ConocoPhillips selects EMR to provide mission-critical voice and data communications for offshore fuel terminal
Leading communications infrastructure provider, EMR Integrated Solutions today announced a deal with multinational fuel corporation, ConocoPhillips to provide mission-critical voice and data communications at its island-based fuel terminal at Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay, Co. Cork.
The system provides a resilient, reliable voice infrastructure via two-way radio for onsite communications and a microwave network for high speed, data communications at the fuel terminal and beyond.
Due to the vast area to be manned and operated by the various staff they required an on site two-way radio communications system. This radio system provides standard shore and a selection of marine operation channels, serving dual land and shipping operating channels for jetty and vessel crews during fuel unloading operations.
To address the requirement for a fixed point data network link EMR recommended a microwave data link solution. This system consists of two fixed microwave antennas terminated on the main land and terminal building. This solution provided a fixed point communications link with enough bandwidth to support critical data, internet and LAN based network services between the two remote locations.
Commenting on the project, Dave Lee from ConocoPhillips said:
“EMR have been providing our communication system for some years now. The solution that they have provided for extending the office data from the mainland has been so successful that it is now our primary operating system. The Motorola integrated ATEX radio system has helped to resolve all of the operational and staff safety issues that we had with the previous radio system. We are very pleased with the essential services that EMR provide to ConocoPhillips that are critical for ensuring daily operation of this terminal.”
Up to this point, ConocoPhillips had received all their data and broadband services via an underwater cable system. This solution has proved troublesome in recent years and a modern data communications solution was urgently required as a resilient backup system.
This solution from EMR has been a tremendous success for providing this essential service, so that it has now become their primary system. The existing cable system has been retained as the resilient back up system for any potential loss of service from the microwave system
To meet the criteria required for the voice communication system, EMR recommended the Motorola Professional ATEX radio equipment. The GP380 ATEX model was selected as the operator handsets as this provided dual PMR and Marine channel operation. The large backlight display allows staff to select the correct operating channel for the shore or jetty required communications. A man down version of the radio and a dispatch base radio were also supplied to provide a man down emergency system to the remote site based staff. In event of an emergency an automated emergency call is reverted to the 24 hour manned control room providing immediate emergency assistance.
