How utility mapping software benefits the oil and gas industry: Applications for pipeline engineers and maintenance teams

Utility mapping software enables oil companies to build oil rigs and pipelines safely. Pipelines should be handled with the utmost planning and care. GIS in oil and gas and utility mapping solutions ensure safer pipelines by accurately visualizing pipelines. This article explains how utility mapping tools benefit the oil and gas industry.

Benefits of utility mapping in the oil and gas industry

‍Asset management and maintenance

Utility data helps oil and gas companies manage pipelines. It shows detailed information about the location and condition of those assets. As a result, the company can proactively identify risky pipelines, mitigate those risks, and plan maintenance and repair. Predictive maintenance also helps reduce downtime and avoid sudden infrastructure failure.

Safety and compliance

Complying with different safety and regulatory standards is an important requirement in the oil and gas industry. It shows due diligence in adhering to best practices. Consequently, regulatory compliance helps identify potential safety hazards and take preventive measures accordingly. Up-to-date utility maps help operate safely and perform maintenance tasks efficiently.

Environmental assessment

Oil and gas companies must comply with environmental regulations. For this reason, petroleum and energy GIS can analyze the terrain and assess the environmental impact of construction. It can also map sensitive areas and enable better pipeline planning to reduce the environmental impact.

Emergency response

Emergencies and accidents are common in the oil and gas industry. In such cases, locating and operating the utility infrastructure is important for an effective emergency response. All stakeholders must have up-to-date utility data to make informed decisions. For this purpose, pipeline engineers can use utility mapping tools to access the pipeline data and respond immediately. They can communicate with the other teams and ensure safe evacuations.

Data-driven decision making

Oil and gas utility mapping accurately analyzes all the pipelines on site. It shows the conditions of those assets and helps make more proactive, data-driven decisions. Maintenance tasks can also be performed quickly without any reworks.

Better employee productivity

Oil and gas companies can assess utility data to make better decisions and ensure better productivity. Employees can avoid spending hours on manual analysis and instantly get real-time utility information. Consequently, manual costs also reduce while the company’s productivity improves.

Collaborative communication

Utility software for pipeline management can be synced with the cloud to make data collaboration easy. Sharing the data and files via email is no longer necessary. Just uploading the utility status on the cloud is enough, and it is updated on every stakeholder device so that the data can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Besides the data storage, it offers commenting options and data management to provide a clear view of the pipeline networks. At the same time, it helps the site managers analyze historical utility data and allocate resources accordingly.

How oil and gas companies use utility mapping

Pipeline planning and design

Oil and gas companies use utility mapping for efficient pipeline planning and design. The software provides comprehensive geospatial data that helps engineers visualize underground utilities, topography, and environmental conditions. Utility mapping reduces the risk of costly accidents and ensures safety and regulatory standards compliance. It enables detailed utility analysis and enhances decision-making. It also minimizes delays and improves the safety and efficiency of pipeline projects.

Pipeline routing

Oil and gas field mapping solutions help the planning team analyze terrain and other environmental factors. Utility data allows them to plan optimal routes, avoiding existing infrastructure and natural hazards. They also enable the team to locate existing utility lines and find the most efficient and safe routes from new lines. As a result, the company can avoid utility re-laying in the future and minimize construction costs.

Regular monitoring and inspection of pipelines

Oil and gas companies need to monitor and inspect pipelines regularly. Utility mapping tools help identify high-risk utilities that need frequent monitoring. The company can allocate on-demand resources to inspect and maintain the pipelines.

Utility mapping platforms can also be integrated with sensor networks and IoT devices for real-time monitoring. The maintenance team can receive notifications on alarming issues, such as drastic temperature changes or pressure drops, and can, therefore, take timely action to repair the pipeline.

Utility data integration and cross-team collaboration

Sometimes, pipelines share space with other utilities, such as water mains or power lines. In such cases, mapping software helps locate all the utilities and integrate the data. It helps to get an overall view of the utilities and ensure the best use of space.

The mapping tool also supports collaboration between teams from different utility companies. It acts as a centralized platform for utility data access and data sharing, improving cross-team communication and ensuring that every stakeholder works with up-to-date information.

Stakeholder communication

Utility mapping tools generate visual maps and reports on utility infrastructure. They act as an easy-to-understand tool to communicate complex information. The visual information can be easily communicated to stakeholders, including company employees, regulatory bodies, local communities, and investors. The enhanced communication between site engineers and management also enables faster decision-making.

Efficient pipeline visualizations with PointMan

PointMan is the go-to utility mapping software for pipeline engineers and maintenance teams. It enables them to locate pipelines accurately, assess their conditions, and manage them efficiently. The real-time mapping ensures that the utility data is always up-to-date. The tool also reduces the risk of accidents during excavation and maintenance. As a result, costly repairs can be prevented.

PointMan offers detailed and up-to-date digital records of pipeline locations, conditions, and surrounding utilities for pipeline engineers. It is important for designing new pipelines, planning maintenance schedules, and responding to emergencies. Integrating GPS and GIS systems further aids in accurate pipeline tracking, ensuring that every asset is accounted for and properly managed.

PointMan enables maintenance teams to access and update utility maps directly from the field. Real-time data sharing improves communication and coordination, enabling quicker response times and more efficient maintenance. Also, PointMan helps ensure compliance with industry regulations by maintaining comprehensive and accurate records of all underground assets.

PointMan is the ideal software that empowers pipeline engineers and maintenance teams to manage oil and gas infrastructure more safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. Need more information? Get in touch with our team today.