Satellite connectivity for upstream oil and gas –where are we, and what’s next?

Where are we? Moving from the era of increased connectivity to the age of AI

The oil and gas industry has already undergone a significant transformation through technological innovation, along with a requirement to support the growing demands of an increasingly energy-intensive modern world.

As industry has looked for new ways to drive efficiency and productivity to meet the needs of a global society that relies on access to power, electricity and transport 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the need for reliable and secure connectivity has become more critical than ever, especially given the inherent need of industry to operate in remote and harsh natural environments, whether offshore or on land.

Traditionally, companies relied on terrestrial and cellular networks for their primary communications, supplemented by satellite for GPS augmentation and coverage in areas where terrestrial networks were unavailable. However, as the industry modernised and technology developed the benefits of more robust and ubiquitous connectivity have become evident.

Already, satellite communications have revolutionised upstream oil and gas exploration and extraction as well as the entire supply chain from production to downstream distribution. Automation of heavy machinery, maintenance plans fuelled by real time data, and enhanced safety processes are just a few areas where satellite technology is making a significant impact.

Now, through the latest technology, when an automated machine is faced with a task it can’t process, instead of shutting down, resulting in significant periods of unproductive downtime, remote operators can reprogramme it, getting it back into operation in minutes. It’s not only about productivity. Increasingly intelligent automation and always on connectivity means rising industry safety standards and healthier work environments for oil and gas professionals across the world. And, real time data is also enabling companies to minimise their carbon footprint through more efficient operations while enhanced productivity contributes to energy security at a time when geopolitical challenges and global security are once again in the spotlight.

Where are we going? Always on, everywhere, through multi-orbit

While technological innovation has already reshaped the industry, that is nothing compared to what we will see in decades to come. The innovations we have seen over the last twenty years – automation, real time data and advanced telematics – are game changing already. But through next generation multi-orbit satellite networks, we’ll see this progress super-charged with companies able to stay connected all the time, everywhere, and benefit from a much broader range of applications.

Leaders in industrial sectors that rely on heavy machinery and vehicles - like oil and gas - already recognise the need for enhanced connectivity, understanding that this will drive productivity, efficiency and safety. According to recent data, 78% of executives surveyed expressed a willingness to pay a premium for access to consistent and reliable connectivity to support their operations. But, at the same time, 41% of business leaders identify that meeting rapidly rising bandwidth requirements are among their top needs with regards to connectivity solutions and almost two thirds state that unlocking remote connectivity is their main motivator for adopting new satellite connectivity solutions. Enter next generation multi-orbit networks.

For readers who are new to satellites, let me explain the fundamentals. There are a range of satellites above the earth in different constellations, with very different orbital patterns and elevations. Geostationary satellites (GEO) have the highest orbits, at approx. 36,000 km above the earth’s surface at a fixed position over the equator. The fixed position of GEO along with its high orbit means these satellites are well suited to analysing long term trends like weather patterns, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, at around 8,000 km, deliver higher throughput and lower latency, making them suitable for applications like remote vehicle control and real-time video streaming. Finally, LEO satellites, positioned just a few hundred kilometres above Earth, provide ultra-low latency and can operate in constellations on much more flexible orbits, ensuring connectivity even in the most remote locations – the north and south poles, for example.

Combining signals from a multi-orbit network gives companies the best of all worlds, enabling them to dynamically switch between orbits depending on real time requirements, unlocking a broader range of connectivity applications, reducing latency, and crucially increasing bandwidth for businesses operating in an environment where their requirement for data is only going to increase.

At the same time, our ability to provide mobile connectivity solutions embedded into heavy equipment is drastically improving. By integrating satellite antenna tech seamlessly directly into trucks, heavy machinery can consistently access signal on the move.

The applications of such networks combined with next generation mobile hardware on land are vast. They can ensure real time machine performance data is provided no matter how remote the environment, allowing operators to optimise predictive maintenance. That doesn’t just prevent down time, it stops small defects becoming larger, more expensive and time-consuming issues that more dramatically impact productivity.

At the same time, the flexibility of multi-orbit means that oil and gas companies can far more effectively leverage applications like live video to gain situational awareness and see what’s happening around equipment in the field.

And, always on connectivity means greater capacity for automation. As technology advances, we are faced with the exciting prospect of new drilling, excavation and maintenance equipment that can be remotely reprogrammed in real-time and implement machine learning solutions to become increasingly intelligent, learning on the job.

Finally, as we have seen with other technologies, we are finding new ways to apply hardware so it is increasingly portable and ruggedised so that it can be used by individual workers and machines on the move in harsh environments. That ranges from robust and reliable antenna on vehicles to satellite hubs condensed into backpacks for workers in the field.

The future of oil and gas undoubtedly lies in greater adoption of technological solutions to drive efficiency and productivity in a world where our need for energy and natural resources are increasing exponentially. Meeting our global societal need for energy security is only possible if it is underpinned by greater connectivity. That provides an exciting foundation for innovation, enabling the industry to meet the demands of the modern world.