The Director of Information Technology and Communications of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, Ali Ghafari Nejad, announced the development of infrastructure for the transfer of operational data and the implementation of a real-time monitoring plan for the refining and distribution chain. Speaking at the second National Conference on Data Governance and Artificial Intelligence held at the University of Tehran, he emphasized the importance of leveraging data-driven capacities to enhance productivity and create economic value in this industry.
Changing the Approach to Asset Management
Ghafari Nejad pointed out that the refining and distribution industry relied mainly on physical assets in the past, stating: "Data, as valuable non-physical assets, have significant potential for optimizing management and creating economic value." He described the goal in the field of information technology as transforming data into knowledge through the establishment of data governance and utilizing artificial intelligence to convert this knowledge into effective decisions and their implementation in the form of digital transformation projects.
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Establishing a Connection Between Operational and Informational Technologies
The Director of Information Technology and Communications of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company considered establishing a secure connection between Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) as one of the company's important projects. Ghafari Nejad said: "After the incidents that occurred with smart fuel systems, restrictions were imposed on the communication between these two areas, but operational data have significant value-creating potential."
He also referred to collaboration with the Civil Defense Organization of the country to design the necessary architecture for this connection, adding: "This architecture has so far been implemented in 7 out of the 10 targeted refineries, and real-time data transfer is being conducted in these refineries."
Ghafari Nejad emphasized the value of operational information, stating: "Data such as equipment temperature, product flow rates in pipelines, tank levels, and information related to fuel station performance create significant capacity for analyzing operational status and identifying anomalies."
Real-time monitoring of the refining and distribution chain aimed at optimizing operations is also another ongoing project. Ghafari Nejad stated: "This chain includes 37 regions of the National Oil Products Distribution Company, fuel stations, and over 15,000 kilometers of pipeline." The goal of this project is to transfer real-time information from various sections of the chain to the monitoring and data analysis center of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company.
In conclusion, the Director of Information Technology and Communications of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company emphasized the potential of this project for utilizing artificial intelligence and new data analysis tools, stating: "Aggregating and analyzing information can provide extensive opportunities for identifying anomalies and optimizing operations."
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