Drilling Company Taps RFID Benefits

At the drilling sites, Nabors' field workers use handheld interrogators to read the tags. The handheld readers have a wireless satellite communications connection to the back-end server, Slater says, so they can exchange data with the TrigPoint PROMPTT system in near-real time. (TrigPoint supplies all of the RFID hardware, but Slater would not name the manufacturer of those tags or readers.)

The tags are encased in protective plastic.

Nabors' field workers scan each RFID tag on a regular basis to provide updated data as to each asset's location. If an asset needs to be inspected or certified, the handheld unit will send an alert at the time that item's tag is being interrogated, by indicating the specific service it requires. When a staff member needs to carry out an equipment inspection on-site, he can use the prompts on the handheld device to instruct him regarding how he should proceed.

The system can also be utilized to verify that the equipment meets original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and regulatory requirements—a process that consists of testing the equipment under specific perimeters, then printing a certification indicating the component has passed those tests.

Joe Bruce, Nabors' COO

In the future, the company plans to begin using the system for maintenance tracking. If for instance, a component needs to be shipped off-site for maintenance or repair, the tag is scanned, after which data is input indicating where it will be delivered, and for which services. When the component is returned, the tag is scanned once more to indicate when it came back.

TrigPoint is providing the initial configuration of the Web-based site for use by Nabors, which can later modify that configuration as needed. "We configure the entire system—the fully integrated Web-based and handheld application—and then hand [it] over to the client for ongoing configuration," Slater says. "Our system stores all data associated with tagged assets, what tasks—such as tracking, maintenance, certification or safety—need to be performed, when it needs to be performed and by whom."

According to Bruce, Nabors Canada has been searching for an RFID solution for some time. After completing the TrigPoint pilot, he says, the company determined that "the system was excellent. Everything we wanted the program to do for us, it did." TrigPoint provided support in tag placement, he adds, as well as use of the software.