Oil, Gas & Satellite: Cutting Edge = Cutting Costs

A network, whether that is via satellite, terrestrial, wireless or a blend of all three can help oil and gas companies gain a financial edge on their competitors. If it is well managed it can result in the reduction of price of production, drilling, exploration, refining and also transportation of the product to its chain of retail sites and the sale of the end product to its customers. The advent of broadband technology has changed the face of oil and gas communications along with the VSAT. This is a trend that is set to continue. The cutting edge Digital Oilfield streamlines the entire oil and gas chain resulting in more efficient production and delivery with less OPEX and CAPEX required. It can reduce the amount of personnel needed to operate on certain sites, delivering critical information in real-time, no matter where the site is located. Satellite and broadband technology has found a niche in the oil and gas industry. Without it, the business of finding our fuel for the future would be an even more challenging task than it already is.

Oil and gas are the most important commodities in the world. They are vital to the human race’s ultimate survival. It is used for everything – for power, for manufacturing, aviation, running our cars, heating our homes. Oil and gas fuel the world, but perhaps the most significant point about oil and gas is the fact that both are running out. This is driving oil exploration teams further and further a-field in an attempt to discover new sources of fossil fuel. Teams are being forced to work in remote areas that are devoid of terrestrial communications. At the same time, oil and gas companies are looking to minimise their costs, especially in the current economic climate, despite the high price of oil. They also need to reduce risk, improve their performance and maximise their exploration. They need a cost effective way that will allow them to communicate constantly with their remote teams and to monitor their existing pipelines 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The oil companies rely on reliable voice, video and data connectivity to keep in close contact with their teams, their rigs, their pipelines and offices all over the world. This is a huge operation and their objectives can only be met with the use of satellite communications that can operate in often harsh and unpredictable environments – from desert drilling where the heat is stifling to offshore oil platforms where wind, rain and waves make for an incredibly hostile workplace.

When it comes down to communications, the oil and gas industry looks to satellite as a reliable and efficient means of communication. Deployable with no prior infrastructure, in the most hostile of locations, satellite can deliver all the required communications. The size of today’s terminals means that they are highly portable and mobile and ideal in rapid response situations. Shared bandwidth equals cost reduction. Advanced modem modulation increases bandwidth, redundancy and backup, enabling critical real-time operations. Satellite is the complete package.

The so-called ‘Digital Oilfield’ brings a high level of collaboration to the industry, connecting all sites with the company headquarters. It is hoped that the Digital Oilfield will bring about high productivity, reduced costs, increased reliability, safety and high employee morale. For oil and gas companies, the implementation of satellite communications is definitely an investment worth making.

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