Have you ever come across a failed gas well compressor or realized the power had been off at your lake house and muttered to yourself, “There has to be a better way?” If only you had a way of remote monitoring your tanks and systems

We’ve been there. We started as oil field operators and what kept us up at night was the fear of our tanks overflowing and all the consequences that come with that. And who hasn’t experienced an unexpected power outage only to find a freezer full of ruined food? We knew there had to be a better way.

Sentry Technologies provides remote monitoring solutions that are simple do-it-yourself devices and remote asset monitors. By proactively monitoring oil and gas wells or remote equipment for farms, ranches, second homes, and properties, you can save time and resources spent recovering from a catastrophe. Remote monitoring is “the better way.”

Where did we get our start? 

The Sentry Technologies’ co-founders drilled some of the first wells in the Eagle Ford of South Texas. We know the pain of coming up to a well and realizing it’s been down since we last stopped by on our route. We remember all too well the stress and expense that goes along with a down well.

The truth is onsite monitoring just isn’t enough anymore. The oil and gas market is too hot to take the chance that a well’s production is down or completely shut off. The routes aren’t what they used to be either. Producers are expected to do more with less while ensuring the highest level of production. The ability to receive data or to be alerted on key thresholds is the key to staying on top of well production.

Remote monitoring has many applications and can be useful in a variety of industries like agriculture, rural water districts, neighborhood utilities, transportation, second properties, and more. Any equipment that is vital to business or quality of life can benefit from remote monitoring.

The consequences of malfunctions 

In oil and gas, lost production is one consequence of a down well, but the potential environmental hazards can cost oil and gas companies in terms of fees, reputation, and even the ability to operate, period. The cost of a saltwater spill can total in the millions when you count the clean-up, fines, and loss of production.

The technological advances in the agriculture industry have been vital to keeping up with market demand. Many aspects of ranches and farms now have a technological component whether it is gauges on grain silos or livestock tanks or self-driving tractors and farm equipment. Farmers can’t afford even a day of downtime and ranchers can’t risk illness spreading through their livestock. No matter how much technology we throw at an industry, a person must maintain and monitor the equipment to ensure it’s up and running. But what if you had a second or third or fourth set of eyes watching all of your critical equipment to make sure the livestock tanks were full and tractors were up to date on maintenance? Loss of time, equipment, and resources can all be prevented with remote monitoring.

Isn’t remote monitoring expensive?

This is what most people want to know. They generally expect a remote monitoring device to require a big outlay in equipment and approval from their boss three steps up the ladder. Many are surprised to learn that there are various levels of monitoring and a solution for every budget. The value of being alerted to thresholds before they become issues is obvious, and an area of cost savings that should be taken into consideration. How much does it cost to leave outages up to chance? Many devices can also be leased and maintenance packages provide a hands-off, reliable solution. Bottom line: Remote monitoring will affect your bottom line, not because of the cost, but because of the money you’ll save.

But what if there’s no cell service? 

Remember we said we were out in Eagle Ford before it became the biggest shale play in the world? Remote wireless monitoring can’t exist without satellite communication. If you’re going to put your trust in a remote device, first, it must be always on, and second, it must be able to send alerts in any condition and in any environment and wifi can’t do that. Sentry Technologies’ remote monitoring devices use satellite communications to ensure you always receive the critical alerts you need to ensure equipment is working as expected.

There IS a Better Way 

So the question is, “What will you do with your time now?” Seriously. Just picture it. You just sat down to dinner on a Monday night and you get an alert from Watchdog ST letting you know the pressure on well XYZ is approaching the threshold you preset to give you plenty of time to address the issue before it turns into a catastrophe. You go on enjoying your dinner and now know which well you need to stop at first on your route tomorrow, the equipment you need to make the repair, and most importantly, you get a good night’s sleep knowing you KNOW all is well on your route.