Satellite services go mobile

By Rashid Ahmad Baba

Mobile voice and data solutions to support both offshore and inland operations have become an integral element of the oil and gas communications mix. In the past, it was challenging enough just to send field teams to the remotest, harshest environments on earth; but then for them to not be able to acquire accurate information when they faced problems in the field often resulted in additional operational burden and spiralling project costs.

However, a new generation of satellite solutions has changed the way in which the head office interacts with its operatives in the field. In fact, implementing effective mobile satellite service technologies is the only immediately deployable method of communication open to energy companies that wish to become more agile in dealing with remote exploration issues in real time. There is no longer any need to rely on courier services to relay information back to head office. The days where field operatives waited patiently for weeks in order to receive the results of analysis are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Effective communication solutions are literally saving major oil and gas conglomerates millions of dollars in downtime by improving workflow efficiencies so they can meet important deadlines.

Data solutions are now easily and rapidly deployable, with access to mobile satellite services being as simple as connecting a small portable modem unit by wireless to a laptop, These plug-and-play solutions give teams in the field access to the worldwide web, allowing field operation efficiencies. Data streaming over satellite from remote locations now enables the transmission of geomagnetic or seismic surveys, drilling, mud logging, production testing and other data from field operations to head office for instant analysis. Crucial daily operational progress reports between survey crews and head office can easily be downloaded, enabling immediate and accurate response at the time that issues occur. The ability to stream asymmetrically back to the field, directing crews on next steps at lower data rates, also allows head office to effectively control costs. MSS also plays an important role in maintaining employee welfare, keeping mid-term to long-term deployed oil and gas employees in touch with their families at home.

While data solutions over mobile satellite services have been available for a number of years, they have generally been cost-inefficient and have offered slower data rates of up to 256kbps. Internet service providers over satellite have now developed data products that offer increased speeds at which the oil and gas industry can operate. Now they have the ability to upload and download information over the web at speeds of up to 384kps on dedicated streaming uplinks, from modems the size of a notebook, making the transfer of data from remote location to head office seamless and swift. Uploading and downloading at different data rates, utilising leasing services and unlimited airtime packages, means that energy companies also have the flexibility to identify exactly how they want to sculpt their communication infrastructure into the most cost-effective way possible.

Mobile satellite services provide the head office of an energy company with a real-time window into the field. It has repositioned its technical team as a virtual field operative, bringing field issues and challenges back to home base. Data over satellite has changed the way that the energy industry communicates. Increasing data speeds, along with solutions such as managed services and multiple-platform interconnectivity that operate in conjunction with data solutions, will further allow oil and gas organisations to maximise their operational efficiencies and minimise their cost.

About

Rashid Ahmad Baba is Senior Manager for Product Management at Thuraya. Thuraya provides cost-effective mobile satellite services in more than 140 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and the Middle East for sectors such as oil and gas, mining, agriculture, NGOs and maritime services.