HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING
43
Why can't I use
my smart phone?
Michael Hewson,
Varec, Inc., USA,
looks at
mobile data capture and
validation applications for the
oil and gas supply chain.
I
t is virtually unarguable that
mobile computing has grown so
much that it is now integrated
into both professional and
personal lives and there are
numerous applications and
processes in the oil and gas
industry that would benefit
from the efficiencies that
mobile technologies offer.
However, industry has not
yet seen the rapid third
party development of
specialised professional
mobile applications that
would empower and
benefit owners and
operators of oil and gas
facilities similar to what is
currently available for the
office environment. There has
been a cascading effect
keeping the industry from these
benefits driven by safety,
technology limitations, and the
experience of web developers as
