MOBILTEX RELEASES CORTALK RDL1 — ADVANCED CLOUD-CONNECTED FAST SAMPLING DATA LOGGER COMBINED WITH FULL RMU1 CAPABILITIES

Unleashing IIoT for Cathodic Protection

Summary

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has arrived within the cathodic protection (CP) industry, and just in time. Operators of critical infrastructure are under tremendous pressure from completely unexpected challenges due to COVID 19, with one pivot being forced travel restrictions on technicians and contractors who would normally be in the thick of surveys. The energy market as a whole has been hit extremely hard, and is moving quickly to make adjustments, with operating efficiencies and safety being top priorities, while at the same time considering ongoing industrial trends including next-gen communications, digital transformation, and shifts in regulatory requirements.

This webcast will present a new product – the RMU1 LITE – a fit-for-purpose solution that automates pipe-to-soil test station readings. Engineered to support high-volume deployments, this product represents Mobiltex’s continued leadership within the CP IIoT space. We will also present the new RMU1 G4 and INT1 products – the industry’s first battery-powered, GPS synchronized remote interrupter designed for critical bonds and galvanic anodes.

Speakers

Tony da Costa, VP of Engineering – MOBILTEX

Tony has been with MOBILTEX for over 20 years and is currently the VP of Engineering. He is responsible for leading an experienced team of hardware and software development professionals in bringing the future product vision to fruition in a timely manner and ensuring that existing product feature sets grow with the needs of the customers. Tony also oversees all product and assembly processes within the company. Tony holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering with Computer Option from the University of British Columbia.

Will Maize, Product Manager – MOBILTEX

Will started with MOBILTEX in 2019 as product manager, with the task of accelerating product development activities and to align with the direction that the industry is headed. Will has previously worked at an international market research firm focused on digital technology trends in built infrastructure markets and as a civil engineer in a variety of projects throughout Ontario. Will holds an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain, and a B.Eng. in Civil Engineering with Co-op option from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

+Transcript

  1. (Will)

Thank you very much Gretchen! And welcome everyone to the Webinar. Mobiltex is thrilled to have the opportunity to present to so many of our industry colleagues today, so thank you for your time and interest in attending. We hope that all of you are doing well during the pandemic and these rather turbulent times. Thanks again to the team at Materials Performance for setting everything up, it has certainly been a pleasure reconnecting with you.

 

Welcome to ‘Unleashing IIoT for Cathodic Protection and Pipeline Integrity.

 

  1. (Will)

For those of you attending your first Mobiltex webinar, time for some brief introductions. My name is Will Maize and I am a Product Manager at Mobiltex. In my role I conduct interviews with customers and colleagues from across the industry to try and understand market trends and ultimately, to influence our product development and go to market strategy. I have a background in Civil Engineering, and I’ve worked across multiple industries related to technology and the management of critical infrastructure. My co-presenter today is Mr. Tony da Costa.

 

(Tony)

Good day everyone.  As Will mentioned, my name is Tony da Costa and I’m the VP of Engineering at Mobiltex.  My primary role is to take Will’s customer product research information and have my team come up with creative ways to quickly turn that into useful industry-leading products for our customers.  My background is in Electrical Engineering with a specialty in communications systems.  Over the last 28 years, I’ve put that knowledge to use in various digital radio and remote data acquisition product development efforts.  That includes many of Mobiltex’s current product offerings.

 

(Will)

Thanks Tony! Now for a brief overview of the webinar planned for today.

 

Tony will lead us off by providing a quick introduction of cathodic protection concepts, systems, and assets to establish an even playing field for everyone before we embark on some detailed discussions. This will only take two minutes – so if you are a specialist, please bear with us!

 

Next, I will recap four key trends that we highlighted in detail on our first webinar, hosted by Materials Performance in the middle of February of this year. I will briefly review these trends, while providing additional context into how each trend has been affected by the one key trend that we did not address at the time… the COVID19 pandemic.

 

I will then turn it over to Tony, who will walk us through how remote monitoring technologies and the industrial IoT can help solve many of these challenges, while going into detail on a few key issues, including: remote monitoring and control of rectifiers, coupons, bonds, anodes, and pipe-to-soil test stations. On this last topic, we will introduce a soon-to-be-released product, the RMU1 LITE, that we are very excited about. We will conclude with a brief overview of Mobiltex and we should have plenty of time for your questions, so please do send them in as we move along.

 

  1. (Will)

So, without further ado, what in the world is Cathodic Protection? Tony, can you please give us a quick introduction?

 

  1. (Tony)

Normally, pipelines are protected against electrochemical corrosion, more commonly known as rust, by coatings that are applied to the outside of the pipes.

 

  1. (Tony)

However, inevitable defects in the coating, called holidays in industry terminology, allow contact between the metal in the pipe and the surrounding environment, which leads to rusting of the pipe at the coating defect location.  This rusting eventually leads to perforation of the pipe and along with that leaks of the product carried by the pipeline.

 

This process is similar to when a paint chip develops on a vehicle, which eventually turns into a rust spot.  On a vehicle, if the paint is touched up, the rusting is prevented.  However, unlike vehicles, pipeline coating defects can’t easily be repaired due to being underground.  The high cost of locating and excavating, along with the possibility of new damage being inflicted on the coating makes it not feasible.

 

Instead, impressed current rectifiers and sacrificial galvanic anodes are installed to polarize the pipeline and prevent the normal chemical reaction that causes rust at the defect locations. The assets in front of you are all common components of a cathodic protection system, specifically applied to a pipeline. Test stations are locations, typically spaced at increments of one mile or less, where a variety of readings can be taken easily.

 

  1. (Tony)

The impressed current rectifiers and sacrificial anodes, acting in independent systems, are the assets that deliver energy to reverse the corrosive chemical reaction in a manner that is very similar to recharging a battery. You see here that the electron flow is passing into the pipeline from the rectifier, and in this case, leaving the pipeline through a holiday, or a pinhole or crack in the coating. In this instance, the polarized potential that develops on the pipe will help protect against corrosion at the holiday location shown.

 

  1. (Tony)

The use of these two corrosion mitigation techniques is commonly known as cathodic protection, a key practice in the safe and efficient operation of critical energy infrastructure.

 

To validate the operation of rectifiers and sacrificial anodes and their effectiveness in preventing corrosion, measurements are made of critical parameters along the pipeline at test stations.  These measurements are compared against standard protection criteria values to gauge proper operation of the rectifier and galvanic anode systems.

 

Cathodic protection systems are of course quite complex. Pipelines often cross other pipelines leading to interference between the cathodic protection systems on the two pipelines. You see the second pipeline here, commonly referred to as the ‘foreign’ line. Differences in potential between the protected pipeline and the foreign pipeline can allow corrosion to still occur on one of the pipelines. In these cases, the pipelines can be connected together, or bonded, at the crossing points to mitigate some of the interference.

 

  1. (Will)

So now we are all CP level 4 experts, let’s move along to recapping key trends in cathodic protection and pipeline integrity fields, with a view to how COVID19 has impacted the sector.

 

  1. (Will)

During our webinar in mid-February, we identified four trends impacting our sector in 2020, and we discussed them all in depth. If you are interested in that discussion, you will find a link to that webinar at the end of our presentation today. While we had heard about the novel coronavirus at the time of the webinar in February, we had no idea just how large the outbreak would soon become. COVID19 is surely the key trend for 2020 across all industries, economies, and societies… With that in mind, I’ll now recap the four trends that we did discuss, and then circle back on each to reinforce how COVID19 has in fact had an amplifying effect on each of them.

 

<Flip> The first trend involves the ever-changing landscape of communications technologies. Remote monitoring devices rely on robust communications platforms for transmitting data and receiving commands in the field. From the ongoing sunsets of 2G and the looming sunsets of 3G, to the dynamic market of satellite communications offerings and the ever-evolving landscape of internet of things platforms, the communications landscape for remote monitoring devices in which we operate is very complex.

 

<Flip> The second key trend is an expanding regulatory landscape. The pipeline and hazardous materials administration of the U.S., PHMSA, is the chief regulator for oil & gas pipelines south of the border. The first part of its long-awaited regulations, the ‘Mega Rule’, are slated to come into effect in just over a month, on July 1, 2020. Part 1 of that rule will update reporting and records retention standards while introducing some new requirements around pipeline integrity and operating pressures.  Two additional parts are anticipated to be published over the next few years, and the rule also complements recent regulatory recommendations around the risks of geohazards.

 

These regulations, which were originally initiated after a string of high profile accidents, will continue to expand the requirements for operators of critical gas and hazardous liquids pipeline infrastructure across the board, which will in turn increase the frequency and scale of pipeline integrity activities and further reinforce the importance of remote data collection and verification.

 

<Flip> The third key trend is Operator Efficiency & Worker Safety. While worker safety has always been top of mind for pipeline operators, some risks are hard to avoid or mitigate against. Pipelines traverse across some of the most remote, hard to reach terrain on earth, and operators are required to visit sites and read assets at least once per year, and up to 6 times per year for critical assets like bonds and rectifiers. While windshield time – the time absorbed by driving to and from the field – can be dangerous, it is also time that skilled workers are not able to perform analysis to ensure critical pipeline assets are adequately protected. Other issues, such as induced current from high-voltage AC corridors, can all be mitigated by adoption of autonomous, remote monitoring systems.

 

<Flip> The fourth trend that we discussed was data overload. A myriad of data is generated each year; from annual level of protection compliance readings, close interval and other surveying techniques, AC corrosion monitoring and interference testing, to operating data such as CP monitoring system alarms, our customers collect millions of disparate, yet relatable, data points each year. Data overload occurs when you are unable to handle the quantity of data, and when this influences your confidence in the quality and the utility of the data for your analyses and regulatory processes.

 

With the evolution of computing power and modern software interfaces, operators are increasingly turning to digital solutions to improve how data is accessed and extracted, how analysis and trends can be visualized and represented, and to ensure that data can be synthesized and reduced into an easy format required for meeting regulatory requirements and sharing with other colleagues across the pipeline integrity eco-system.

 

/// Pause ///

 

Now, we can ask the question, how has COVID19 impacted the underlying key trends in cathodic protection?

 

Our critical O&G and water pipeline infrastructure is deemed an ‘essential service’, and it must be maintained in a safe manner throughout these turbulent times. Therefore, much of the work that our customers do in the field has not slowed down. However, in an effort to limit employee exposure to unknowns such as eating at restaurants and sleeping in hotels, many of our customers have introduced overnight travel restrictions. <Flip> These restrictions have made it challenging for operators undertaking large communications upgrades, known as antenna swaps. <Flip> With increasing regulations, COVID’s timing certainly hasn’t allowed operators to be going into the new Mega Rule paradigm on a business as usual setting, and remote monitoring has certainly helped to collect data in situations where a manual read could not be facilitated. <Flip> Worker safety is the key focus of operators, and travel restrictions are aimed at reducing exposure to potentially dangerous situations. <Flip> Finally, COVID is impacting the ease and efficiency at which data can be collected from the field.

 

/// Pause ///

 

While the long-term impact of COVID19 on the broader economy and energy paradigm is still unknown, it is quite clear that our responses to the pandemic will influence meaningful changes in how we view and mitigate risks related to data collection and the free movement of personnel well into the future

 

/// Breath ///

 

  1. (Will)

After our last webinar, we had a few suggestions from viewers with regards to a 5th key trend, and we decided to branch into this today. AC Corrosion is a growing area of interest and concern in North American cathodic protection and pipeline integrity industries. There are a number of factors that have contributed to the need to mitigate against this risk, a growing practice area known as AC Mitigation.

 

Pipelines are increasingly co-located with, or experiencing right-of-way intrusion from, high voltage power lines, more-often-than-not AC powerlines. With urban sprawl and the price of land ever increasing, municipalities are mandating that new pipeline construction, or new powerline construction, should co-occupy an existing utility right-of-way. This makes sense from a land-use point of view, however, from a cathodic protection standpoint it can lead to a few headaches. Furthermore, another trend is present that makes this a wicked problem. As pipeline coatings have improved over the years, the risks associated with the concentration of induced current – current that is induced from the high voltage lines into the pipeline – has increased. A high density of current will concentrate on a single, small holiday in a modern pipeline coating, increasing the potential of AC corrosion at that location.

 

The trend to address AC corrosion risk is also driven by a growing awareness of the key factors of AC corrosion in the industry. In 2018, NACE published a new standard (SP21424-2018) covering risk assessment, monitoring requirements, and mitigation measures.

 

The most common way to understand AC risk is to bury a representative piece of material, ideally the same material used to fabricate the pipeline, which is called a coupon. Once installed, a coupon can be used to measure critical parameters related to induced AC levels and electrochemical interactions with the surrounding environment.

 

// Breath //

 

So now that you are up to speed on key trends and focus areas in the cathodic protection industry, and specifically how COVID19 is impacting these trends, let’s look a bit deeper into a major activity that has been especially impacted this year due to the timing of the virus.

 

  1. (Will)

Springtime is typically the busiest time in the Cathodic Protection calendar. No, not because technicians are dying to get out for a walk after a long winter… It is annual and close interval survey time! The time of year when the entire length of a pipeline is walked and regulatory data is collected. Typically, the aim is to measure on potentials and instant off potentials at very close separations, and at test stations, along the entire length of the pipeline to allow for evaluation against the protection criteria mentioned before. The instant off measurements require that all current sources and sinks are interrupted during the measurement period to give an IR drop free value.

 

This implies that preparation work must be done for each isolated pipeline segment prior to survey start.  For pipelines where remote interruption capability is not implemented, portable interrupters need to be installed on multiple assets or with bonds and anodes disconnected completely in some cases.

 

Post survey, those portable interrupters need to be retrieved and any disconnected bonds or anodes need to be reconnected. It can be a logistical challenge, especially during times when field activities are restricted.

 

  1. (Will)

Building on that, let’s now examine some of the sources of instant off potential reading errors. First, we have rectifiers.  Portable interrupters can be deployed before surveying to ensure all rectifiers on the survey segment are synchronously interrupted. However, some years ago operators started installing remote monitoring units complete with interruption capability, which makes interrupting rectifiers synchronously, fairly easy through scheduling on a web portal…

 

  1. (Will)

So up until this point in the webinar, our conversation has revolved around the challenges that operators must overcome to ensure that their pipelines are adequately protected. Now, as we shift gears towards how remote monitoring can help operators perform these tasks more efficiently and safely, I’ll pass us back over to Tony. Tony, take it away!

 

  1. (Tony)

So as Will was saying, the availability of AC line power at rectifiers made it simple to create remote monitoring units for that purpose, and the Mobiltex CorTalk RMU3 is a leader in this segment.

 

Unfortunately, rectifiers are not the only sources of instant off potential errors on the pipeline…

 

Bonds and sacrificial galvanic anodes are a different matter in terms of remote monitoring.  Unfortunately, at bond and galvanic anode installation sites, AC line power is not usually available.  Bonds and galvanic anodes rarely had remote monitoring with interruption capability as it would typically require an RMU that was battery powered with solar augmentation.  Solar panels are expensive and always a target for theft and vandalism.

 

This dictated that either portable interrupters were deployed to bond and galvanic anodes during surveys or they were simply disconnected.  Disconnecting completely creates time periods where protection is not being applied to the pipeline segments at those locations.  Also, survey crews need to remember to go back and reconnect all of the disconnected equipment after survey completion.

 

With the availability of a new product from Mobiltex, it is now possible to address bond and galvanic anode interruption with a wholly battery powered product.

 

  1. (Tony)

Shown are the latest product additions to our RMU family, the RMU1 generation 4 and the INT1 bond/anode interruption peripheral.  Both fit inside a 3″ test station.

 

We’ve taken our popular RMU1 unit that is primarily used for CP coupon and test point monitoring and added two-way communications in both cellular and satellite variants.  With the two-way communications capability, it is now possible to send commands to the units from our CorView web portal.  In particular, this allows for GPS synchronized interruption to occur in unison with rectifiers.  Unique power saving modes still allow the batteries in the RMU1 to last 5 years for a typical install.  A new connector on the RMU1 gives it the ability to use optional peripherals.

 

The first such peripheral for the RMU1 G4 is the INT1 bond/anode interrupter.  This addon unit enables bonds and galvanic anodes at up to 7 Amps of current to be interrupted synchronously with rectifiers during a survey event.  In addition to interruption capability, the unit also measures the AC/DC current flow and the potentials on either side of a bond or anode connection.  With the interruption capability, an instant off potential can be obtained at the installed location.  The battery life on the INT1 peripheral is also targeted at 5 years under nominal operating conditions.

 

  1. (Tony)

On this graphic, we’ve added the RMU1 and INT1 combination on a bond test station. With the INT1, it’s possible to remotely obtain instant off measurements to gauge your protection levels. The products can also be used to remotely monitor and interrupt galvanic anodes.  They allow an operator to understand the current flow through the anodes at a high measurement frequency allowing better prediction of depletion dates and planning for replacement.

 

The interruption function improves survey data quality, and you can see that the RMU1 and INT1 is interrupting in perfect synch with an RMU3 unit on the rectifier.  GPS synchronized interruption allows for clean wave forms when taking instant disconnect potentials.  Here we see the GPS synchronized waveforms hovering above the individual products. If you zoomed in, you would see that a stable ON reading and clean depolarization decays are evident.

 

  1. (Tony)

For maximum flexibility, the RMU1/INT1 is available in three different mounting configurations.

 

The first configuration uses a standard test station cap, but drops the INT1 peripheral down into the riser tube.  Here, we end up with a minimally intrusive installation.  As it looks just like a normal test station, it is less likely to attract attention and vandalism.

 

The second is a tall test station cap variant where both the RMU1 and INT1 are mounted inside the taller cap.  This configuration allows portable reference cells to be dropped down the riser tube.  The capability was requested by one of our customers in the northern latitudes.

 

The final configuration involves a NEMA4 junction box.  For use where 3″ test stations are not found, in particular bond boxes, this allows the RMU1/INT1 to be installed adjacent to the bond box in a protected cabinet.  Mobiltex is now offering a standard NEMA4 configuration for the RMU1/INT1.  For design-in applications on new pipelines, it is also possible to locate the RMU1/INT1 inside the bond boxes directly, but only if they are made from fiberglass or other RF transparent materials.

 

  1. (Tony):

This slide shows the typically wiring diagram for the INT1 peripheral.  The terminals labelled BOND+/BOND- form a current measurement channel.  That channel also includes the disconnect relay to allow the bond connection to be interrupted.

 

A reference cell must be attached if the structure potentials are to be measured.  This reference may be common with the RMU1.  Note that the two pipe potential inputs are separate from the BOND+/BOND- connections.  This is to allow separate wires to measure the potentials right at the structures.  Measuring in this manner avoids the IR drop that may occur due to bond current limit resistors and reverse blocking diodes being present between the structures.

 

  1. (Tony):

Right, so I mentioned earlier that the RMU1 generation 4 platform is an evolution of our industry leading test station RMU, the CorTalk RMU1. I want to take a few minutes to discuss a major use-case of the RMU1 product, AC mitigation, because as Will mentioned, it has an exciting area of growth in our industry at the moment.

 

The RMU1 was developed primarily for cathodic protection coupon and test point monitoring, and with the updated generation 4 platform it now has two-way communications in both cellular and satellite models. In addition to the new functionality for GPS remote interruption in combination with the INT1 product, the RMU1 is a great standalone unit for monitoring vital cathodic protection assets in remote areas.

 

  1. (Tony)

The RMU1 is a key component of many operator’s AC mitigation strategies and is installed for monitoring AC coupons and reference electrodes in areas with high risk of AC corrosion. The device offers multiple analog measurement channels that provide accurate capture for all required AC and DC parameters. Importantly, related to the 2018 NACE AC mitigation guidelines, the RMU1 provides all required measurements for meeting one of the two suggested means of confirming if adequate control is in place.

 

The first method involves understanding, and directly measuring, the corrosion rate on a weight-loss coupon, ER probe, or other metal loss inspection tool.  Where a corrosion rate of less than 1 mil per year is observed, it can be reasonably stated that AC corrosion risk is minimal.  However, this type of measurement takes time to observe, which if it turns out after measurement that the corrosion rate was higher than expected, especially with long interval sampling, a significant amount of metal loss may have already occurred at the holiday locations.

 

The second method involves understanding the relationship between AC current density and DC current density, and controlling the former to a certain threshold depending on the level of the latter. The RMU1 is capable of reading both AC and DC current density, simultaneously, which is vital for understanding and performing the required analysis.  Using this second method is predictive, meaning we can judge whether the pipe will corrode based on immediate measurements, rather than having to wait for an actual corrosion rate to be measured as with the first method.

 

Now back over to Will for the most exciting part of the webinar… Trumpets please!

 

  1. (Will)

We are very excited to introduce our vision for creating the industrial internet of things for the cathodic protection and pipeline integrity industries.

 

There are millions of test stations installed on critical pipeline assets across North America. While remote monitoring has evolved over the years, starting from rectifiers and gradually moving outwards to include bonds, coupons, and some test stations, we believe that the sector is on the cusp of a new age, one that will involve the automation of pipe-to-soil readings at test station locations.

 

  1. (Will)

To bring this era into focus, we are proud to announce our new product, the RMU1-LITE, which has now joined the monitoring system on the diagram.

 

The RMU1 LITE is fit-for-purpose version of the RMU1, specifically designed for automating annual pipe-to-soil readings. Having simplified the product features and design, we aim to introduce it to the market at a price point that supports large quantity deployments across your distributed assets.

 

The RMU1 LITE is currently being field tested by operators across North America, and we are planning to launch the product officially later this month. Stay tuned for more information on the launch.

 

// Breath //

 

  1. (Will)

The RMU1 LITE has two input channels for reference cells and one for a structure. This allows for pipe-to-soil measurements against separate reference cells, creating opportunity for reference failure identification. The device is available in both cellular and satellite versions, and it will take readings monthly or twice per month. Importantly, the RMU1 LITE understands when the CP system is in interruption and it will subsequently take an ON and an Instant OFF reading, meeting the requirements for the annual level of protection surveys.

 

We envision that our customers will initially deploy the RMU1 LITE to automate readings at areas that are difficult, expensive, and dangerous to access. Airports and train ROWs, mountainous regions, swamps, islands, backcountry areas, any site requiring a helicopter, Argo, fan boat or long windshield time access – these are all locations where the LITE can help.

 

Another benefit is around understanding the seasonal dynamics of your cathodic protection system. As regulated test station readings are typically executed just once per year, and close interval and other survey activities even less frequently, understanding how more dynamic changes – such as seasonality or soil moisture content – can affect the readings has been hard to come by. Let’s have a quick look at a hypothetical system.

 

  1. (Will)

This scenario illustrates the hypothetical pipe-to-soil readings that a LITE unit takes on a two-week frequency. In this scenario, the soil conditions are dynamic, and resistivity of the soil fluctuates with the changing moisture content as the soil experiences a wet winter and dries out in the summer months. As all ON-readings (the blue line) fall on the negative side of NACE’s 850 milli Volt criteria (represented by the straight green line), the operator is reassured that its pipeline is adequately protected. Furthermore, once per year the operator conducts its annual survey, and during this time the RMU1 LITE understands that the pipeline is in interruption and takes an instant OFF reading (represented by the orange dots). This reading meets the regulatory and compliance requirements of the operator, as it is also ‘more negative’ than the 850mV criteria.

 

This example shown is I suppose a positive case. If the RMU1 LITE was to take a measurement that was on the positive side of the minimum criteria, or another criteria limit set by the customer, the device would trigger an alert notification for the customer for following-up.

 

With more frequent readings, accessed and analyzed in a digestible platform like CorView, the RMU1 LITE is a first start to help the industry usher in the paradigm of the industrial internet of things.

 

While we’ve talked through the specific applications for our product line, we have not yet addressed a critical layer of an IIoT system for cathodic protection – communications and a robust data platform. I’ll pass it back over to Tony to tie this all together.

 

  1. (Tony)

The backbone of a strong IoT system is in how the devices transmit data, and how that data is stored, accessed, and visualized.

 

Our remote monitoring units leverage cellular and satellite networks to provide connectivity from the field device to the cloud. With access to RMU and CP asset data, our CorView software platform allows operators to use communications technologies in a flexible manner, choosing whichever technology is best suited for the unique location.

 

Will mentioned technology sunsets earlier as one of the major trends in our industry. Our remote monitoring devices are designed with future-proof, modular designs that help to address ongoing communication technology sunsets. Furthermore, we focus on 4G LTE, Iridium and Globalstar satellite communications technologies, which are truly long-term options. We have a more detailed discussion around our communications offerings in the February webinar, which we will provide a link to after our session finishes.

 

Transmitted data is stored and organized in the CorView software platform, which has become an integral component of our customers’ cathodic protection operations since its introduction over ten years ago.

 

  1. (Tony)

CorView, our data repository and web portal, first deployed in 2007, has served us well for accumulating field measurement data from remote monitoring units, allowing users to access that data and enabling users to schedule survey interruption events. It is an intuitive platform that tailors well to the unique needs of the various user-profiles that use it; from field technicians, CP supervisors, and engineers to integrity managers. The platform is also available in App form, which complements well with our line of configuration Apps used for each of our products.

 

With our rapid innovations on the hardware side – punctuated by the RMU1 LITE launch – we have reached a point where CorView is limiting our ability to implement our vision for the future. To that end, we are underway with some exciting new projects to redesign CorView to serve as the bedrock for that vision.

 

In the first phase, we will be moving CorView to a commercial cloud-hosted solution.  Modern tool sets and user interaction methods will be implemented to give users the ultimate intuitive experience.  New dashboard displays will allow better visualization of data.  The database schema and data flows are being redesigned to accommodate potential new use cases for CorView including CIS data, atmospheric survey data, and regulatory reporting.  As well, being on a commercial cloud service we attain the inherent stability and redundancy attributes associated with that type of environment.

 

The second phase will be the addition of an open application programming interface, or API.  An API allows for a defined interface point to the data housed in CorView.  This will allow our customers to extract data in real time from CorView for use in their own systems.  Now customers can write applications that pull data directly into their own databases for specialized analysis that may not be present in CorView.  A typical use case for the API could be to setup a customized alarming system that would augment CorView’s capabilities, or to feed proprietary asset integrity simulation models.

 

The third phase takes us into the realm of artificial intelligence.  A common complaint is that of data overload with remote monitoring systems.  False positives on alarming cause complacency which results in true alarms being missed.  A sea of data becomes a blur.  What if we started applying machine learning to those alarms to determine which are likely to be true alarms based on historical information?  How about analytics on the sea of data to start making predictive failure analyses?  We can let the users focus on other tasks to ensure asset integrity while smart algorithms help analyze all of this data that is being accumulated.  This is CorView AI.

 

  1. (Will)

Wow! Well I’m excited Tony.

Right… To wrap up I will conclude with some details on Mobiltex the company and how you can work with us.

Mobiltex, based in Calgary, Alberta first started developing remote monitoring products for the cathodic protection industry in 1991. We now offer best-in-class remote monitoring and field-survey products for the cathodic protection and pipeline integrity industries, spanning oil & gas, water, power generation, and civil infrastructure sectors. Our products are depended on by many of the largest pipeline operators and distribution utilities in North America and around the world. We design, manufacture, and assemble our products in our Calgary office, in the same building that houses our world-class finance and accounting, engineering and production, customer service, sales, and marketing teams.

  1. (Will)

You can work with Mobiltex through our fantastic sales representatives located across North America and with our valued distribution partners, some of which are shown on the screen now.

  1. (Will)

We will now open-up the floor for questions.

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