A resource for buyers and suppliers of telecommunications destined for remote & harsh environments
Page 11: Feature ~ Company Profile
Every issue, OffComm News seeks out the hot spots of opportunity, the challenges of harsh and remote comms environments and the companies rising to face them. For this edition Georgina Elrington spoke to Steven Blumenthal, Senior Vice President of product development at O3b Networks.
Page 14: Feature
Rural Broadband Summit Round Up
What’s Next? Insight into the first ever summit of its kind in Dubai at MEA Broadband.
Page 17: Comment
Deploying Satellite Comms to Keep Powering the Workforce
What happened when a roundtable, in Mumbai in April, tackled the comms challenges surrounding crew welfare and retaining quality workers. Lively debate ensued, chaired by Roger Adamson, CEO at Stark Moore Macmillan.
Page 20: Feature
An estimated $15 billion each year accounts for poor decision making from lack of access to relevant information regarding communications. Bernie Branfield from Datasat Communications looks at the extreme costs associated with exploration, production and operations.
Page 21: Feature
Five Principles of Network Design
While VSAT-based networks are helping oil & gas companies solve core communications challenges, it needs a properly designed network. to maximize effectiveness. ITC Global’s Kevin Franciotti takes a look at the key points.
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Editor's
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10.05.2012: Miclyn Express Offshore (MIO) has been awarded a 5 year contract worth approximately US$130 million for 21 Crew/Utility Vessels to service Chevron`s production logistics in the Gulf of Thailand. The new contract is a continuation of a long standing relationship between MIO and Chevron in the region, under which MIO provides all of Chevron Thailand’s crew/utility vessel requirements and a number of larger offshore support vessels. The contract will be executed jointly by MIO and its Thai joint venture, Uniwise Offshore. |
News and items of interest for companies seeking communications for remote and harsh environments, from those that supply it. Please feel free to browse the news bites that particularly sparked our interest. If you have a story that you feel should come to our attention email it to: Editor@OffCommNews.com |
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08.05.2012: Navy gets 1st Onboard IP Video Entertainment System |
04.05.2012: Vizada has been contracted by Danaos Shipping Co. Ltd to equip its fleet of vessels with a full broadband communications system. The partners will provide 1 GB connectivity, which will be enhanced by Vizada Crew PC for optimal internet usage. Crew can enjoy web browsing, surfing, and chatting with friends and loved ones during their downtime aboard. Danaos provides ship management services to one of the world’s largest fleets of containerships. This deal means that its fleet of 63 vessels will benefit from high speed internet and telephone connectivity via FleetBroadband for their business and crew communications needs. Vizada, which provides satellite based mobility services, will also equip the vessels with Crew PC. |
03.05.2012: DTS has received contractual commitments for broadband services from several major oil companies to support production locations, motor vessel, and drilling sites. The company, (Data Technology Solutions) provides communication services to the energy industry and has just launched Advanced Wireless Network ~ an ultrahigh broadband capacity in six different oil producing basins across the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico with network connections of up to 150 MB. Complimenting their network, DTS has the only certified antenna mount which can be attached directly to a drilling rigs derrick eliminating the need for portable towers. |
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01.05.2012: Ecom Instruments Inc. and Intermec, Inc. announced an intrinsically safe handheld mobile computer for use in hazardous environments that include oil refineries and drilling platforms, petrochemical, pharmaceutical production, agriculture processing and other explosion-classified environments. The i.roc Ci70 -Ex will be exclusively sold and distributed by ecom. It carries the widest range of explosion-hazardous area approvals worldwide and carries global certifications from NEC to ATEX and IECEx.
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24.04.2012: Prosafe has signed a contract with BP Exploration Operating Company Limited (‘BP’) for the use of Safe Caledonia conducting accommodation support at the Andrew Area Development Project in the UK sector of the North Sea. On site operations are planned to commence end-2012, with a firm period through to end-August 2013. |
24.04.2012: Offshore Solutions BV (OSBV), the joint venture between AMEC and Cofely Nederland NV, has achieved more than 40,000 safe personnel transfers from a vessel to offshore platforms on its heave compensated Offshore Access System, currently working in The Gulf. The company has also recently secured two new contracts with major operators in Qatar for the safe transfer of personnel to and from offshore platforms, bringing the total of OAS units in the Middle East to three. |
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05.04.2012: Datasat Communications, the remote communications specialists, has today launched a microsite specifically for the mining industry. The site is aimed at professionals responsible for delivering communication infrastructures to mine sites in remote areas. It is designed to provide an information portal on the communications technologies and services currently available to mining organisations.
The company was recently named in Investec's list of Hot 100 UK companies for 2012.
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11.04.2012: The Clough AMEC joint venture has been awarded a contract valued in excess of A$30 million for the Operability, Reliability and Maintainability (ORM) component of the Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project offshore facilities. The scope of work involves building the maintenance database, assuring operational readiness for the offshore facilities, all training and development programmes, operations engineering and support services. The platform will be one of Australia's largest offshore. Its topsides include support utility systems and personnel facilities. |
07.04.2012: Maroc Telecom, a telecommunication company in Morocco, launched Loukkos, a new fiber-optic submarine cable linking Morocco to Spain after the Atlas Offshore cable was damaged. With a transmitting rate of 40 gigabits per second, the new 187-kilometer long cable is already serving Moroccan users and the international Internet bandwidth, Maroc Telecom said. Last week the Atlas Offshore fiber-optic submarine cable, which links Morocco to France, was damaged in an area 86 km off the coasts of the northern city of Asilah at a depth of 550 meters. |
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10.04.2012: Prosafe awarded two contracts by Statoil Petroleum AS:Safe Scandinavia and Regalia. The Safe Scandinavia will be used for accommodation support at Snorre A in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea for a nine-month firm period. The Regalia will be used for accommodation support at Svalin/Grane in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea for a five-month firm period. |
09.04.2012: A report from Euroconsult forecasts that the number of satellite communications terminals in the global maritime market will nearly double over the next decade, projecting that by 2021, the VSAT market will account for the majority of satellite-based maritime communications revenues. The report suggests that the proliferation of new Ka-band based services, which allow much faster upload and download speed than either traditional VSAT or MSS, could expand the maritime market further. | 04.04.2012: GDI (Gulf Drilling International) has placed an order for a Pacific Class 400 jack-up drilling rig with PPL Shipyard PTE LTD for delivery in March of 2013. The rig will come with accommodation for 150 persons. It’s claimed that this jack-up will be the most technologically advanced drilling rig operating in Qatar. The total cost to place this rig into service is estimated at $250 Million. |
| 04.04.2012: Five year contract for SES and SkyGate for the distribution of satellite broadband services in the Middle East. SES Broadband is a fast internet for SMEs and residential users, especially in remote areas. It is marketed via distribution partners and suited for areas that lack terrestrial broadband access. | 04.04.2012: EDT Offshore takes delivery of home-from-home platform transporters.The operations and management company for offshore support and dredging services has taken delivery of a Damen’s Fast Crew Suppliers: the ‘EDT Leda’ and the ´EDT Nefeli'. Both are built with increased crew comfort to ease the longer trips to platforms. For example, the Nefeli, a 50 metre crew boat, has been installed with luxury seats, entertainment systems and internet access. |
30.03.2012: Inmarsat has signed aMemorandum of Understanding with Imtech Marine to become thefirst Value Added Reseller of Global Xpress™. Global Xpress will be the first global Ka-band network, offering the shipping industry true broadband speeds and reliability: up to 50Mbps through a 60-100cm antenna.Inmarsat will make XpressLink available to Imtech Marine to offer a bridge to GX with a bundled package of Ku-band VSAT and L-band FleetBroadband. |