By 2028, the oil and gas industry is projected to have 18.8 million wireless IIoT devices installed

The oil and gas industry is set to see a significant increase in the use of wireless devices featuring cellular, satellite, or LPWA connectivity, according to a new research report from Berg Insight. The report forecasts a compound annual growth rate of 19.3 percent, with the number of connected devices expected to reach 18.8 million by 2028.

One of the key applications driving this growth is the remote monitoring of assets such as industrial equipment, tanks, and pipeline infrastructure in the midstream and downstream sectors. The report highlights the increasing adoption of sensor applications based on LTE-M and NB-IoT technologies, as well as the continued preference for cellular communications in the remote tank monitoring segment.

Partnerships among industrial automation vendors and technology companies are also playing a significant role in the industry, with companies like ABB, Emerson, and Siemens delivering complete solutions thanks to their extensive partner ecosystems.

The choice of network topology and communications standards depends on the specific needs of each activity in the oil and gas value chain. Many providers are integrating different types of wireless capabilities into single box solutions to meet the industry’s diverse connectivity needs.

Veronika Barta, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight, emphasized the importance of data from IIoT devices in making informed decisions in the oil and gas industry. As operators move towards more remote and autonomous operations, the need for edge processing capabilities to collect and analyze real-time data increases.

Overall, the deployment of wireless IIoT devices with edge computing is expected to be key in optimizing assets and improving oil and gas operations, according to Ms. Barta. This convergence of wireless technologies and flexible offerings is set to revolutionize the industry in the coming years.