider of specialized data management systems for drilling rigs. The company is the industry’s only oilfield specialist with fully integrated drilling data solutions that make it fast, flexible, and easy for clients to access their critical drilling information – anytime, anywhere. These capabilities allow these clients to collect, manage, report and analyze drilling data in order to optimize the performance and cost-efficiency of their operations. Today, the company employs over 600 staff and serves most major oil and gas companies around the world. 

Objectives
  • Ensure reliable connectivity to drilling sites in highly remote areas using the best wide area network at each location
  • Source a solution that could withstand the harshest environments
  • Be able to monitor connectivity remotely at thousands of drilling locations 
  • Implement a solution that can be used as technology evolves
Results
  • Reliable connectivity assures customers that drilling information can be transmitted and analyzed in real-time for improved efficiency and operations
  • Rugged gateway able to withstand harsh environments means fewer “touches” in the field
  • AirLink Management Service enables Pason to monitor connectivity remotely
Sierra Wireless Products & Services
  • AirLink® RV50X Industrial LTE-Advanced Router
  • AirLink® Management Service  

Challenge

Pason’s solution platform includes data acquisition, wellsite reporting, remote communications, and web-based information management of drilling data. Once a drilling site is equipped with Pason’s data acquisition equipment, a reliable communications infrastructure is critical in providing the connectivity to customer back-office operations. 

Given that drilling sites are nomadic in nature, frequent moves to remote areas present a significant challenge for connectivity. With a patchwork quilt of cellular carrier coverage and the unpredictable nature of the next location to effectively transport data, companies typically need to deal with several communications carriers to ensure connectivity at every site. For Pason, this brings operational challenges when scaling thousands of drilling rigs across broad geographic areas with unknown coverage and service company options at each site. 

Given the harsh environment of a typical drill site, Pason also needed a rugged solution – one that could be exposed to all the elements and survive. With operations in areas in Northern Canada where temperatures routinely drop to -40°C to the southern US where summertime equipment temperatures can exceed 50°C, a broad operational and reliable solution was required. 

With a large installation base, the ability to remotely monitor and manage each location is key to avoiding having to dispatch technicians to remote locations when problems arise.

Solution

The company evaluated several solutions and in 2017, Pason chose to incorporate the AirLink RV50X Industrial LTE-A Gateway into their North American communications services. Because the RV50X is a dual-SIM device, Pason can install the same hardware at each site, and utilize the carrier service that provides the best connectivity option. The RV50X provides Cat-6 LTE connectivity which ensures product longevity among a broad installation base and allows clients to experience higher speeds. The small form factor simplifies deployment, and the wide temperature range makes the device rugged in remote operations. Pason also selected AirLink® Management Service, a cloud-based device management service, to be able to remotely manage each of the AirLink devices at their client drilling sites. Through the AirLink interface, Pason can monitor each location’s performance, deploy software and security patches as required, and troubleshoot any issues from their office. 

Results

With AirLink®, Pason can confidently provide their clients with an end-to-end integrated solution that is rugged, reliable and secure. “Sierra Wireless is helping us provide our customers with better service coverage in many of the most remote locations”, said Jonathan Kinghorn, Product Manager, Networks for Pason. “Regardless of coverage, with the Dual-SIM RV50X, we have the flexibility to operate anywhere in North America and use the best service provider option in each region.” 

The company serves most major oil and gas companies and many drilling contractors. They have deployed AirLink® on its entire Canadian fleet and continue to deploy in the U.S which when completed, Kinghorn anticipates a full adoption of the AirLink® router across all Pason-equipped North American land-based drilling rigs.

Pipeline-Management icon

Sierra Wireless is helping us provide our customers with better service coverage in many of the most remote locations.

Jonathan Kinghorn
Product Manager Networks, Pason

Related Products

Tagged Industries
Oil and Gas Mining
Pason Systems Logo
Client

Pason Systems

Location

NAM

Markets

Pipeline Management
Oil & Gas
Mining

Products & Service​

AirLink Router RV50X
AirLink Management Service

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