Ask a midstream operator how a compressor station is performing and you will usually hear about uptime, a single percentage reported at month end. That figure hides almost everything that matters. One unit trips on high vibration, another runs below its rated throughput because of recycle, a third burns more fuel gas for every MMscf it moves. Real-time OEE shows availability, performance and quality for every compressor unit and every station as it happens, so engineers act on losses during the week instead of reading about them next month. See it in a compressor station demo.
Real-Time OEE Analytics for Compressor Stations
Live OEE per compressor unit and per station, broken down into availability, performance and quality. AI names the biggest loss on each unit, benchmarks units and stations against each other, and tracks fuel gas per MMscf compressed.
- How OEE works for compressor units, with a worked example
- The losses hiding inside availability, performance and quality
- Fuel gas per MMscf and unit-to-unit benchmarking
Why Uptime Alone Misleads Compression Teams
A unit can be running and still be losing throughput.
Availability tells you a unit was on line. It does not tell you whether it moved the gas it was capable of moving, or whether the gas met pressure and delivery requirements. OEE multiplies availability, performance and quality, so a unit that is available but recycling heavily or running derated shows up as the loss it is. Our compression specialists can review how you measure station performance today.
Uptime only
Running hours with no view of throughput.
Station averages
Strong units hide the weak ones.
Mixed definitions
Each station counts time and losses its own way.
Reported late
Losses seen weeks after they happened.
OEE for a Compressor Unit: A Worked Example
Three factors, multiplied together.
Take one unit over a 24 hour day with 1,440 minutes of required time. The unit is down for 130 minutes in total. Its rated throughput for the day's conditions is 2.0 MMscf per hour. It compresses 41.0 MMscf, of which 40.4 MMscf is delivered within pressure and quality requirements. All figures are illustrative. Run the numbers for your units in a working session.
When nominations are low and a unit is not needed, that idle time is not an equipment loss. Measuring against the time the unit was required to run keeps OEE focused on what the station could fix, and keeps units comparable across stations with very different load.
The Compression Losses Inside Each Factor
OEE only helps when each loss has a name.
Each factor breaks down into specific losses that compression teams already know. Tracking them separately turns a percentage into a list of things to fix. Map your loss codes with our implementation team.
Gas that circulates through a recycle valve is compressed but not delivered. Counting it as output makes a unit look productive while it burns fuel gas for no throughput. Separating recycled volume from delivered volume shows where capacity is really being lost.
Fuel Gas per MMscf and Throughput per Horsepower
Efficiency belongs next to OEE, not after it.
Compression burns fuel gas or electric power to move gas, so two units with the same OEE can cost very different amounts to run. Tracking fuel gas per MMscf compressed, and throughput per horsepower, shows which units are efficient and which are drifting. Read together with OEE, it separates a unit that is losing time from one that is losing energy. Review your efficiency data with our performance team.
Fuel gas per MMscf
Fuel burned for each unit of gas moved.
Throughput per hp
Gas moved for each unit of power used.
Recycle share
Share of compressed gas that is not delivered.
Derate watch
Output lost to heat and cooler fouling.
See Every Unit's OEE While the Station Is Running
Availability, performance and quality for every compressor unit and station, with fuel gas tracked and the biggest loss named.
Trips and Restarts: Where Availability Goes
The time lost after a trip is often longer than the trip.
A trip on high vibration, high temperature or low oil pressure stops the unit, but the loss continues through diagnosis, permits, restart and reloading. Live OEE times each stage from the trip to stable delivery and compares it with the usual restart, so teams see which trips cost the most and which restarts take longer than they should. Plan trip tracking with our reliability team.
Trip
Unit stops. Trip code recorded.
Diagnose
Cause found and cleared.
Restart
Permissives met, unit started.
Load
Unit ramped to required rate.
Stable
Clock stops, time against usual.
Benchmarking Units, Stations and the Fleet
The same data, cut three ways, answers three different questions.
Each view serves a different person, and all three come from the same unit data on the same definitions, so nobody argues about whose numbers are right. Comparing units of the same type and duty, rather than every unit with every other, keeps the comparison fair. Plan your views with our operations team.
Which unit is losing most?
Trips, derates, recycle and fuel gas by compressor.
Which station lags its peers?
OEE and fuel gas against similar stations.
Where should spend go first?
Losses ranked across stations by throughput at stake.
AI That Names the Biggest Loss
Not just a number, but what to do about it.
The AI watches each unit's losses through the day and highlights the one costing the most OEE right now. It compares with the same unit on earlier days and with similar units elsewhere, and points to likely causes such as a failing valve, a fouled cooler or a recycle valve left open. Ask our AI team how it works on your data.
Station OEE Mistakes to Avoid
OEE is easy to calculate and easy to get wrong.
These are common problems when midstream teams start tracking OEE. A short readiness review can avoid them.
What works
- Required time as the basis for availability
- Rated throughput for current conditions
- Recycle counted as a loss
- Units compared with similar units
What fails
- Uptime reported as OEE
- One rated rate for all conditions
- Low-demand time counted as a loss
- Different definitions at each station
How iFactory Runs Compressor Station OEE
Station OEE, on your own network.
iFactory reads unit states, trip codes, flows, pressures and fuel gas data, calculates OEE with its availability, performance and quality breakdown for every unit and station, names the top loss and benchmarks units on one basis. It runs on an on-prem AI server on your network, using data from your PLCs, RTUs, SCADA and historian. Fit questions go to our solutions team.
Live OEE
Per unit, station and fleet.
A × P × Q breakdown
Each factor with named losses.
Rated throughput
Performance judged fairly by conditions.
Top loss alerts
The biggest loss named each day.
Benchmarking
Units and stations ranked on one basis.
On-prem
Operating data stays on your network.
The OEE figures on this page are worked examples. Your own OEE depends on your units, drivers, gas conditions and practices, and we measure it on your data during the pilot.
Turnkey AI: Delivered, Connected and Live in 6–12 Weeks
You do not build this. It arrives ready.
iFactory ships as a pre-configured NVIDIA AI server with the software pre-loaded, racked and ready. Rack it, plug in power and Ethernet, and the AI is live on your network. Our team handles cabling, network setup, PLC, SCADA, DCS and CMMS integration, compressor controller links, operator training and 24×7 remote monitoring. Data stays on your network. For a scope matched to your stations, request a turnkey quote.
Ship, network and data
Server installed. Unit states, trip codes, flows and pressures connected.
Model training and pilot
Rated curves and loss codes set up. Live OEE runs on a few units.
Go-live and training
OEE live across stations with benchmarking. Teams trained. 24×7 monitoring begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is OEE calculated for a compressor unit?
OEE equals availability times performance times quality. Availability is run time over required time, performance is actual throughput over rated throughput, and quality is on-spec delivered gas over total gas compressed.
What counts as required time?
The time a unit was needed to run. Time when it was not needed, such as low nominations, is excluded so it is not counted as an equipment loss. Agree the rule once and apply it everywhere.
What rated throughput should we use?
The rate for the current suction pressure, compression ratio and ambient conditions, not a single nameplate figure.
How is recycled gas handled?
Recycled volume is separated from delivered volume and shown as a loss, so a unit that recycles heavily does not look productive.
Does it work for different drivers?
Yes. Reciprocating engines, gas turbines and electric motor drives are each measured on their own rated curves and compared with similar units.
Can it track fuel gas efficiency?
Yes. Fuel gas per MMscf compressed and throughput per horsepower are tracked next to OEE, so energy losses are separated from time losses.
Does it work for unmanned stations?
Yes. It uses data already collected from station PLCs, RTUs, SCADA and the historian, so stations do not need extra staff or manual entry.
Where is the data stored?
On the on-prem server on your network, shown on dashboards for engineers, control room and management.
How do we start?
Start with a few units or one station. A 6-week pilot connects unit data, sets rated curves and runs live OEE. To plan it, contact our team.
Find Your Compressor Stations' Biggest Losses This Week
In thirty minutes we look at your current OEE method and unit data, and show what live per-unit OEE would reveal. You keep the notes either way.
- 1Your station and unit list
- 2Current uptime or OEE report
- 3Rated curves by unit if you have them
- 4Trip codes and downtime records
- 5The unit that always seems behind
