Technology Solutions for Off-shore Markets

Technology Solutions for Off-shore Markets

Bruce Elbert

President, Application Technology Strategy, Inc.

From SatMatazine.com, December 2006

 As world petroleum markets recover from last-year’s challenges, the exploration and development of oil and gas reserves has reached new highs. Many large and small companies that supply communications products and services have seen impressive growth in demand. The Offshore Communications 2006 exhibition and conference, held a few weeks back in Houston, provided an update on how this sector relates to the satellite communications industry. Offshore 2006 was organized by Technology Systems Corporation and the Global VSAT Forum and impressed me by its vibrancy and commitment to the results-orientation that is the hallmark of “Oilpatch”.

 Visible Trends

Big oil, exemplified by ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP, need flexible and reliable bandwidth for an array of applications that can be delivered to difficult-to-reach places. Therefore, the old standbys of line-of-sight microwave and high frequency radio are not particularly appropriate. Even the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) providers are having difficulty meeting bandwidth needs, which now start at 512 kbps instead of 9600 bps.

 Another important trend is that these major producers seem less interested in having their own telecommunications staff and investment to address long-haul communications needs; instead, there is a focus on the computers and other peripheral devices that make their businesses tick. As a result, there has been a push to outsource the physical network to specialized providers who purchase the equipment and satellite capacity, and install the systems on platforms, vessels and distant sites around Asia, Africa and South America. Some large field services companies like Halliburton have outsourced their networks as well.

 Satellite-based telecommunications service providers like CapRock, Stratos, Rignet and Petrocomm had focused on this niche and as a result, have seen their businesses grow. Smaller well-connected companies that operate in specific countries, notably Indonesia, Nigeria and Russia, are being pulled along as oil exploration hits a new high. All of these companies understand the needs of the oil and gas industry, which demands highly qualified people who are certified to work in the rough environment of the drilling platform and exotic destinations like Sakhalin Island and the North Slope of Alaska. The photograph below illustrates one of CapRock’s VSAT solutions designed to withstand the harsh conditions native to the offshore energy industry.  

An example of an installed CapRock stabilized antenna system designed for deepwater drilling vessels.

 Very small aperture terminal (VSAT) products from iDirect, Comtech EF Data VIPersat, Hughes and ViaSat are effectively applied to the range of needs at prime and remote locations. These devices offer dynamic bandwidth and flexible Internet Protocol (IP) services with Quality-of-Service (QoS) features that are made available in a manner more familiar to office workers in major cities. End-users expect all of the familiar business applications like email and VoIP; at the same time, technical staff on drilling platforms and specialized vessels apply workstation-level computer processing, high-resolution color imagery, and live TV of the ocean floor.

 Compact Ku-band equipment from VSAT and RF electronics manufacturers delivers these applications while meeting the tough logistical demands of international distribution, installation and maintenance. The traditional VSAT architectures of constant bit rate SCPC, asymmetrical TDMA with star topology, and symmetrical mesh TDMA each find their respective niche. The result is that the current large and small service providers can satisfy almost any demand placed on their networks and their people. Some of these requirements can even be subcontracted to trusted local partners who know the ground and business enviornment.

 Companies that design and produce high-performance tracking antenna systems are making it possible for providers and users to have the right communications where they need it and under almost any condition. Ship-board terminals from SeaTel are visible on larger vessels and are now spotted on drilling platforms. Self-pointing antennas from a variety of providers, like KVH Industries, AVL and Swe-Dish, have proven their worth since they can be activated and operated on vehicles and temporary sites without extensive training.

 Because of demands for high reliability and responsiveness, service providers need to maintain a 24-hour network operations center (NOC) that can answer customer questions and resolve problems remotely over the network. This is complemented by having field staff in close proximity who can be dispatched in short order.

 Advancing Ku-band Satellite Reach

Rollout of these ground systems to serve oil and gas has had its impact on the provision of space segment. Importantly, Ku band is now the driver as service providers and users employ the smaller antennas and higher data rates thus made possible. The newer birds from Intelsat, SES Americom and JSAT with EIRP upwards of 50 dBW have seen an increase in demand coming from offshore locations that heretofore were largely ignored. These operators also have learned how to better serve this community with more appropriate pricing and support services that reduce their customers’ technical and business risk.

 Ancillary Uses that Help Grow the Business

A corollary to this growth is a greater interest and potential demand for satellite communications for disaster preparedness and business recovery (although the dollars have not achieved the same level as off-shore uses). Many of the same resources that the aforementioned service providers offer to oil and gas users are usable by companies and government agencies that must respond to and recover from natural disasters. The technologies and service methodologies offer high confidence in the bandwidth thus delivered.

 Our industry has adapted once again to changing needs by providing more appropriate satellite service, including equipment better geared to the off-shore environment. VSATs, compact self-pointing dishes and high-powered Ku band satellites are preferred due to the bandwidth offered as well as the smaller footprint for ground equipment. We find large and small companies active in this vertical market segment, productively using proven technology and giving the oil and gas user the tools needed to build energy resources for a greater global economy.