When you work in offshore oil and gas, you know that boosting operational efficiency and keeping crews safe is the name of the game. And maintaining seamless communication across all decks is critical to your success. Bringing your offshore operations up to speed means choosing the right network infrastructure that can support digital transformation and increased data loads for real-time asset tracking, hazardous-zone monitoring, and swift decision making. And let’s be honest, this is no easy feat when you’re operating an enormous, floating metal FPSO hundreds of miles/kilometers offshore.
Traditional solutions like fiber-to-the-vessel and Wi-Fi often fall short, failing to deliver the seamless coverage, capacity, scalability, and security needed for uninterrupted critical operations. Are you ready for the next-generation of connectivity for oil and gas operations?
Read on to learn more:
Living and working at sea is hard enough—never mind the added dangers of explosive, O&G environments. It’s really a two-fold challenge when it comes to staying productive, efficient, and safe. Harsh maritime environments with high winds, saltwater exposure, and turbulent weather make traditional networks like Wi-Fi unreliable, often leading to connectivity breakdowns. These disruptions compromise real-time asset monitoring, delayed critical decision-making, and increased safety risks.
The added layer of complexity keeps your onboard crews safe in hazardous, explosive areas. Flammable gases and ignition risks of the O&G industry require ATEX-compliant communication devices for safe operations. A momentary loss of connectivity can endanger crew members and can result in costly downtime exceeding $500,000 per hour. Traditional wi-fi devices require additional ATEX-certified enclosures, adding to the overall weight of the vessel, as well as the overall costs. And to match the coverage of just one LTE device, you'd need nearly three times the number of Wi-Fi units, tripling your hardware, installation, and certification burden.
Secure data transmission is also an important consideration as offshore operations increasingly depend on IoT devices and automation. With 67% of O&G companies targeted by ransomware attacks in 2023, robust encryption and user authentication are essential to protect sensitive operational data. Equally crucial is seamless crew communication across multiple decks and operational zones to ensure smooth, coordinated operations.
Downtime from network failures in hard-to-reach locations can take days or weeks to resolve, which significantly affects asset utilization and profitability. And in the O&G world, downtime is NOT an uncommon occurrence.
Recently, we asked Coleman Parkes to survey 400 oil and gas professionals worldwide about their most pressing challenges. What did we learn? 96% of companies faced downtime last year.
Meanwhile, digital transformation demands high-capacity, low-latency networks to support IoT, predictive maintenance, and automation, which traditional solutions often fail to provide.
To meet the unique demands of offshore oil and gas operations, networks must be reliable, robust, and secure.
Reliable. Scalable. Cost Effective. Next generation private networks are emerging as the smartest, most cost-effective solution for tackling offshore connectivity challenges. Offering high-capacity, low-latency connectivity, these networks enable modern tools, optimize critical operations, and pave the way for digital transformation. With Ceragon’s Private LTE/5G solutions, operators can bridge connectivity gaps, boost operational efficiency, and enhance safety—all while laying the groundwork for future-ready technologies like 5G.
According to a McKinsey report, leveraging advanced connectivity could create up to $250 billion in value for upstream oil and gas operations by 2030, optimizing drilling, production, maintenance, and field operations.
Here’s why private networks are the way to go for O&G operators:
But don’t just take it from us…
A leading offshore oil and gas operator faced a critical need: high-capacity, low-latency connectivity for its massive FPSO vessel. Initially, wi-fi networks seemed like a viable solution. But as anyone familiar with offshore environments knows, wi-fi comes with its own set of challenges, especially in demanding environments like this.
Imagine trying to cover a 358-meter-long vessel with over 50 wi-fi devices, each needing additional costly ATEX/IECEx-certified enclosures. Add to that the extensive cabling and power supplies needed, and you’re looking at significantly higher CAPEX, increased weight on the platform, and a longer, more complex installation.
Instead, the operator turned to Ceragon’s private LTE solution, and the results speak for themselves:
The moment to innovate is here! With operational challenges mounting and the demand for efficiency and sustainability growing sharper, robust, reliable connectivity is no longer optional—it’s the backbone for progress.
Ceragon’s private LTE/5G solutions give the Oil and Gas industry that backbone to streamline operations, boost productivity, keep crews safe, and reduce downtime and costs.
The journey toward smarter, safer, more efficient operations is just a wave away.
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