The energy sector presents many compliance issues due to the variety of equipment used and the breadth of applications it is operated in.

RiConnect’s Compliance Management System is designed to assist organisations serving the oil and gas, offshore, and other industries, with regulatory requirements related to daily pre-use checks, periodic inspections, regular maintenance, and calibration.

 

RiConnect, a provider of cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS), has pioneered utilisation of radio frequency identification (RFID) chips, allowing end users of lifting and other equipment to keep up with today’s rigorous requirements. By moving to paperless systems, companies can improve the accuracy of maintenance, safety checks, incident reports, and regulatory compliance, while supporting seamless information sharing.

 

 

 

To help energy stakeholders better understand the capabilities of its Compliance Management System, RiConnect has chosen 14 equipment categories — including storage tanks and electrical systems — and highlighted how, in each one, the company can help to ensure timely compliance and enhance operational safety:

1. Pressure Equipment (e.g., boilers, heat exchangers)
2. Rotating Equipment (e.g., pumps, compressors)
3. Piping Systems (e.g., liquified natural gas or LNG transfer pipelines)
4. Safety Equipment (e.g., safety valves, fire suppression systems)
5. Storage Tanks and Vessels (e.g., LNG tanks, crude oil tanks)
6. Drilling Equipment (e.g., drill pipes, blowout preventers or BOPs)
7. Electrical Systems (e.g., generators, transformers)
8. Instrumentation and Control Systems (e.g., supervisory control and data acquisition or SCADA systems, programmable logic controllers or PLCs)
9. Heavy Machinery (e.g., cranes, excavators)
10. Wind Energy Systems (e.g., wind turbines, gearboxes)
11. Mining Equipment (e.g., conveyor systems, crushers)
12. Fire and Gas Detection Systems (e.g., gas monitors, fire alarms)
13. Marine Equipment (e.g., mooring systems, marine engines)
14. Structural Systems (e.g., offshore platforms, wind turbine foundations)

 

The list was compiled based on RiConnect’s extensive experience participating in over 100 oil and gas exhibitions worldwide. During these events, the company has engaged with countless visitors and listened to their challenges regarding compliance management across various types of equipment. These insights allowed identification of the most critical equipment categories where compliance is both complex and essential.

 

Rob Whitehurst-Maiden, sales manager at RiConnect UK Limited, says, “The compliance challenges and complexities across these categories generally align. Key factors include environmental conditions, workload, maintenance cycles, and the risk of label or tag failures. Owners and users of each of these equipment types have acknowledged the flexibility and versatility of our solutions, demonstrating our ability to adapt to the unique needs in these 14 categories.”

 

Offline Function

 

 

 

A person only has to glance at the list of categories to which use of the Compliance Management System is targeted, to get a picture of the remote, demanding environments where this equipment is used. It means that RiConnect’s offline mode is a central feature.

 

Interestingly, the function — it allows use of the system even without an internet connection — was originally limited to the pre-use check, but it has since been expanded to include several additional functionalities, such as maintenance, asset registration, hosting register, and inspections.

 

“This expansion,” says Whitehurst-Maiden, “Reflects a strategic focus to address the connectivity challenges faced by industries operating in remote or offshore environments, ensuring seamless compliance management even in offline conditions.

 

“Connectivity issues are highly prevalent, particularly in remote or offshore locations, such as drilling sites, pipelines, and refineries. Operators often face disruptions due to a lack of stable internet or WiFi in these regions. Many energy companies are investing in temporary connectivity solutions, like satellite links, but they remain costly and are not always reliable, reinforcing the importance of robust offline functionality. This is why RiConnect’s offline capabilities are so crucial; we ensure users can perform essential compliance tasks even in these challenging environments.”

 

There are five functions that can be utilised offline:

• Pre-use check
• Maintenance
• App asset register
• Hosting register
• Inspection

 

Pre-use check

 

This feature allows users to check the condition and safety of equipment even when there is no internet connection, ensuring the equipment is safe to operate before use. When entering an offline area, all information must be downloaded to the device beforehand.

While performing checks in an offline environment, the system cannot update the equipment status based on the check results in real-time. This update occurs only when the user returns to an internet-enabled area and manually uploads the data to the RiConnect system.

However, the results of the pre-use check are recorded on the phone, allowing users to immediately access the equipment's status even in offline mode.

 

*Note that access is limited to the same phone where the check was conducted.

 

Maintenance

This feature enables technicians to view and complete necessary maintenance tasks, while in offline mode. Data is stored on the device and is manually uploaded to the RiConnect system once network connectivity is restored. The offline mode operates using the same process: data is downloaded when an internet connection is available and uploaded once the connection is restored. This ensures the system accurately synchronises equipment status, maintenance results, and other related data, maintaining the overall accuracy of the system.

App asset register

This feature enables users to register their assets in an offline environment. When the user returns to an online environment, the registered data is uploaded, and the system synchronises the identification information for each asset. Subsequently, asset-related information can be edited through RiConnect to digitise asset details that initially existed only in the physical world.

In RiConnect, 'Register' refers to recording asset information in the system using an RFID digital tag. The tag itself does not store the information but has the ability to link to the backend database where the information is securely stored.

Hosting register

This feature is designed specifically for inspection hosting service providers. Although it is similar to the asset registration feature, the role and scope of functionality differ.
Asset owners entrust their assets to inspection hosting service providers, authorising them only to perform regular inspections.

Inspection hosting service providers can create an asset list (hosting asset) in RiConnect, listing assets requiring regular inspections. When operating in offline mode, inspection hosting service providers must manually download the asset list data to their device. After completing the product registration in offline mode, they must manually upload the data to RiConnect once back online, updating the asset list and syncing the identification information.

Inspection

Inspectors assign inspection tasks and download the relevant task information to their mobile devices. While performing inspection tasks, inspectors can store the results in an offline environment. Once back online, the results can be manually uploaded to the system.

In all five cases — pre-use check; maintenance; app asset register; hosting register; and inspection — while offline, users can complete inspections, pre-use checks, maintenance tasks, and asset registration. Remember, real-time updates and synchronisation with the system cannot occur until they are back online.

RiConnect’s Whitehurst-Maiden concludes, “We are currently collaborating with several large oil companies and oilfield service providers in the Middle East and the South China Sea region. These companies face significant compliance complexities; such partnerships demonstrate our ability to manage compliance at scale and adapt to diverse operational environments.”

Compliance-based CTSN concept

 

Energy industry stakeholders are increasingly adopting RiConnect’s CTSN notion, which stands for:

• Compliance
• Traceability
• Status
• Net Zero

 

These have become the established cornerstones of a company that is simplifying and digitalising the processes around compliance and traceability for equipment management. Together they emphasise RiConnect’s functionality in managing not only asset compliance, but also regulatory and certification requirements, ensuring alignment with industry standards. By moving to sustainable paperless systems, companies can improve the accuracy of maintenance, safety checks, incident reports, and regulatory compliance, while ensuring seamless information sharing.