Case Study: Personnel Positioning Project at the West Offshore Platform of Chengdao, Dongying

I. Project Background

In the field of offshore oil and gas exploration and development, offshore drilling platforms serve as the core operational facilities, making their safe and efficient operation of paramount importance. The Chengdao West offshore drilling platform in Dongying City undertakes critical oil and gas drilling operations in this region. With a complex operating environment, the platform faces numerous challenges, including variable marine weather conditions, densely packed equipment, and intricate operational procedures.

The platform employs a large workforce, with personnel operating across all areas. Traditional personnel management relies primarily on manual patrols and paper‑based records, leading to issues such as delayed information updates, limited visibility into staff movements, and slow emergency response times. In the event of a safety incident—such as unauthorized entry into hazardous zones or personnel becoming trapped due to equipment failure—it is difficult to promptly locate individuals and implement effective rescue measures, potentially resulting in severe consequences. Consequently, adopting advanced personnel‑location technologies to enable real‑time, precise monitoring of workers on the platform has become an urgent necessity for ensuring both operational safety and the safety of personnel.

II. Project Overview

This project focuses on personnel positioning management at the Chengdao West offshore drilling platform in Dongying City. The platform covers an area of 30,000 square meters and consists of two levels, with a daily workforce of 100 personnel. The project aims to deploy an advanced Personnel Positioning System to achieve real-time location tracking and comprehensive management of personnel on the platform, thereby enhancing the efficiency and safety of personnel management and providing robust support for the platform’s stable operation.

III. Implementation Plan

(1) Selection of Positioning Technology

Following an in-depth review of multiple positioning technologies and extensive field testing, and taking into account the platform’s unique environment and practical requirements, the project ultimately selected an integrated indoor–outdoor Bluetooth-based positioning solution. This technology offers high positioning accuracy, flexible deployment, and relatively low costs, making it well-suited to the complex indoor and outdoor conditions of offshore platforms while meeting the platform’s stringent demands for personnel‑location accuracy and stability.

(II) Equipment Deployment

Beacon Deployment: Based on the platform’s layout and patterns of personnel movement, technicians wirelessly deployed 608 Bluetooth Beacons across the facility. The Beacons were installed at key locations throughout the platform—such as corridors, stairwells, equipment rooms, and work areas—creating a dense signal network that ensures seamless Bluetooth coverage across the entire site. The installation height and spacing of the Beacons were carefully calculated to guarantee signal stability and positioning accuracy. Additionally, taking into account the unique environment of an offshore platform, the Beacons feature waterproof, moisture‑resistant, and corrosion‑proof designs, ensuring reliable operation even under harsh marine conditions.

Beacon‑style locator distribution: Eighty Beacon‑style locators were issued to the 100 staff members on the platform (with a reserve of spare locators). These locators are compact and lightweight, easy to wear, and equipped with a built-in Bluetooth module and battery, enabling prolonged operation. Each locator is linked to the user’s identity information and communicates with nearby Beacons via Bluetooth signals, transmitting its location data in real time to the backend management system. The device also features a low‑battery alert; when the battery level drops, it promptly notifies the user to replace the battery.

Beacon Installation: Two Beacon Base Stations have been installed as the core components of the Positioning System. They are responsible for receiving signals transmitted by Bluetooth Beacons and chest-mounted locators, and for processing and transmitting the data. The Beacon Base Stations are mounted at elevated locations on the platform or in areas with concentrated signal coverage to ensure comprehensive and timely signal reception. In addition, to guarantee stable operation, they are equipped with robust protection measures against lightning, moisture, and corrosion, and employ a redundant design to enhance system reliability.

(3) System Integration and Commissioning

The personnel Positioning System was integrated with the platform’s existing safety management system, video surveillance system, and others, enabling data sharing and interoperability. After the system was deployed, comprehensive debugging and optimization were carried out. Through field testing and data analysis, Beacon parameters and positioning algorithms were adjusted and refined to ensure that positioning accuracy meets the 3–5 meter requirement. Meanwhile, the system’s stability and reliability were rigorously tested by simulating various complex environments and abnormal conditions, ensuring that the system operates normally under all circumstances.

IV. Functional Applications

(1) Real-time Personnel Positioning

The backend management system can display the precise locations of 100 staff members on the platform in real time. On an electronic map, each person’s position is clearly indicated by an icon, allowing managers to intuitively grasp the distribution of personnel. By clicking on a staff icon, users can access detailed information, including name, department, job title, and contact details. In the event of an emergency, managers can swiftly pinpoint the location of affected individuals and promptly initiate command and rescue operations. For instance, during a fire or leak incident, the system enables rapid identification of trapped personnel and the formulation of effective rescue plans.

(II) Trajectory Tracking

The system automatically records personnel movement trajectories, enabling managers to query, as needed, the travel routes and locations of individuals over any specified time period. By analyzing this trajectory data, it is possible to gain insights into employees’ work habits and patterns of activity, thereby identifying potential safety hazards. For example, if an individual is found to frequently linger near a hazardous area, timely warnings and training can be provided. Additionally, the trajectory‑tracking feature can be leveraged for accident investigations and liability determination, offering robust data support for incident analysis.

(3) Regional Personnel Counting

The system can dynamically track the number of personnel in each designated area in real time. Administrators can define distinct zones—such as work areas, break areas, and equipment zones—and the system will automatically calculate and display the headcount for each zone. When the number of people in a particular area exceeds a preset safety threshold, the system triggers an alarm to alert management, prompting timely evacuation and resource reallocation to prevent overcrowding and potential safety incidents. For example, during peak operational periods, if a work area becomes excessively crowded, the system promptly advises management to deploy additional safety supervisors or adjust the work schedule.

(4) Boundary Crossing Alarm

To ensure safe production on the platform, the system has designated multiple hazardous and restricted zones, including high-voltage switchgear rooms, storage areas for flammable and explosive materials, and zones for dangerous operations. When personnel enter these areas, the system immediately triggers audible and visual alarms and displays alert information on the backend management platform, notifying administrators of the intruder’s identity, location, and time of entry. At the same time, the locator emits a vibration alert to prompt the individual to leave the hazardous area promptly. Furthermore, the system can integrate with the platform’s access control system: if unauthorized personnel enter a hazardous zone, the corresponding access point is automatically locked to prevent the incident from escalating.

(5) Video Interconnection

When the Positioning System detects an abnormal situation, such as a person entering a hazardous area or remaining there for an extended period, the system automatically triggers the video linkage function. The backend management platform will automatically switch to the camera feed of the corresponding area, enabling management personnel to view the on-site conditions in real time and make timely decisions and take appropriate actions. At the same time, the video linkage function can also be used for routine safety inspections and monitoring, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of safety management. Management personnel can use the video feed to conduct real-time voice communication with on-site staff, providing guidance on proper procedures or evacuation.

V. Project Implementation Timeline

This project was officially launched in 2021. During implementation, the project team overcame numerous challenges, including the complex construction environment on offshore platforms, variable weather conditions, and difficulties in equipment transportation, while adhering rigorously to the project schedule and standards for construction and commissioning. After sustained efforts, the project was successfully completed and put into operation, delivering significant results.

VI. Project Outcomes

Through the implementation of this project, the personnel management at the Chengdao West offshore drilling platform in Dongying City has been significantly enhanced. Real-time personnel positioning and perimeter‑intrusion alarm functions enable managers to promptly track staff movements, effectively preventing unauthorized access to hazardous areas and reducing the risk of safety incidents. The trajectory‑tracking feature provides robust data support for accident investigations and safety management, helping to identify potential safety hazards and facilitate timely corrective actions. The area‑based headcount reporting function optimizes personnel scheduling and resource allocation, thereby improving operational efficiency on the platform. Moreover, the video‑integration capability enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of safety management, allowing managers to respond swiftly to and address a wide range of abnormal situations. The successful deployment of this project has yielded valuable experience and best practices for personnel‑location management on domestic offshore drilling platforms, contributing to the overall advancement of safety management standards on such facilities.