How to Use Ethernet to Improve Your Midstream Oil and Gas Communications

Midstream oil and gas markets typically use three types of networks. The first type is for control and for safety shutdown systems, typically starting at the controller level and extending down to I/O and instruments. The second type is for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, starting at the controller level and extending up to MES and to ERP systems. The third type of network is intranets for internal communications such as VoIP, dedicated email servers and file transfers. On any of those networks, switching to Ethernet may decrease costs and improve connectivity.