Innovative RFID Tags for Oil and Gas Industry

RFID technology can greatly improve operational efficiencies in any industry. Today we focus on an exciting new partnership that promises to bring great innovation to the oil and gas land industry. Omni-ID, a supplier of high-performance, passive UHF RFID tags, and Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), C-Logistics Division, an integrated supply chain management for oil and gas land and offshore assets operations and logistics, partnered to develop the first inherently safe, low-cost, long-range passive UHF RFID tags specifically for the oil and gas industry. The unique partnership and new tags, which replace the manual labor of tracking pipes, expensive rental equipment, and other assets, will be introduced this week at the 9^th annual RFID Journal Live! in Orlando, FL.

The new tag, named Omni-ID® Solo, is the first low-cost, long-range, durable passive UHF RFID tag for single use in the market today. The Omni-ID Solo is designed for non-permanent or disposable assets that are part of the open-loop supply chain for both offshore rigs and land drilling fields. Ideally suited for infrequently used rental equipment tracked on a single trip through the supply chain, the Omni-ID® Pipe is a tough, limited life UHF RFID tag that accommodates a wide range of pipe diameters and is capable of withstanding the rigors of pipe and cylinder storage and transport. These tags provide customers with real-time information to make the distribution of equipment and supplies from docks, storage yards, and warehouses to oil and gas drilling operations more efficient. Omni-ID's single-use, passive UHF RFID tags can improve profitability by reducing the complexity of tracking assets and the time it takes to complete asset inventory. Both tags comply with the EPC Gen 2 standard for passive UHF RFID tags set by EPC Global and GS1, the worldwide standards organization.

"We've tried RFID tags from several companies and Omni-ID's technology stood out as the most reliable with the best read range," said Dane Vizier, C-Logistics' operations manager. "Tagging equipment specific to oil and gas exploration, such as tubular joints, and identifying needs, such as single use, presented challenges best solved with a partnership that blends our extensive industry knowledge and Omni-ID's technological expertise. One goal of our collaboration is to encourage the oil and gas industry to adopt UHF RFID as a vital component of their best business practices."

Several major C-Logistics' customers are piloting the use of Omni-ID Solo and Pipe tags, including Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.'s U.S.A. operations (Petrobras), global energy company Royal Dutch Shell, and NOV Tuboscope of Houston, TX.

C-Logistics is the exclusive distributor of Omni-ID UHF RFID tags for offshore logistics operations in the Oil and Gas industry in the Americas, including Brazil, and West African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana.

"Our partnership with C-Logistics ensures customers that a great deal of industry knowledge and expertise contributed to the development of these technologies so our tags perform superbly during storage and transportation regardless of the environmental rigors," said James Arnold, Omni-ID's chief executive officer.