RigNet and MODEC Sign Agreement to Deliver Fiber-equivalent O3b Satellite Connectivity to Offshore Brazilian FPSO Fleet

O3b Networks, technology solutions company RigNet and floating production service provider MODEC, are pleased to announce an agreement to provide high-throughput, low latency connectivity for MODEC's Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels off the coast of Brazil.

FPSOs today have become the primary production method for many offshore oil and gas producing regions around the world. An FPSO is a floating production system that receives fluids from a subsea reservoir through risers, which then separate fluids into crude oil, natural gas, water and impurities within the topsides production facilities onboard. Crude oil stored in the storage tanks of the FPSO is offloaded onto shuttle tankers to go to market or for further refining onshore.

RigNet will integrate the O3b satellite network solution, enabling MODEC to deliver operational decisions in real-time through advanced collaborative environments. Experts at onshore monitoring centres can now work directly with offshore operators, using real-time information to make better and faster decisions, resulting in increased production and enhanced operating efficiency. O3b connectivity significantly contributes to the governance of the Control of the Work required on board.

O3b Networks operates a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite network, much closer to the earth than geostationary (GEO) satellites, resulting in a 75% reduction in latency which yields much better performance. The switch to O3b, rivalling long-haul fiber in throughput and latency, will transform offshore connectivity enabling full suite ERP, cloud applications, real time HD video streaming, and many other key applications that were previously impractical to use.

"Because of high-latency, we have had to establish a sub-par communications infrastructure on board each vessel. With O3b, we can set-up offshore as an extended environment to onshore support to implement a consistent and efficient management system, and provide extensive business tools to improve the Control of the Work, which will eventually reduce operations costs," said Soichi Ide, Vice President of MODEC do Brasil. "Crews on board an FPSO are often isolated. Having the ability to seamlessly address any anomaly will contribute to quick decisions to act for any safety or environmental event, and will result in delivering better business performance, of course with better financial performance too."

"The vision of harnessing real-time information to make better, faster decisions resulting in greater operational efficiencies is a critical requirement for the Offshore Industry," said Simon Maher, VP of Global Enterprise Sales at O3b Networks. "O3b's proven communications technology brings the same speed, performance and reliability of a fibered connection over satellite, so the same applications used in onshore facilities are now enabled in MODEC's offshore environments."

"We're delighted to be working with a market leader like MODEC in providing critical connectivity to their offshore fleet of FPSOs operating in Brazil," said Steven Pickett, CEO and president of RigNet. "We are committed to leverage high-throughput satellite technology, like O3b, to help continue the evolution of the Digital Oilfield."