On the second day of Internet Day organized by CABASE, the panel “Connected Industry” brought together experiences in the oil and gas segment. Damián Mazzucchelli, IT & Digital Solutions Senior Director at Tecpetrol, revealed how connectivity in their operations – both through fiber optics and satellite – enabled new remote management models. “Our reality has to do with field services. We operate in places with poor connectivity, but this changed in recent years,” he explained.
This evolution allowed them to launch in June 2023 a Real-Time Operations Center, located in offices in Retiro, from where they monitor fields in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. They receive 3 million data points per hour, process 55 operational alarms through 200 IoT sensors, with which they collect information from equipment that was previously unavailable.
“Remote operation started to become the rule. This allowed us to standardize processes and make them less dependent on each individual. There are more eyes on the data and on the operation,” said Mazzucchelli. With redundant links and on-site backups, ensuring the continuity of the data service became an operational priority.
He also announced that they are incorporating artificial intelligence to anticipate events based on the data generated by sensors. In parallel, to accompany the cultural change that comes with operating without physical presence, they integrated cameras and video analytics that allow close monitoring of what happens in the fields.
Simón Franco, Director of the Oil Division at RFI Industrial, presented a complementary view from the technology provider side. His company specializes in solutions for Industry 4.0, and they found an opportunity in mature fields seeking to become more efficient through technology.
“Everything starts by connecting sensors and sending that data to the cloud to process it and make decisions,” he explained. RFI developed a family of sensors and a cloud-based software that delivers all the critical operational parameters to the operator in real time, focusing on continuous improvement.
Among their in-house developments, pressure sensors for wellheads, downhole temperature and level, and wireless load cells stand out. Some of these devices were patented in Argentina and the United States, demonstrating the level of innovation and maturity achieved. “The goal is to reduce operational cost through data. And for that, connectivity is the foundation,” Franco concluded.