Reliable telecommunication systems for safe and efficient offshore operations

ABB has won three orders worth $60m (£36m) for internal and external telecommunication systems for three Statoil projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The orders were booked in the fourth quarter of 2013 and in the first quarter of 2014.

The three contracts are signed with leading shipyards in South Korea. ABB will be a system integrator of telecommunications on the offshore installations built for the Aasta Hansteen and Gina Krog fields in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea and for the Mariner field in the British sector. ABB has more than 30 years of experience in telecommunication deliveries to the global oil and gas industry and will complete these system deliveries by 2015.

Mariner and Gina Krog are fixed, steel jacket platforms, where the topside module will be constructed at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) yard. Aasta Hansteen is a single cylinder Spar platform, the first of its kind destined for the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The topside module will be constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries.

“Reliable telecommunications are crucial for safe and efficient operations of oil and gas facilities,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “We have a balanced portfolio of telecommunications solutions for onshore and offshore installations, with current projects in Europe, North-America, Asia and the Middle East, which emphasise the competitiveness of our technology. With these contracts ABB is strengthening its position as the leading supplier of telecommunication systems to the global oil and gas industry.”

Telecommunication systems are normally comprised of components such as computer networks, surveillance equipment, radio systems, meteorological services, radar systems, aeronautical navigation and a wide range of communication-based safety systems. ABB has integrated products and systems to provide a complete telecommunications solution tailored to Statoil's requirements concerning design and documentation.