The future of field workers in oil and gas

The future of field workers in oil and gas

The expectations on field workers in asset-intensive sectors such as oil and gas  are higher than ever. There are, of course, the usual productivity demands that apply to all industries: efficient operations, managed costs, delivery to SLAs, etc. However, oil and gas presents some unique challenges for field-based teams.

Field workers need access to dynamic asset information and associated tasks, but they are usually in physically challenging and potentially hazardous environments, with low or no bandwidth, working on assets that may be hard to identify and, indeed, may be moving around. Field workers often operate as a crew, flying in or out on a specific roster that may have a strict structure and a focus on fatigue management.

• How do companies ensure continuity between shifts?
• If a crew member with a critical skill is sick, how do the gaps get filled?
• How can preventative maintenance be automated? What role can remote assist technology play to maximize productivity?