As oil and gas exploration, drilling, and production facilities have become increasingly advanced, so have their communications requirements. In fact, the deployment of effective, secure remote communications systems is critical to realizing the offshore petroleum industry’s vision for a truly digital enterprise.
When compared to some of the other components in the offshore E&P chain, remote communications expenses can be viewed as quite small. This is especially so when considering how the deployment of a relatively inexpensive, redundant communications infrastructure can help avoid the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars per day in excess production and operation costs.
Stratos is dedicated to helping E&P executives understand how modern remote communications systems better align with strategic and operational objectives, driving more effective business decisions.
Through its work with leading offshore operators and drilling contractors, Stratos has demonstrated its ability to deploy communications systems that support complex, real-time processes and ensure business continuity in the face of today’s environmental and geopolitical challenges.
Deploys business-critical applications
Stratos’ remote communications solutions play a key role in managing critical, industry-specific business processes, including inventory management and real-time drilling and production monitoring. Offshore drilling, production and subsea pipeline operators also apply Stratos solutions for LAN, Internet and other applications that were unavailable only a few years ago.
As an example, Stratos manages VSAT satellite data networks specializing in SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) applications for data collection and monitoring of oil and gas pipelines. Along with custom solutions, Stratos provides 24x7 network monitoring support and reporting to ensure high network availability.
Founded in 1985, Stratos has become one of the world’s largest providers of remote communications solutions to the oil and gas industry. Stratos serves the offshore industry via its Broadband Services Group, which employs more than 300 professionals combined at its Houston headquarters and global network operations centers in Louisiana, the UK, Germany and Russia. Parent company Stratos is a satellite and microwave global service provider that owns and operates its own telecommunications facilities, shares infrastructure with other carriers, and in some cases distributes the services of other network operators.
Delivers major offshore coverage
Use of Stratos’ combined multiple technologies can be demonstrated in its deployment of a project for one of the Gulf of Mexico region’s largest operators. The multi-million dollar project provides remote communications for more than 100 offshore installations. This includes use of the Stratos-owned Gulf of Mexico microwave system, as well as an upgrade to the operator’s entire GoM telecom network, to provide more available and reliable bandwidth and redundant communications.
For this customer, Stratos supplements its microwave-based service with satellite-based backup systems at key connection points to maximize business continuity and recovery of communications in the event of disasters.
Prior to helping major operators repair their communications infrastructures, Stratos successfully repaired portions of its own hurricane-damaged GoM microwave network early this year. The new, redesigned Stratos network includes even better performance and resistance against future storms, with improved circuit protection, additional beach crossings, increased bandwidth, true ATM transport and additional redundancy to improve reliability. The cornerstone of Stratos’ enhanced redundancy offering is its new Laurentides Teleport in Quebec, which features fully redundant power supply and terrestrial connectivity, allowing the highest-possible level of disaster recovery and business continuity using Stratos’ VSAT satellite services.
Another example of Stratos’ ability to offer communications reliability is its work for one of the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors. For this global project, which supports broadband data and voice communications for 60 rigs and remote offices, Stratos uses its StratosITek system, which is based on advanced, two-way VSAT satellite technology developed by iDirect Technologies. With this new technology, the contractor monitors remote operations on a real-time basis from any location, improving operational efficiency and drilling productivity.
The IP-based StratosITek system supports data throughput speeds up to 4 Mb/sec from the remote site, and up to 9 Mb/sec from the hub to the remote site. Each remote terminal has a built-in router to support a full range of data and voice applications and devices, including voice-over IP, fax, e-mail, Internet and intranet access, file transfer and video conferencing.
Additionally, StratosITek boasts built-in TCP acceleration, DNS caching and QoS prioritization for improved performance versus previous-generation VSAT systems. StratosITek also uses advanced encryption technology and scalable bandwidth management to segregate user sub-networks, providing advanced security for critical and sensitive applications.
Five of Stratos’ fastest-growing new services are disaster planning, web-based remote monitoring, security solutions, WiMax systems and custom engineering.
In the wake of last year’s Gulf of Mexico hurricanes, Stratos has dramatically expanded its disaster recovery and business continuity offerings to the offshore industry. Stratos solutions in this area include contingency planning to minimize the impact of natural disasters, ensuring that business-critical communications never stop.
For more information, contact Stratos at 1-800-375-1562; 832-463-2100 (Texas); 337-761-2000 (Louisiana). Web site:www.stratosglobal.com; email: [email protected].
