An empirical study of mobile-device use at Norwegian oil and gas processing plants

Mobile devices have been used for at least 5 years in the oil and gas industry. The interaction-design challenge is to develop a holistic view of operator–device interaction in hazardous areas to ensure that this mobile technology best serves the goals of both its end users and the oil and gas organizations. Introducing mobile devices can change the environment, the workers and even the industry’s objectives. In this paper, we provided insights into work practices and mobile-device use at two Norwegian natural-gas processing plants. Using methods inspired by ethnographic and interaction-design research, we investigated how operators used their mobile equipment in the field, and we explored the extent to which mobile-device use improved procedures and satisfied users’ needs. In contrast to many other studies on mobile-device use, this study drew upon empirical observations of real operations in hazardous environments.