With activity levels ramping up again in the downstream sector across the Middle East, plant operators are continuing to introduce new technologies to increase operational and production efficiency, as well as reducing costs and improving worker safety.
Given this backdrop, many service providers have flocked to the region to present their cutting edge solutions and technologies.
The offerings of these service companies differ, but their main objective is to get a slice of the multi billion US dollar downstream projects.
“We offer our clients with many intelligence solutions to help them reach their objectives in operating safely and efficiently,” says Mike Meranda, chief executive officer at the Dubai based Tagstone.
The company offers several technologies using Radio-frequency identification (RFID), biometrics, CCTV, GPS, and many other intelligent solutions that help operators run plants more safely.
The solutions Tagstone offers can be used in different phases of production, from personnel tracking and safety to optimising production, asset tracking to equipment maintenance to product transportation and distribution phases.
“RFID can be used in the exploration and production stage, the refining process, in transportation and distribution, and in personnel management processes,” he explains.
“One of the key solutions that we can provide to downstream companies is the ability to quickly locate workers, particularly in emergency situations,” explains Meranda.
Though the company offers many solutions for clients in the Middle East, it does not yet manufacture locally. “We don’t have a production facility here in the Middle East,” says Meranda.
“What we do is identify the best in class technology around the world and then we import it here and implement it. We work with a number of clients in the upstream and the downstream sectors, including the ADNOC group of companies,” he says.
The company’s involvement in different industrial sectors helped it to develop specialised solutions for different process industries. “With experience in the automotive, oil and gas, and downstream industries, we have special insights into the particular challenges faced by regional organisations, which help us to develop solutions that help the improvement of the business process,” he explains.
One of the key application of Tagstone’s solution is in the supply chain, which tends to be highly labour-intensive and costly.
“The instant visibility provided by RFID enables companies to streamline delivery operations, minimise costly vehicle and driver downtime, and optimise asset performances,” says Meranda.
“Using such fleet management solutions, oil companies can not only save time and money, but also track the delivery and movement of their crude oil or refined goods tankers,” he adds.
Tagstone’s technology is based on wireless solutions which run autonomously, making it attractive to companies in the industry which run various dangerous processes.
“Our technology is completely automatic and wireless,” the CEO says. “Our TagSECURE solution can play an important role in increasing operational and production efficiency, reducing costs and improving worker safety.
The tracking of people and objects, coupled with the RFID tags’ ability to withstand harsh conditions make this technology suitable to use throughout the downstream sector,” Meranda explains.
As the company’s solutions are deployed in different environments, there are associated challenges explains Meranda.
“The key technological challenge we face with refinery and petrochemicals plants is that various technologies have to be carefully tuned to fit the environment where there is heavy metal content or heavy liquid content,” says Meranda. “Metals tend to reflect radio frequency, while liquids tend to absorb it,” Meranda says.
Regardless of these issues, Meranda very much believes simplicity of implementation and utilisation is the key.
