Asset Tracking for Oil & Gas Equipment

A photo featuring oil barrels in the foreground and oil derricks in the background.

Every asset has a story. You should know it.

In the oil and gas industry, every component requires a traceable movement history. Bosch Track and Trace documents it in the background.

The oil and gas industry operates widely distributed facilities, construction sites and service operations — often in harsh environments, with high-value equipment and demanding transport and storage processes. Bosch Track and Trace provides the position, inventory and condition of every asset in real time via GPS, GSM, WLAN or Bluetooth Low Energy. Loss, search times and downtimes decrease, service operations become easier to plan and circulating inventories become more transparent — plug and play, independently of your existing IT infrastructure.

An image that shows 4 impact facts. "-50% shrinkage of tools and equipment", "+25% utilization of assets without new investments", "< 75% reduced search, inventory, book and scanning efforts" and "< 50% saved time for status updates and coordination".

Typical tracking scenarios in the oil and gas industry

Four focus areas that operators, EPCs, service companies and transport providers use to increase the efficiency and safety of their processes — from tools on the yard to the global transport fleet.

Ein Arbeiter überprüft Rohre und notiert sich etwas auf ein Klemmbrett.

Management of tools and mobile equipment

A worker is inspecting pipes and jotting something down on a clipboard.

Management of tools
and mobile equipment

The challenge:

On extensive onshore yards, in refineries or when preparing for offshore campaigns, expensive special tools, pumps, generators and testing devices are constantly on the move. High rental costs for unused equipment, time-consuming searches before deployment (especially during turnarounds) and the loss of critical tools lead to massive efficiency losses and project delays.

The solution with Bosch Track and Trace:

Every valuable or critical asset is equipped with a robust, intrinsically safe (ATEX/IECEx certified) tracker. A central platform can be used to determine the exact location of each device in real time. Geofencing zones automatically trigger alarms when equipment leaves an assigned area and recording operating hours enables accurate billing and proactive maintenance planning.

Your benefit:

Reduced rental and operating costs: optimize the utilization of your equipment and avoid unnecessary rental times.
Minimized search times: make sure teams find the tools they need immediately and are ready for operation.
Increased safety and compliance: prevent theft and ensure that only certified and maintained equipment is used.

Transparency for offshore containers, pipes, and spools

The challenge:

The logistics chain for supplying offshore platforms is complex and error-prone. Missing or incorrect materials in an incoming offshore container — such as pipes, spools, or spare parts — can lead to extremely expensive plant downtime (rig downtime). The overview of the location and exact contents of thousands of containers in circulation between onshore base, vessel, and platform is quickly lost.

The solution with Bosch Track and Trace:

By tracking the containers themselves, the entire supply chain from sender to destination becomes visible end to end. Combined with digital packing lists, you know at all times which materials are located where. This enables just-in-time delivery and ensures that the right material is on board for planned work.

Your benefit:

Avoid expensive rig downtime: ensure the availability of the right parts at the right time.
Optimized inventory management: reduce the number of containers required and the capital tied up.
End-to-end tracking: improve planning and coordination between all logistics partners.

A wide-angle shot of an industrial facility.

Monitoring of skids and modular plants

Monitoring of skids
and modular plants

The challenge:

Prefabricated process modules are key building blocks for the construction of large industrial plants. Transporting these valuable units to the final assembly site is particularly critical. Damage caused by improper handling — such as impacts or excessive inclination — as well as delays during transport can jeopardize the entire project schedule and result in high contractual penalties.

The solution with Bosch Track and Trace:

Sensors attached to the skids monitor not only the exact position, but also critical condition data such as shocks (shock events) and tilt angles. All project stakeholders (manufacturer, EPC, operator) have access to the real-time data and receive an immediate warning if thresholds are exceeded. This creates transparency and a clear assignment of responsibility.

Your benefit:

Risk minimization in major projects: protect your most valuable assets during transport and installation.
Compliance with project schedules: ensure transparency during transport and avoid unforeseen delays.
Clear damage documentation: clarify liability issues quickly and easily thanks to tamper-proof data.

A man is checking digital data on a computer.

Management of global transport fleets and logistics

Management of
global transport fleets and logistics

The challenge:

Companies in the oil and gas industry depend on a complex fleet of trucks, ships and special vehicles to transport material, equipment and personnel safely to often remote locations. Ensuring compliance with safety regulations, optimizing routes and securing cargo are key challenges.

The solution with Bosch Track and Trace:

Our solution enables comprehensive fleet management. It allows near-real-time tracking of your vehicles and ships worldwide, route optimization and monitoring of driving behavior to increase safety. Seamless documentation of the transport chain protects not only your assets, but also compliance with regulatory requirements.

Your benefit:

Increased fleet efficiency: reduce fuel costs and optimize vehicle utilization.
Increased safety for personnel and cargo: monitor compliance with routes and speed limits.
Improved planning certainty: ensure reliable and on-time handling of your global logistics.

Hardware

Bosch Track and Trace devices: Gateway 3 family, Gateway 2, Gateway 2 with Solar Frame and new Beacon 3s.

Robust sensor technology for onshore and offshore applications

Our hardware was designed for the extreme conditions of the oil and gas industry. It is sturdy, resistant to industrial environments and ready for immediate use to optimize your complex logistics and production processes.

The hardware solution consists of a gateway (Bosch Gateway 2 & 3) and a sensor (Bosch Beacon). For integrated monitoring, all-in-one devices such as the Bosch Gateway 3 offer the full functionality of both the gateway and the sensor in a single housing.

With protection ratings up to IP69k and a wide temperature range from −30 °C to +80 °C, our technology ensures maximum process reliability – from the stamping plant to final vehicle testing under extreme conditions.

Bosch Gateway 2 (Connect S2): Ideal for global monitoring of component containers, load carriers (e.g., for engines or body parts), and critical shipments in a global open-loop network (2G / 4G LTE-M) to ensure seamless tracking of supply chains.
Bosch Beacon: Perfect for the digital inventory management of special tools, prototype parts and equipment directly on the production line using BLE.
Bosch Gateway 3 & Sensor (All-in-One): The high-end solution with precise GPS for securing prototypes, pre-production vehicles and valuable test vehicles – including theft protection via motion alarms and documentation of test mileage.

With a battery life of up to 10 years, you can reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of your tracking infrastructure and sustainably improve the efficiency of your global automotive processes.

Start optimizing now.

Are you ready to take your processes to the next level with Bosch Track and Trace? Briefly describe your use case and we will find the perfect setup for you. Simply send us a message — our team of experts will get in touch to discuss the next steps with you.

Asset tracking in the oil and gas industry

Every asset has a story. You should know it.

Typical tracking scenarios in the oil and gas industry

Management of tools and mobile equipment

Management of tools
and mobile equipment

Transparency for offshore containers, pipes, and spools

Transparency for offshore containers, pipes, and spools

Monitoring of skids and modular plants

Monitoring of skids
and modular plants

Management of global transport fleets and logistics

Management of
global transport fleets and logistics

Hardware

Robust sensor technology for onshore and offshore applications

Start optimizing now.

Additional industry solutions

Automotive

Construction

Mechanical Engineering