| Organisations operating in the oil and gas sector | | | | defined as Mission Critical when lives/safety is at |
| face key and often conflicting business challenges | | | | stake; at this point the efficiency of public safety |
| with a need to deliver earnings and profits, | | | | operations is key. Communications are essential |
| increase their share value, maintain high levels of | | | | for ensuring the safety of both staff and the |
| health and safety and maintain strict budgetary | | | | general public. Communications systems need to |
| controls that ensure returns on capital investment. | | | | be able to support alerts on 'man-down' scenarios, |
| A private GSM network can assist in achieving | | | | or to control emergency evacuations. Safety is |
| these demanding targets by creating | | | | also an issue that extends beyond the immediate |
| improvements in communications. | | | | bounds of a plant or oil field. Oil companies have a |
| Any oil and gas communication system needs to | | | | duty of care to the environment, as well as their |
| be able to cope with the challenges of highly | | | | neighbours. |
| demanding locations such as offshore facilities and | | | | A first step is to provide a communications |
| remote pipeline infrastructure. Some users will | | | | system that will serve to minimise the risk of an |
| need to cover just one location, such as a | | | | environmental incident, and the second |
| refinery, while others will benefit from a system | | | | requirements is to ensure the tools are in place to |
| that covers every area of the production life | | | | manage any incident and accelerate response or |
| cycle, the flexibility and exceptionally high | | | | clean-up. |
| coverage provided by a Private Mobile Network is | | | | A private GSM network is a low power spectrum |
| key in this type of situation. | | | | network dedicated to the site and enables |
| Wireless communications utilising a A private GSM | | | | integration with back end alarm and notification |
| network can play a major role in realising new | | | | systems. |
| levels of business efficiency and productivity. A | | | | A private GSM network is ideal in emergency |
| private GSM network provides low powered GSM | | | | situations as the bandwidth is dedicated to the |
| based solutions able to operate independently of | | | | business and is not affected by external factors. |
| any other systems and designed to survive | | | | In situations where the commercial GSM network |
| difficult environments. This is particularly valuable | | | | could become overloaded, or worse fail entirely |
| for communication during an emergency | | | | the PMN will continue to operate independently. If |
| evacuation, shut-down or man-down alarm and | | | | external communications for instance to |
| provides a clear example of where effective and | | | | emergency services is required this is connected |
| reliable wireless communications technology can | | | | through the fixed IP network or satellite links |
| add value to the business processes. | | | | where the threat of overload form public mobile |
| Each user will have different needs, | | | | calls is removed. Emergency Service personnel |
| communicating on a one-to-one or one-to-many | | | | can be configured to work on the private GSM |
| basis, working alone or as part of a team. | | | | network while on site. If the geographical area |
| Intelligent Communications are vital for oil and gas | | | | covered by the incident increases a preconfigured |
| organisations from both a business and a safety | | | | temporary vehicle or remote deployment unit can |
| perspective. A key objective is to reduce the | | | | be used to extend the private GSM network |
| possibility of an event that would require the | | | | coverage as needed. |
| facility - the well, pipeline or plant - to be shut | | | | After the emergency incident has been resolved, |
| down. Interruptions to drilling, pipelines or refinery | | | | there is usually a need to review the incident by |
| operations due to inefficient communications can | | | | evaluating performance and highlighting areas for |
| have major financial consequences and the scale | | | | improvement. A private GSM network can |
| is immense. A typical oil pipeline pumps around $3 | | | | provide reports on actions taken and call recording |
| million worth of oil per hour, while a typical | | | | can be used to track and evaluate the handling of |
| refinery produces around $6 million worth of fuel | | | | the incident. This protects the company from |
| per day. Refineries and plants all have safety | | | | possible criticism by confirming that all duty of |
| targets too and, of course, 24-hour operation is | | | | care requirements were met and then the data |
| the norm. | | | | can be used to update or modify the business |
| Communications in the oil and gas sector is | | | | impact analysis and business continuity plans. |