An oil and gas operator in Latin America launched an invitation to tender seeking a reliable and scalable well integrity monitoring system to monitor annular pressure across its wells and ensure compliance with its Well Integrity Management System.

Beyond regulatory compliance, the operator aimed to:

• Improve reservoir analysis through frequent and accurate pressure data
• Optimise workforce allocation
• Reduce downtime
• Enhance overall production performance

The requirement called for a secure, resilient oil and gas IoT connectivity solution capable of operating in challenging environmental and network conditions.

The Challenge

Most of the operator’s wells were gas lift wells approaching the end of their production lifecycle. Monitoring was conducted manually, with field personnel visiting sites daily when weather conditions allowed.

Environmental conditions were demanding. The region experiences high humidity, temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius during spring and summer, and a rainy season from July to November that frequently causes flooding. In some cases, wellheads became partially submerged.

Cellular coverage was inconsistent across the field, creating additional limitations for conventional telemetry systems dependent on terrestrial networks.

The operator required a remote oil well monitoring system capable of delivering continuous, secure data transmission without reliance on cellular connectivity.

The Solution

As part of the tender process, multiple telemetry providers were evaluated through field testing. Hiber submitted a satellite-enabled oil and gas monitoring proposal consisting of:

• 6 HiberHilo Sensors per well across 3 wells, measuring:
  
  • Wellhead pressure
  • Wellhead temperature
  • Flowline pressure
  • Flowline temperature
  • Annulus A pressure
  • Annulus B pressure
    
• 1 HiberHilo Gateway
• 1 HiberHilo Dashboard
• Integrated satellite connectivity
  

Key Advantages in the Selection Process

Ease of Installation
Competing systems required sensors, a remote terminal unit, and a gateway connected by wired infrastructure. HiberHilo required only sensors and a gateway, operating through a fully wireless architecture. This significantly simplified installation and reduced infrastructure complexity.

Coverage and Capacity
HiberHilo delivered superior performance in both range and scalability:

• Competitor 1: 8 km coverage and capacity for 70 sensors per gateway
• Competitor 2: 2 km coverage and capacity for 96 sensors per gateway
• HiberHilo: 8 to 10 km coverage and capacity for 100 sensors per gateway
  

Satellite Connectivity
Competing solutions depended on cellular networks for cloud data transmission, which were unreliable or unavailable in parts of the field. HiberHilo operated independently through satellite connectivity, ensuring uninterrupted remote oil well monitoring.

Secure Data Transmission
One competing solution lacked data encryption. HiberHilo provides certified end-to-end encryption, ensuring secure data transmission throughout the system and safeguarding sensitive operational information.

The Results

Out of five companies selected to participate in the tender process, three were shortlisted as finalists for field trials. HiberHilo’s well integrity monitoring system was evaluated against the following criteria:

• Health, Safety, Environment and Quality
• Project Management
• Personnel and Equipment
• Connectivity
• Data Services

Following the evaluation period, HiberHilo was selected as the preferred solution. The operator and Hiber are now collaborating on a broader implementation across the field, expanding remote well integrity monitoring capabilities and strengthening data-driven production management across their assets.