The most important application of SCADA in the oilfield is the process of alarming. Leaks, compressor shutdowns, and high tank levels are all critical elements of safe and effective operations, and each requires a set of reliable alarms to ensure timely response and risk mitigation.
Common Challenges in Maintaining Effective Alarm Systems
However, maintaining an effective alarm system isn’t always straightforward. Many issues can interrupt alarm performance. Some are strictly technical, while others stem from the way humans interact with the system. To keep your operations running safely and efficiently, it’s important to understand where these breakdowns occur and how to address them. Here are a few critical steps we recommend for maintaining a reliable and responsive alarm system.
Holistic Status Checks for Reliable Alarm Performance
Continuous monitoring is essential to keep any complete alarm system functioning properly. Part of this must be done in the field—testing physical alarm devices according to manufacturer guidelines and following good operating practices. The other part involves remotely confirming device and communications operability on a consistent and frequent schedule. The most reliable systems will regularly check for a “heartbeat” from the monitoring device, confirming that communication is active. If that status check fails, it must trigger an alarm just as if the underlying condition had occurred.
The Cost of Missing Holistic Checks
One of our West Texas operators suffered an expensive oil spill due to the absence of holistic status checking. All devices were functioning correctly, but loose wires on the PLC prevented the alarm signal from being transmitted. When the tanks were filled, the high-level device sent the appropriate signal, but the message never left the site. After learning an expensive lesson, the operator moved from a self-hosted setup to zdSCADA, enabling hourly heartbeat checks across the system and ensuring stronger protection going forward.
Avoiding Alarm Apathy: Focusing on What Truly Matters
Never use alarm systems for non-critical items. When too many low-priority notifications flood the system, important alarms get buried in a sea of text messages, calls, and emails, especially for a busy field operator. The result is alarm apathy: where critical alerts are overlooked or ignored. The first step to avoiding this is to separate information that is better suited for other communication methods. For example, battery voltage issues are not urgent and are more appropriate in a daily exception report rather than as a real-time alarm.
Using Boolean Logic to Simplify Alarm Management
zdSCADA offers Boolean logic for alarms. Certain conditions are interrelated, and an alarm for one is an alarm for all. Consider a gas compressor at a large common point. If it goes down, that single alarm is enough. There is no point in generating additional alarms for low flow at each well upstream of this location.
Accountability: Driving Meaningful Alarm Responses
How personnel respond to alarms often comes down to accountability. When no action is required, it is easy for alerts to be ignored or dismissed. That is why robust systems are designed to require acknowledgement, making it clear that someone is responsible for seeing it through. If an alarm goes unacknowledged, it raises real questions about whether the right people are in place to manage the issue. Reinforcing accountability through repeated messaging helps ensure that nothing is overlooked. Once an alarm is acknowledged, the responsibility to act becomes clear.
The Pitfalls of Group Alarm Routing and How to Improve It
Another pitfall is routing alarms to large groups. While it has its place, it dilutes accountability and the “somebody else will take care of it” mindset creates pitfalls. A better approach is to utilize notification schemes that route the alarm to other personnel if the original alarm is not acknowledged in a timely manner. Typically, such notification schemes go up the chain of command, ensuring accountability at every level.
Proactive Alarm Management with zdSCADA
Effective alarm management requires operators to be deliberate and proactive. A complete alarm system must be continuously monitored to ensure every component—from devices to communications—is functioning properly. Reducing nuisance alarms increases the chances that critical alerts will receive timely and appropriate responses. Most importantly, clear individual accountability is essential to prevent important alarms from being overlooked.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive SCADA hosting solution designed to meet these challenges, zdSCADA is ready to help streamline your alarm management, enhance system reliability, and ensure critical alerts are never ignored.
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