Oil and gas
available to predict and optimise the
usage and maintenance of vehicles and
equipment. Another useful service is
geo-positioning of assets. Customers
find this important as expensive
equipment can be misplaced at the
end of a shift. The LTE geo-location
capability can be used as a basis for
geo-fencing applications, which alerts
workers and prevents vehicles from
entering into no-go areas.”
Intrinsically safe (IS) LTE devices
are available. For example, the German
manufacturer ecom has recently
introduced the Smart-Ex 02 LTE
phone. This has a five-inch screen and
is rated for hazardous Zone 1 and
Division 1 areas (where flammable
gases, vapours or liquids are present
continuously). PTT and emergency
buttons are provided that can be
used by operators wearing gloves,
as can the built-in camera. It has a
24-hour battery life and can be used
in temperatures ranging from -20 to
60 degrees centigrade. IS accessories
include the CUBE 800 thermal camera
and the Smart Ex watch.
Motorola Solutions has also been
an advocate for dedicated broadband
spectrum for critical infrastructure
entities, and has grown its enterprise
broadband portfolio in the US with the
launch of Nitro, a cloud-based, endto
end LTE solution for commercial
customers that operates on the Citizens
Broadband Radio Service spectrum.
TETRA’s proven record
WiMAX, Wi-Fi, LTE and other
broadband technologies can bring
new capabilities into the oil and gas
industry, but secure and resilient voice
communications are still vital and
TETRA has a proven record in this
space, as well as an increasing capability
to utilise data and connect to existing
IT systems and infrastructure.
In addition to the well-understood
features of group calls and the
emergency button, TETRA radios
can be programmed to include other
features, such as man-down, or
ambience listening. Sepura has provided
its STP8X100 radios to the Shell
petrochemical plant on Pulau Bukom
island near Singapore. Radios have been
programmed with a fast pump shut-off
feature, which supports the loading and
unloading from ships.
The overall deployment comprises
two base stations and more than 1,000
fixed and mobile and ATEX-certified
hand-portable radios. Major TETRA
manufacturers including Motorola
Solutions, Hytera and Airbus all offer
ATEX intrinsically safe radios in their
TETRA range. TETRA is also used
extensively for machine-to-machine and
SCADA control and telemetry.
Motorola says in North America, the
majority of large petrochemical plants
rely on P25 systems for critical voice
communications. They are integrating
voice and data communications, video
analytics and artificial intelligence.
Combining previously disparate systems
provides greater situational awareness
at plants as personnel can monitor
facilities remotely and respond quickly
and appropriately in any situation.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of
private narrowband communication
systems is that they can deliver
guaranteed coverage even in emergency
situations as they can be designed with
hardened infrastructure to withstand
environmental disasters, high levels of
redundancy and standby, or standalone
power supplies. Public 4G broadband
networks are not designed to this level
of resilience, while in many countries,
private LTE networks may struggle to
find available spectrum.
Multiple comms options
With so many options, potential
users could be forgiven for being very
confused. The broadband contenders
all offer the potential to reduce
manpower costs and improve safety
through remote video links, large file
transfer, or drone control. WiMAX
has a footprint in oil and gas, and can
link to short-range WLAN comms.
Maybe the long-term future of WiMAX
is open to question, but it is finding a
place in aviation with the AeroMACS
solution. What is beyond doubt is that
4G LTE will link to 5G in the future,
offering ever-higher data rates and voice
facilities on a common network. This
could also encompass narrowband IoT
capabilities for sensors throughout the
operating areas. Of course, LTE is just
one candidate for IoT linkages; others
could be integrated with WiMAX
or narrowband systems to provide
information to the control rooms.
TETRA, DMR and other
narrowband technologies continue to
maintain a foothold and are proven,
accepted options for major oil and gas
plants for the immediate future. The
data capabilities are still consistent with
many M2M communication needs –
SCADA has already been used for oil
pipeline monitoring, for example.
Furthermore, a range of terminals
have been developed over decades to
meet the everyday needs of end-users
in hostile environments, frequently
wearing gloves. Now a number of
manufacturers are offering or actively
developing hybrid TETRA/LTE
handsets that enable users to have the
best of both worlds.
Finally, the oil and gas industry must
look to continuously improve its safety
and environmental footprint. The need
for sensing and warning systems where
the public and the environment are at
risk from petrochemical movements or
operations is paramount.
Reliable comms
are essential to
ensure the safety
of those working
on oil rigs and that
of the wider public
and environment
January 2020 @CritCommsToday 19
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