2025-11-05
Ship Telemetry in the Oil and Gas Industry: Challenges and Impacts on Operational and Environmental Efficiency
- Customer
- PETROBRAS TRANSPORTE S.A - TRANSPETRO
- Project manager on the customer side
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- Year of project completion
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2025
- Project timeline
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May, 2025 - September, 2025
- Project scope
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2026 man-hours
- Goals
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Transpetro is the largest integrated hydrocarbon logistics company in Latin America, and its operations are aligned with the guidelines of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which calls for a 40% reduction in ship carbon intensity by 2030 and 70% by 2050, as well as with the Paris Agreement, which requires concrete actions to achieve carbon neutrality by mid-century.
This Work addresses the challenges faced in identifying and codifying the equipment automation protocols of Transpetro’s fleet, with the goal of consolidating them into a unified automation registry.
The initiative aims to enhance system reliability, raise operational safety standards, and optimize the company’s technical and financial performance.
- Project Results
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This solution aims to provide continuous monitoring of operational conditions, enable data-driven predictive maintenance, promote gains in energy efficiency, and enhance operational safety.
In addition to operational and technological gains, the project aims to generate significant financial benefits for the company, with scalability potential for a fleet of 26 vessels, as detailed below:
- Reduction of 15.0% in fuel consumption and 3.6% in lubricant oil over the years;
- Decrease in corrective maintenance costs by 3.6%, through predictive monitoring of engines;
- Optimization of workforce, eliminating the need for manual data collection, which represents a reduction of 192 hours/year per professional per vessel, totaling 4,992 hours/year.
These financial results are complemented by intangible gains, such as greater equipment reliability, reduction of unplanned events, increased productivity, logistical optimization, and higher customer satisfaction. The project is aligned with the company's strategic objectives, promoting sustainability, competitiveness, and return on investment.
The uniqueness of the project
The uniqueness of the project lies in the integration of multiple systems and the automation of data collection and transmission, enabling condition-based maintenance and real-time operational decision-making. The system is designed to be scalable and flexible, adapting to future fleet monitoring needs. Its main differentiator is the ability to identify early disturbances that increase fuel and lubricant consumption, promoting cost savings and sustainability. The solution eliminates human errors, increases the frequency and quality of data received for analysis, and allows integration with artificial intelligence tools and advanced data analytics. The return on investment is enhanced by the reduction of operational costs, fewer unplanned downtimes, increased equipment lifespan, and optimization of crew workload. The project represents a significant technological advancement in the maritime sector, with direct impact on the company’s competitiveness and sustainability.
- Used software
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Equipment:
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Sensors for monitoring critical variables (engines, tanks, navigation, etc.)
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Network equipment (telemetry servers and switches)
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Marlink VSAT antenna
Software:
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Industrial Gateway Server (GE Vernova)
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Proficy Historian (GE Vernova)
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Proficy Operations Hub (GE Vernova)
Auxiliary Systems:
- Difficulty of implementation
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The implementation of the telemetry system presents high technical and operational complexity. The main challenges involve the integration of different systems and the secure and reliable transmission of data. It is essential to ensure that all Information Security and Enterprise Architecture requirements are met. The transmission of data collected by the ships’ automation network must occur securely to Petrobras, in the first stage, and subsequently to the DMZ at Transpetro’s headquarters. After this process, the data will proceed to the Industrial Automation Network located at Transpetro’s headquarters.
To enable this communication, VSAT antenna technology (satellite internet) was used, with the creation of two secure IPSec tunnels, forming a dedicated VPN for the traffic of sensitive data. This arrangement ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the transmitted information, aligning with the best practices of corporate security.
- Project Description
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The scope of the project covers:
- Preparation of telecommunications infrastructure for telemetry (switches, servers, firewall rules, IPSEC tunnels, cabling),
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Implementation on the pilot vessel,
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Integration of the vessel’s tools with the headquarters infrastructure.
The system is composed of monitoring devices installed onboard the vessel, which collect and transmit real-time data from main engines, navigation equipment, tank measurement systems, and other sensors, focusing on aspects of maintenance, operation, and energy efficiency.
This data is sent to a system that receive it and transmit it to other databases, data analysis tools, and artificial intelligence platforms, enabling analysis and visualization in interactive dashboards with an overview of the fleet and detailed monitoring of each vessel.
- Project geography
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The solution enables global monitoring of maritime operations, with remote and real-time access to vessel information, regardless of geographic location. The system was designed to operate on different routes and maritime environments, ensuring coverage and data availability throughout the company’s operational scope. It supports data transmission from long-haul vessels (operating worldwide) and coastal vessels (operating along the Brazilian coast), transmitting telemetry data on a 24/7 basis to Transpetro’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.
- Additional presentations:
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