TAMPNET CONTINUES TO GROW ITS PRESENCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

FEATURE

TAMPNET CONTINUES TO GROW ITS PRESENCE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

BY Trygve Hagevik

Over 95% of international voice and data communication takes place via submarine fiber networks, connecting people, systems, and devices around the globe. Despite this, the common misconception is that this communication takes place via satellite. Since the first transatlantic submarine cable was deployed in 1866, many technological advancements have changed the way we communicate. After the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable was laid in 1988, linking the US to the UK and France, their usage had quickly amplified. As devices grow more sophisticated, the demand for high-speed, low-latency communications has arisen, especially in offshore regions that have traditionally relied on satellite using Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) networks. VSAT networks utilized offshore represented low bandwidth and high latency communications capabilities that require a better alternative to improve performance. With the inefficiencies in satellite communications, offshore facilities realized the need for 4G/LTE connectivity.

With its Americas headquarters in Houston, Texas, Tampnet Inc. has been working on extending 4G/LTE coverage throughout the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the North Sea for the past four years. Since the initiative began, Tampnet’s coverage in the GoM has expanded to about 80,000 square miles, providing essential, reliable, and high-speed data through a network of submarine fiber optic cables and microwave links. The combination of these two technologies is unique to Tampnet, allowing the company to deliver connectivity to a variety of devices, including personal devices and smartphones.

The company’s expansion into the GoM is a continuation of its commitment to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to customers in the Gulf. Connectivity is a necessary ingredient for companies to implement digitization strategies and improve technologies and communication with onshore facilities.

BUILDING A NETWORK

As Tampnet continues to extend the network infrastructure in the GoM, the network is becoming equal to that of the one they operate in the North Sea, which follows the same service model. In 2020, Tampnet purchased 1,200 KM of subsea fiber from BP, replicating the North Sea presence with the services they’ve developed for the GoM. With this acquisition, Tampnet was able to take complete ownership over the fiber cable network to de-risk the business by securing long-term access to the only fiber network in the GoM. In addition, it ensures that Tampnet has the infrastructure necessary to match its customer’s needs and fits with the goal of international expansion. As the only existing fiber network in the GoM, it catapults Tampnet ahead as a market leader.

Since this purchase, the company has signed a series of agreements that have expanded its service area by approximately 25% to deliver 4G/ LTE services to more customers. These agreements have been made with two deep water field developers, both highly experienced with VSAT, 4G/ LTE, and fiber communications. These are not the only agreements of this type that will come to fruition. Tampnet has another eight similar deals in the pipeline for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, which will significantly continue Tampnet’s expansion in the GoM.

These strategic purchases and partnerships have allowed Tampnet to grow to be the largest deep water network operator in the GoM and support the company’s continual growth. Following the success of the North Sea network expansion, and the current efforts to grow in the GoM, Tampnet has plans to introduce reliable network infrastructure for offshore LTE coverage in Trinidad and Tobago and off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF OFFSHORE INDUSTRY

Throughout the GoM, there are a large number of clients in the deep water region that rely on reliable connectivity. From oil rigs, fishing boats, ships, and yachts, devices, equipment, and employees need high-speed 4G/LTE. This is especially true as offshore service providers prioritize digitalization. With the fiber connectivity Tampnet is providing to clients in the GoM, the goal is to lower the cost threshold for oil and gas companies and field developers to connect to the Tampnet infrastructure.

This need is best exemplified by Tampnet’s recent contract awarded by a major oil and gas company to provide 4G/LTE coverage to their oil and gas operations in the GoM. Taking definitive steps to leverage new technology to improve weak processes, the contract followed a series of successful initiatives on two production platforms. The company’s drillships also require high-speed, low-latency connectivity and intra-facility and on-deck LTE is highly desirable for device connectivity. This long-term agreement will follow with a swift rollout to aggressively leverage the state-of-the-art network for drilling and marine operations.

EASE OF ACCESS

For companies looking to leverage Tampnet’s 4G/LTE network offshore, it can be easily done through a user’s onshore mobile subscriptions. For users of the major carriers, smartphone and tablet devices will automatically connect to the offshore network for data and talk services through roaming capabilities. The user just has to ensure that roaming is turned on, with 4G and VoLTE turned on, with no alternative SIM card required. Some carriers even offer unlimited data and text within Tampnet’s coverage area. This ability makes it easier for users to access the network offshore whenever they need it.

In addition, users outside the major carriers with devices that have eSIM compatibility can benefit from Tampnet’s partnership with GigSky. The partnership allows users to enable an eSIM on their device to access the 4G/LTE network on their devices on their terms. Both of these options allow users to seamlessly connect to the high-speed network in the GoM.

BEYOND CONNECTIVITY

Tampnet recognizes the possibility of applications of its infrastructure beyond the scope of 4G/LTE connectivity. Traditionally, seafloor geophysical equipment used to monitor earthquakes and seismic activity are expensive to deploy and challenging to maintain. Despite the challenges, it is essential for research and the identification of seismic events that could affect offshore structures, their personnel, and onshore inhabitants.

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have recently tested the possibility of detecting seismic waves through submarine fiber networks. In the researcher’s study, regular optical telecommunication signals’ state of polarization was monitored to detect earthquakes and water swells. The study focuses on the Curie cable that travels from Los Angeles to Chile, which was found to have less noise than terrestrial cables, enabling the researchers to identify seismic activity. The conclusion was that since this method of monitoring does not require dedicated fiber or specialized equipment, it is scalable to other submarine cable networks. With nearly three-quarters of a million miles of undersea cables spanning the globe, seismic monitoring presents a vast and compelling opportunity to learn more about the Earth itself.

In the GoM, hidden underwater landslides have been triggered by earthquakes that threaten deep water oil and gas infrastructure like rigs and pipelines. With nearly 2,000 offshore platforms and tens of thousands of miles of pipeline, submarine landslides pose a significant threat to the environment. For example, a landslide that demolished an oil production platform off the coast of Louisiana 17 years ago has caused crude oil to spill into the surrounding ocean. Many of these landslides have no detectable trigger, caused by earthquakes hundreds of miles away. Using polarization monitoring through the subsea cables, even microseisms, earthquakes smaller than 2 on the Richter scale can be identified. Since underwater landslides can be caused by these minute earthquakes, it will be interesting to see how this technology continues to develop. Since the GoM is filled with loose sediment deposited by rivers, the seafloor is especially vulnerable to collapse. Using submarine fiber cables to detect these seismic events can help further study this phenomenon to better understand their impact on oil drilling in the region.

While this application still requires much research, it is an exciting potential application of the Tampnet network in the GoM and beyond. When this ability is realized, Tampnet envisions a collaboration with a global content provider to upload and analyze earthquake and tsunami data.

This revolutionary application aligns closely with Tampnet’s commitment to sustainability. With high-speed, low-latency communication possible between onshore and offshore facilities, fewer employees are required to travel back and forth offshore, reducing carbon footprints. Additionally, safety is always a focus for Tampnet, so being able to use this data in the future could have potential implications in improving the safety of offshore operations.

THE FUTURE OF TAMPNET

Tampnet is heavily invested in the future of telecommunications and submarine cable networks to deliver reliable connectivity to customers around the globe. Beginning in the North Sea and current efforts heavily focused on the Gulf of Mexico, the company is committed to expanding its network. Tampnet has begun operations in other geographic locations, like Trinidad and Tobago and Newfoundland, increasing Tampnet’s ability to reach more customers and meet the demand for high-speed 4G/LTE networks. These efforts will enable customers to improve the health, safety, quality, and efficiency of their offshore operations. 4G/LTE capabilities will continue to revolutionize offshore operations so that decisions can be made faster, information can be shared in real-time, and collaboration can be efficient. STF

TRYGVE HAGEVIK has held the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Tampnet for well over 12 years. During the time he has had the overall responsibility for sales and business development, the company has grown from being a small telecom operator serving 34 fields in the North Sea to the largest low-latency offshore telecommunications carrier in the world, serving in excess of 400 fixed and mobile offshore assets with high capacity and low-latency communication. With the acquisition of BP’s Gulf of Mexico subsea fiber system, Tampnet now owns and operates a network based on 4100 km of subsea fibre optic cables, approximately 140 offshore microwave line of sight links and around 100 offshore 4G/5G LTE base stations, providing 200,000 square miles of offshore LTE coverage between the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico and east coast of Canada. Tampnet is also a turnkey supplier for implementing subsea fiber optic cables and complete telecommunication solutions to both greenfield and brownfield offshore fields. Trygve has led the sales and business development efforts of the company throughout a period where the company’s revenue has grown tenfold, both organically and through several M&A processes. He holds an honours degree in Economics and International Business from the University of Strathclyde in the UK and has recently returned to Stavanger, Norway with his family, after six years in Houston, Texas.