By William Maize, Product Management, Mobiltex
Most utilities are seeking smarter, more efficient solutions to manage their infrastructure. For UniSource Energy Services, a Fortis company, and provider of natural gas to 171,000 customers across Arizona, upgrading their outdated pressure monitoring system was a critical step toward modernizing operations.
Their successful transition from traditional chart recorders to remote pressure monitoring system has moved the needle in operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and incident response times.
For 70 years, UniSource had relied on 8-in paper chart recorders to monitor gas pressure across their distribution system, but this antiquated technology was holding them back. Curtis Asselstine, who has been with the company for 20 years, serves as the manager of gas engineering and technical services. His team of about 40 people oversees a vast territory spanning five counties.
“We had people in all the districts travel around once a week to look at the charts, replace the paper and bring the sheets into the office for a double review process,” recalls Asselstine. “The challenges to this process were significant, and we knew the answer was to be found in better technology.”
Maintaining proper pressure in gas distribution lines is crucial, as low pressure can disrupt service and appliances, while excessive pressure increases the risk of leaks, safety hazards, greenhouse gas emissions and revenue loss.
Hidden Costs
The weekly ritual of changing paper charts may have been routine, but it came with substantial hidden costs. Technicians faced extreme weather conditions, from 125° F heat in Lake Havasu City to heavy snowfall in Flagstaff, at 8,000 ft elevation.
These conditions contributed to workplace injuries from insect stings, slip-and-fall incidents, and heat-related illnesses. The old chart recorders suffered from battery failures, clock malfunctions and environmental factors that compromised data accuracy.
Moreover, the delay in data collection meant a delay in incident response. Pressure issues could go undetected for up to a week between chart changes, which is a long time in gas distribution, where maintaining proper pressure is critical for safety and service reliability.
As replacement parts became increasingly scarce and expensive for the obsolete equipment, Asselstine knew it was time for a transformation.
Opting for Remote
After careful evaluation, UniSource selected the Abriox Osprey SP Multichannel Remote Pressure Monitor. This solar-powered system offered comprehensive solutions compared to their paper-based predecessor, features included:
Remote monitoring: The system can be installed in pressure regulating stations, district governors and city gates, to monitor gas pressure up to 1,450 psi.
Multiple pressure channels: With three available pressure channels, the monitors provide a complete overview of network performance, including inlet/outlet pressure at regulating stations and filter differentials.
Remote data access: The system automatically transmits data to the software for display, interpretation and archiving.
Real-time data: The team can also access live readings from any device when desired, improving responsiveness and decision-making.
Durable hardware: The system ensures reliability in various environmental conditions, and the use of solar power eliminates battery replacement issues.
Incident evaluation mode: This mode provides special monitoring for alarm situations including poor pressure, blockages and non-routine operations.
In addition, the implementation wasn't rushed. The company ran both systems in parallel for nearly a year, ensuring data consistency and building confidence in the recent technology.
Proactive Compliance
Since implementation, UniSource has experienced improvements across multiple operational areas. With real-time alerts and customizable alarm setpoints, pressure anomalies are now detected immediately, allowing for proactive maintenance. Instead of waiting for a weekly manual review of paper charts, technicians can now respond to potential issues before it is noticed in the field.
Asselstine explains, “The new system has helped us diagnose pressure problems in real time. The alarm events are a great tool, and we are responding to incidents more frequently, before we get a customer call.”
Digitization of pressure data has eliminated the need for physical storage, reducing paperwork and streamlining audits. Previously, the company-maintained stacks of fading paper charts, making compliance reviews cumbersome. With automatic data logging, auditors now have access to high-quality, easily retrievable records, which has improved regulatory oversight.
“Making the switch was a bit nerve-racking, and we wondered what our compliance records would look like,” admitted Asselstine. “We shared the reports with our auditors, and they were impressed with having all the data in one place, and the layout made it easy to see and understand.”
The elimination of weekly site visits to hundreds of pressure monitoring locations has resulted in significant cost savings for the company Moreover, reducing technician travel to hazardous locations during extreme weather conditions has enhanced worker safety. The system’s solar-powered hardware eliminates battery replacement costs, further reducing maintenance expenses.
Continuing to Modernize
For a utility company operating across Arizona’s challenging terrain, the transition to digital pressure monitoring proved to be a success. The investment in modern technology delivered tangible benefits across safety, efficiency and customer service sectors.
As UniSource continues to modernize its infrastructure, the Abriox Osprey system stands as proof that sometimes the most impactful changes come from replacing the most fundamental processes.
“It is a solid product that modernizes pressure recording processes, and it also provides peace of mind that we will be notified when there are any issues with our systems,” concludes Asselstine. P&GJ