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4 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
Oil & gas industry cyberbreaches
take place all the time
Organizations already compromised remain blas
A
February survey report on U.S. oil &
gas cybersecurity makes it clear the
industry isnt ready for the greatly
increased operational risk found in
todays global internet environment.
Most survey respondents described their
organizations cybersecurity readiness as
low to medium, while 68% of those sur-
veyed admitted to at least one operations-
security compromise involving confidential-
information loss or operations-technology
disruption in the past year.
The study was sponsored by Siemens
and presented by the Ponemon Institute.
Surveyed were nearly 400 individuals in the
U.S. responsible for securing or overseeing
cyberrisk in operations environments. Most
of those surveyed, Ponemon said, work with
industrial-control systems and in either the
upstream, downstream or midstream oil &
gas industry. Only 45% of respondents said
they have within their organization the exper-
tise to manage cyberthreats to operations.
What they believe
Sixty-one percent of respondents called
their organizations industrial-control systems
protection inadequate. Only 41% of
respondents said they continually monitor
all infrastructure to prioritize threats and
attacks. Per the Ponemon Institute report,
an average of 46% of all cyberattacks in the
operations space go undetected.
The respondents believed effective secu-
rity technologies include behavior analytics,
hardened endpoints and data-in-motion
encryption. Yet, in the next 12 months less
than half of the respondents plan to use
encryption of data-in-motion, only 39%
plan to deploy hardened endpoints and only
20% will adopt behavior analytics.
Behavior analytics detect insider security
threats by looking at human behavior pat-
terns, then applying statistical analysis to
COMMENT
KEVIN PARKER
SENIOR CONTRIBUTING
EDITOR
detect meaningful anomalies within those
patterns. The technology is like that used
to detect consumer buying patterns. A
typical PC may have many endpoints, each
of which autonomously interact with a net-
work.
Worst of all, while, as indicated, 68%
of respondents said their organization had
already experienced a cyber compromise,
only 20% said it is likely or very likely their
organization will experience a successful
cyberexploit over the next 12 months.
Threats in particular
Only 20% of respondents say their
organization experienced the DUOU,
DUOU 2.0 or Flame virus/worm over the
past 12 months. DUOU is a so-called Trojan
horse program that can seriously damage a
PC it infects. Flame is a malicious program
meant to carry out cyberespionage.
The rise in ransomware attacks in the
past year is disturbing. Ransomware is a
kind of malicious software used by crimi-
nals to prevent access to a computing sys-
tem until their demands are met.
Executing a ransomware attack doesnt
take programming skills per se, as kits for
committing such attacks are available today
in some the Internets darker corners,
either for free or for a small fee.
An exponential increase in the number
of ransomware threats, from nearly four
million attack attempts in 2015 to 638 mil-
lion in 2016a more than 167 times year-
over-year increasehas taken place, per
SonicWalls recently released 2017 Annual
Threat report. The meteoric rise of ran-
somware in 2016 is unlike anything weve
seen in recent years, the report said. OG
I NSIDE Cover image courtesy: Oceaneering

COVER STORY
7 Are ROVs more like robots or drones?
Mrsk Supply Service contracts for eight of them

7
FEATURES
8 In-service data used to support 8
continued-service agreements
Floating production systems remain in use longer
than it had been supposed

15 So nothing like it happens again

Upstream oil & gas safety in the post-Deepwater Horizon era

20 FCC compliance and frequency selection for SCADA

Radio-frequency solutions remain viable for offshore installations

22 Benefits of wireless for 22

oil & gas explicated
Streamlined applications running on
smaller devices lead to more productive
workers

26 Overcome challenges in
offshore wireless 26
communications
Sound communications are key to good
collaboration, and must be secure as well

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 5

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COVER STORY
Are ROVs more like
robots or drones?
Mrsk Supply Service contracts for eight of them
O
By Kevin Parker
ceaneering International will supply Mrsk
Supply Service A/S with eight work-class
remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and associ-
ated services, including subsea tooling, engi-
neering, communication and data solutions, the
company recently announced.
The ROVs will be installed onboard six Mrsk vessels,
including two Stingray-class subsea-intervention vessels and
four Starfish-class anchor-handling tug-supply vessels, sched-
uled for delivery through 2017.
This award is consistent with our stated objective to
increase the number of ROVs onboard third-party vessels
while maintaining our ROV market share on contracted rigs
and those most likely to return to work, M. Kevin McEvoy,
then-CEO of Oceaneering, said.
A typical hydrographic ROV configuration includes a video
camera, lights, sonar systems and an articulation arm used
to retrieve small objects, cut lines or attach lifting hooks to
large objects.
Steps forward
Despite slowed subsea markets, ROV innovation is proceeding at
a rapid pace, Anthony Harwin, Oceaneering ROV manager, said.
ROVs are often considered a submarine, but they are far
more than that, Harwin said. Today, ROVs are underwater
remote-control robotic systems.
As tasks undertaken by the machines evolve, so do the ROVs
themselves. Todays machine, while similar in look and features
to that of 30 years ago, is more capable and evolving quickly,
Harwin said. Emerging mobile technologies are the engine for
many ROV supporting technologies. Cameras and other devic-
es, data-handling and transmission and mining software used
with ROVs benefit from mobility.
Combining lessons learned in harsh environment about reli-
ability and redundancy with the ability to move data super-fast
between any two points on the globe, we have a hand-in-glove
solution with our remote-piloting offering, Harwin said. With
almost daily breakthroughs in autonomous flight control, we
expect this pace of development to only increase.
To facilitate the functionality of a remotely-piloted system,
several capabilities had to mature over the past several years.
For one, when considering the time-delay or latency between
command and response, there had to be bridges the machine
could incorporate, Harwin said.
Take, for example, Oceaneerings work in the field of piece-
wise autonomy: the ability for an ROV to be self-sufficient with
tasks. Typical ROV control calls for the pilot to perform similar
activities to that of flying a plane or helicopter. You twist the
joystick to the right, for example, or act to close the manipula-
tor jaw. With piecewise autonomy, instead of the pilot control-
ling the joystick for flight or the manipulator for grabbing an
object, the machine simply needs be told to fly to the subsea
panel or turn valve number two.
Besides comparisons to submarines and robots, ROVs have
similarities to drones. As with the evolution to the driverless
car, ROVs will morph into autonomous underwater vehicles
(AUV). These wont be like todays AUVs, which are limited in
application without manipulators and tools to perform work,
but rather AUVs that perform work in response to a more
awakened subsea architecture, Harwin said.
To start, tasks performed by autonomous ROVs will be
little different than those of other ROVs, Harwin said. In the
future, howeverand not so far in the futurethe vehicles
missions will become more complex and include monitoring
the health of subsea assets, reconfiguring subsea systems
around problems or needs, and at some stage, making those
management decisions with very little human interaction.
For the present
In closing, Harwin noted that emerging computing and
communications technologies do not obviate the need for ever-
better engineering of ROVs. The basics include that certain
physical aspects must remain as inert as possible to the robots
environment. Buoyancy must remain neutral. The center of
gravity must be stiffmuch like the relationship between
a man and his parachute. Thrust delivered by way of eight
directional propeller systems must be more than adequate
in every axis to make the machine as spatially capable as
possible.
Despite volatility in the offshore oil & gas markets,
Oceaneering, like its customers, remains committed to deep
water, said McEvoy during the companys Q4 2016 results and
earnings conference call. We intend to continue investing
in our current and adjacent market niches, with more focus
on our customers operating expenditures and the produc-
tion phase of the offshore oilfield lifecycle. Beyond 2017, with
stable and improving oil prices, we foresee an increase in
deepwater expenditures. OG
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 7
offshore infrastructure
In-service data used to
support continued-
service assessment
Floating productions systems remain in use longer than it had been supposed
T
By scot Mcneill, PhD, Pe he need to extend the service of
and David renzi, Pe floating production systems (FPS)
Stress Engineering beyond their intended design life is
Services Inc. the result of expanded FPS use. In
some cases, the reservoir life has
been extended due to enhanced oil-
recovery methods. In others, platforms have
become a hub to which satellite fields are
tied back.
Regulatory bodies have begun issuing
guidelines related to continued service
assessments (CSA) in the Gulf of Mexico.
To demonstrate that the FPS can be safely
used beyond its design life, an engineering
reassessment of the facility is required. The
intent of the reassessment is to determine
the current state of the facility, establishing a
baseline from which to project the condition
forward in time, beyond the design-service
life. Strength, fatigue, stability and corrosion
are among the items addressed. At a high
level, the reassessment effort involves the
following steps:
1. Data gathering
2. Condition assessment and identification
of high-priority risks
3. Mitigation planning and execution
4. Updating required documents
5. Review and approval.
The process involves inspection, risk
assessment and engineering analysis and can
involve participation from the operator, con-
tractors, regulators, classification bodies and
certified verification agents (CVA). Data feed-
ing into the CSA process is obtained from
many sources, including:
8 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
Design data
Testing data
Updated meteorology and physical
oceanography, or metocean, data
Baseline survey data.
Another important source of information is
data accumulated during the service life of
the facility, such as environmental or struc-
tural monitoring, engineering assessments,
ISIPs and inspection or survey reports, instal-
lation and modification records, maintenance
records and other recorded data.
A robust integrity management (IM) pro-
gram, once in place, will ensure that most or
all these data sets will be readily available to
support the CSA.
Critical components
Floating production systems generally fall
under one of four common hull forms:
semisubmersible (column stabilized), spar,
tension leg platform (TLP), or ship-shape
(e.g., FPSO). System components covered
by CSA include structural members, as well
as marine systems, process equipment and
safety and egress systems. Specific items
typically fall under one of the following
categories:
Hull structure
Topsides/deck structure
Mooring/tendon system
Riser systems
Corrosion protection systems
Marine systems
Machinery and electrical systems
Process equipment.
 Some system components are associat-
ed with high consequence of failure or are
difficult to adequately inspect and repair
in the field. Due to these compounding
factors, such components are among the
systems most critical. Examples of such
components, considering the four common
hull forms, are:
Station-keeping systems, including
mooring lines, fairleads, chain stop-
pers, winches, connectors and pile
attachments; tendons, connectors,
porches, foundations and flex ele-
ments; turret, swivel, yokes, bearings,
turret-to-hull interface structure and
moonpool.
Riser systems, including riser piping,
flex joints, stress joints, hull interface,
connectors and bend stiffeners.
Hull components, including column-to-
pontoon interface, topsides deck (or
deckbox) to hull connections; and spar-
truss interface to hard tank, soft tank
and heave plates.
Structural components that are impossi-
ble or difficult to inspect must have safety
factors on fatigue life of 10 or more, per
several industry-recommended practices,
illustrating their criticality.
Certifying such components for contin-
ued service is challenging, at best. Fitness
for service must be demonstrated largely
by engineering analysis. Therefore, signifi-
cant improvement in the expected service
life must be demonstrated compared to
design calculations. To do this, analysis
uncertainty must be reduced.
While some uncertainty in design cal-
culations can be reduced by updating and
refining models and using more sophisti-
cated computational techniques than those
used in design, the most decisive method
to reduce uncertainty is to measure (direct-
ly or indirectly) the environmental loads
(waves, wind and current) or structural
responses (motions, vibrations, strains and
corrosion).
Data analysis support
Monitoring programs incorporating accurate
and robust instrumentation systems can
provide key data, which feeds into an
engineering analysis, supporting CSA.
Fatigue is a primary concern for continued
service certification. It is well known that
fatigue resistance of even the simplest
structural components is uncertain,
requiring statistical analysis to quantify
in a conservative manner. A significant
amount of uncertainty also exists in fatigue
loading when either the loading process Figure 1: Comparison of
or the physics of the structural response measured seastates to
are complex. Measured environmental design data. All images
and structural response data provides a courtesy: Stress Engineering
window into the loading side of the fatigue Services
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 9
offshore infrastructure
Figure 2: Comparison of equation, allowing for greatly reduced
measured tendon tension uncertainty for critical components.
response to analytical Many operators already realize the
results. importance of continuously monitoring
metocean conditions and elements of the
FPS response to support design-verifica-
tion and model-refinement efforts and to
evaluate future expansion capacity. Such
data can also be used to support CSA
when the measurements are integrated
into an engineering analysis. Depending
on the type of measurements made, the
measured data can be incorporated into an
assessment in different ways, represent-
ing different levels of assessment as fol-
lows:
Level 1: Indirect, environmental and
data-drivenapplies measured environ-
mental data to structural models to deter-
mine stresses.
Level 2: Indirect, motion and data-
driveninputs are measured structural
vibration/motion data into structural-trans-
fer functions (derived via analytical mod-
els) to determine stresses.
Level 3: Directuses measured strain
data directly.
Modeling requirements, such as size,
complexity, detail and physical domain,
are greatest for level 1 and decrease
going down the list, while data require-
mentssuch as accuracy, completeness
and relevanceare greatest for level 3
and decrease going up the list. If a level
10 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
2 assessment is performed, for example,
the uncertainty associated with applying
environmental loads is eliminated, as well
as some of the uncertainty associated
with the structural model itself (the por-
tion associated with calculating motions
from applied loads).
Wave, tendon tensions
Measured waves and tendon tensions at a
TLP in the Gulf of Mexico were compared
with design data to determine the level of
conservatism in design. Wave time-series
data and tendon tensions were measured
over a 5-year period in 2006-2011. Figure 1
(left side) illustrates the joint significant wave
height: wave zero up-crossing period (Hs-Tz)
distribution from measured wave data. For
comparison, a condensed Hs-Tz relationship
from the design wave-scatter diagram is
shown as a white curve. In this case, the
wave-scatter diagram used in design is
consistent with the measured data at the
site. Figure 1 (at right) compares measured
significant wave heights exceedance
probability (from 5 years of FPS data and
14 years of wave buoy data) to metocean
design data. Though the wave size in
large, low-probability seastates is slightly
underpredicted in the design data due to
several large hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico
during that period, the high probability
seastates that are the primary contributors
to fatigue are conservative (larger at a given
probability level) in the design data.
 Figure 2 (left side) shows the relation-
ship of normalized tendon tension standard
deviation to significant wave height over
the 5-year period, along with analytical
predictions from the design-wave scatter
diagram using Stress Engineering Services
coupled analysis software, RAMS. The ana-
lytical predictions show the same relation-
ship between tendon dynamic response
and wave height as the measured data.
The scatter in the relationship is primarily
due to the wave heading, quartering seas
(QS) or beam seas (BS), compared to the
tendon location, up wave (UW) or down
wave (DW). Figure 2 (right side) shows
(normalized) measured TLP tendon ten-
sion standard deviation exceedance prob-
ability, along with tensions resulting from
the design scatter diagram. In this case,
the dynamic tendon tension values used in
design are conservative compared to the
measured values. This is expected, because
conservative assumptions are often made
in design. Such a result demonstrates that
significant improvement in calculated ten-
don fatigue life can be obtained by using
measured data in CSA.
Because many components of TLP ten-
dons are difficult to inspect and repair,
structural monitoring can provide the data
needed to demonstrate fitness of the
tendons for continued service. The same
approach can be used on other critical
structural components by direct or indirect
structural response monitoring.
Wellhead, rise monitoring
Measured wellhead and riser vibrations
can be fed into a fatigue assessment to
significantly reduce conservatism, thereby
supporting operations with high fatigue
demand. When applied for longer time
intervals using temporary or permanent
monitoring systems, structural monitoring
also can be used for drilling and production
risers in support of CSA activities.
Wellhead and riser monitoring was per-
formed while drilling in 6,000 feet of water
in an environment with high surface and
submerged currents. The subsea wellhead
and drilling riser are susceptible to high
fatigue damage rates when vortex-induced
vibration (VIV) occurs. Because a high
degree of uncertainty and sensitivity to
conditions exists, predictive fatigue analysis
for VIV is often very conservative. Due to
marginal predicted fatigue lives, the operator
decided to use subsea vibration data loggers
(SVDLs), containing accelerometers, to mea-
sure the BOP stack and riser vibrations.
Due to the strong surface currents at the
site, VIV of the drilling riser was observed
in the moonpool during the latter half of the
first month of the deployment, continuing
into the second month. Observed vibration
frequencies were around 0.2-0.3 Hz. A time-
frequency distribution (TFD) spectrogram
was calculated from the measured accel-
eration data. The TFD from SVDL SN-009, Figure 3: ADCP current data
located on the top of the LMRP, is shown (left) and associated Strou-
in Figure 3 (right side). The color represents hal frequency (right).
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 11
offshore infrastructure

is caused by the submerged current. The

shedding frequency associated with the sur-
face current was predicted to be 0.2-0.3 Hz.
The frequency range measured by the SVDL
is seen to be the same. Observe in Figure
3 (left side) that the shedding frequency
for the submerged current started out at
around 0.1 Hz on the 9th day of the month
and reduced below 0.05 Hz by the 20th.
This same trend in frequency of vibration
was recorded by the SVDL, as evidenced in
Figure 3 (right side).
The measured BOP stack motions were
used in a level 2 assessment for fatigue.
Normalized wellhead fatigue damage rates
Figure 4: Normalized well- the intensity of acceleration energy. Two over the entire deployment period are pro-
head fatigue damage rate. distinct bands of energy are visible. High- vided in Figure 4. Fatigue damage rates that
frequency energy between 0.18 and 0.30 were reconstructed using the level 2 assess-
Hz is outlined with a red rectangle. Lower ment appear in blue. When SVDL data was
frequency energy from 0.02 to 0.11 Hz is not available, fatigue damage was reconstruct-
depicted with a black rectangle. By tracing ed using an industry-standard VIV software
the dominant energy (yellow/orange/red package, SHEAR7, after model parameters
colors), see that the excited frequency (and were calibrated using measured SVDL data
therefore vibration mode) varies with time, during times when the data was available.
and at times, two or more peaks in the Fatigue damage estimates using calibrated
energy (excited modes) are present simul- SHEAR7 analysis appear as a red line.
taneously in each outlined region. While the Fatigue damage also was reconstructed
high-frequency vibrations in the drilling riser using
were expected, due to the data from the SVDLs
observations of high-
surface current and riser
vibration in the moon-
a robust integrity
management (iM)
attached to the riser.
These results, along with
measured current data,
pool, the cause of the are provided in Figure 5.
low-frequency vibrations program, once in place, The riser fatigue essen-
was, at first, mysterious.
Acoustic Doppler cur-
will ensure that most or tially varies with the
maximum (over depth)
rent profiler (ADCP) all these data sets will current speed. The well-
data, recorded around head fatigue is more
the same time, explains be readily available to complicated. Wellhead

the presence of the fatigue damage rates
lower frequency vibra- support the csa. are high when current
tions. ADCP data was at some depth causes
converted to the vortex shedding frequency, VIV at a frequency approaching the natural
fs, through the Strouhal relation, fs=St(V/D), frequency of the wellhead and BOP stack,
where V is the current velocity, D is the 0.16 Hz in this case. Submerged currents
riser hydrodynamic diameter, and St is the that occurred between the 9th and 20th
appropriate Strouhal number for the condi- day of the first month and the 16th and the
tions. The shedding frequency is provided in 26th of the third month were responsible for
Figure 3 (left side). two periods of high wellhead fatigue dam-
Comparing the outlined regions in the left age rate. Reduced surface current speed
and right figures, see that the high-frequen- was responsible for the brief period of high
cy vibration is due to the strong surface damage rate observed at the end of the first
current, while the lower frequency vibration month and beginning of the second month.
12 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

The most challenging aspect of VIV analy-
sis is converting currents to riser/wellhead
vibrations, due to the complex fluid-structure
interaction. Because of the large degree of
uncertainty, predictive analysis techniques
are designed to be quite conservative. The
SVDLs measure motions directly, thereby
circumventing the difficulties associated with
fluid-structure interaction. Measured motion
data can be used directly in riser/wellhead
fatigue assessment during drilling cam-
paigns to track fatigue damage in each riser
joint, supporting joint rotation programs and
extending inspection intervals. More informa-
tion on wellhead and riser monitoring can be
found in the references posted with the elec-
tronic version of this article.
Monitoring systems is critical
Instrumentation is known to be an enabling
technology for control, automation, remote
monitoring and integrity management in
many industries, including the oil & gas
industry. Measured data also will prove
to be invaluable in reducing uncertainty
in engineering assessments as existing
production systems near the end of their
design service lives and require certification
for continued service. Maximizing the
Figure 5: Normalized riser
fatigue damage rate and cur-
rent speed.
impact of the data-measurement program
requires:
A clear objective for the measurement
campaign defined upfront, and a mea-
surement plan designed to meet this
objective
Integrating the measured data with
knowledge of the environment and FPS
response
Proper data-quality assurance and analy-
sis techniques.
As stated previously, continuous met-
ocean and FPS response monitoring already
is being performed on many production
systems. Although continuous monitoring is
most desirable, temporary monitoring sys-
tems can provide critical data for CSA if the
range of environmental and operating condi-
tions is represented sufficiently throughout
the monitoring campaign. Temporary sys-
tems can be installed for a period as a FPS
nears the end of its design service life. The
measured data recorded by such systems
provides direct insight into structural perfor-
mance, making for a compelling argument in
justifying continued service. OG
Scot McNeill, PhD, PE, and David Renzi, PE are
principals with Stress Engineering Services Inc.
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 13
 SERVICES DESIGNED
TO MAXIMIZE PRODUCTION
from contract compression to maintenance.
At Archrock, your production is our priority. Thats why we offer industry-leading
experience, expertise, and resources all designed to help you maximize your production.

archrock.com

input #104 at www.controleng.com/information

offshore safety
So nothing like it
happens again
Upstream oil & gas safety in the post-Deepwater Horizon era
T
By Marty stetzer and he courage and fortitude of the oil
Joe Perino & gas industry personnel caught up
EKT Interactive in the infamous Deepwater Horizon
catastrophe has been commemo-
rated, even in a Hollywood movie.
Now seems an appropriate time to
review the subsequent efforts by federal
and industry regulatory bodies to minimize
the chances of this type of accident occur-
ring again.
The point is not to judge the validity
or effectiveness of these new regulatory
regimes, but simply to catalog who is doing
what, and inform industry readers where
things stand in 2017.
As a reminder, on April 20, 2010, a blow-
out incident occurred at the BP Macondo
oil wellsite 50 miles off the coast of
Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM).
During well-abandonment activities, control
of the wellsite was lost. Explosions and fire
led to the death of 11 crew members.
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig
sank. Massive marine and coastal dam-
age occurred from a reported 4-million
barrel of released oil. The U.S. Justice
Department charges against BP related to
the Deepwater Horizon disaster exceeded
$20 billion, the largest such settlement
ever reached.
The three major players in drilling the
Macondo well were BP (the operator),
Transocean (the drilling rig owner) and
Halliburton, one of several technical oilfield
services companies supporting the well.
The regulatory aftermath
Within five weeks of the incident, the
Mineral Management Services (MMS),
which had controlled offshore GOM
operations since 1982, was reorganized
and renamed as the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management Regulation and
Enforcement (BOEMRE). A year later at
BOEMRE the commercial side was split
away (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety
and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
was established.
The BSEE investigated the incident and
issued their first formal report March 2011
pointing out failures that included mechani-
cal-equipment limitations and human error.
Regulations promulgated by BSEE have
enhanced well designs and standards.
BSEE implemented a new safety and envi-
ronmental management system (SEMS)
requirement. They have increased the num-
ber of inspectors and engineers in their
workforce and are still hiring today.
BSEE has established performance-
based standards for offshore operators to
maintain an active, integrated program for
safety and environmental management.
Comprised of 13 key elements, SEMS
fundamentally changed the offshore land-
scape.
Operators were required to implement a
SEMS program by November 15, 2011, and
submit their first completed SEMS audit
to BSEE by November 15, 2013. The SEMS
II rule became effective on June 4, 2013.
Operators were given until June 4, 2014, to
comply with the provisions of the SEMS II
rule, except for the auditing requirements.
All SEMS audits were required to be com-
pliant with the SEMS II rule by June 4,
2015.
BSEE also implemented a well-control
ruling that stipulates stringent require-
ments for the design and implementation
of blowout preventers (BOPs) and other
well-controlled safety devices.
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 15
offshore safety

In parallel with the SEMS effort, BSEE of 2013. It is a partnership of three tier-
worked closely with the American Petroleum one research universities: Texas A&M
Institute (API) to strengthen APIs recom- University, University of Texas and
mended practice 75, the workplace safety University of Houston. Were under a five-
ruling that relates to safety- and environ- year contract with BSEE, said former Navy
mental-management system programs. captain James Pettigrew, OESI director of
These programs were made mandatory operations.
where previously they were voluntary. OESIs stated mission is to provide a
While the API subsequently issued state- forum for dialogue, shared learning, and
ments that it doesnt agree with everything in cooperative research among academia, gov-
the BSEE well-control ruling, its expected the ernment, industry and non-governmental
ruling will stand and in future be modified or organizations. The OESI focus is on research
interpreted as necessary going forward. into processes, technologies and activities
To help implement this that can help enable
new offshore safety initia-
tive, the API, in conjunc-
tion with leading oil & gas
the three major
players in drilling the
safer and environmen-
tally responsible offshore
operations.
companies, equipment As to the difference
and service providers, Macondo well were between OESI and
established the Center for COS, and how they
Offshore Safety (COS) in BP (the operator), relate to each other,
early 2011. COS is led by Our missions are cer-
highly respected industry transocean (the tainly related, to further
veteran, Charlie Williams,
drilling-rig owner) and increase safer opera-
who previously spent 40 tions offshore; whereas
years with Shell. COS has halliburton, one of our approaches are a
implemented the BSEE bit different, Pettigrew
SEMS standards with a several technical oilfield explained. COS being
new framework primar- an industry organization,
ily for drilling contractors services companies it is focused on getting
and service firms, with the
operators working closely
supporting the well.
on a collaborative basis. COS also put in
to the specifics of off-
shore incidents through
its Learning from Incidents (LFI) and Safety
place an audited third-party certification pro- Performance Indicator (SPI) programs.
gram and started compiling industry perfor- Additionally, their efforts in auditing
mance metrics on safety. To date a number safety and environmental management sys-
of offshore technical service suppliers and tems continue to identify areas for improve-
rig contractors have been certified. ment in offshore safety culture, Pettigrew
In December 2016, BSEE and COS, with continued. We have a close working rela-
support from the Society of Petroleum tionship with COS and Charlie Williams, the
Engineers (SPE), contracted with the Bureau executive director, has been a real mentor
of Transportation Statistics, a division of the to me as I continue to learn the industry. We
Department of Transportation (DoT), to col- continue to discuss opportunities to develop
lect, maintain and analyze safety data from research based on their findings.
the offshore industry. Previously COS had Though OESI was born of BSEE, We
been collecting and analyzing such data work very hard to make it representative of
manually. The DoT provides independence all the stakeholder groups, Pettigrew said.
from BSEE, confidentiality and extensive We recently created an advisory commit-
statistical capabilities. tee with about 40 members. In addition
to universities, it now includes global oil &
Forums for dialogue gas operators, drilling companies, service
The Ocean Energy Safety Institute companies trade groups, other regulators
(OESI) was established in November such as the Coast Guard and Department
16 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
of Energy and non-governmental organiza-
tions.
OESI was asked to do collaborative
research between the three universities and
other universities as needed, and to bring
together all the stakeholder groups periodi-
cally to have forums for dialog. They also
have been asked by BSEE to create some
training and education opportunities for the
regulator.
One of the continuing challenges is to
stay relevant in the current low-price envi-
ronment. Another is to understand changing
industry requirements and ensure that atten-
tion is paid to current and future issues.
Because OESI is a partnership with three
universities, we are looked at as an aca-
demic entity; and right or wrong, sometimes
academia may not stay focused on the
gaps identified that are impacting offshore
safety, Pettigrew said. One of our goals
at OESI is to keep academia focused on the
identified gaps, the research needed to fill
those gaps, and where these topics come
from; ultimately helping to further enable
safer and environmentally responsible off-
shore operations.
Progress includes two delivered research
projects. The first is on human factors and is
derived from multiple OESI forums in where
the role of humans runs through all the
forums as an issue, regardless of the topic.
In addition, a research report on zonal iso-
lation and the modeling of cementing was
delivered.
Currently, we are putting together a
strategic plan to develop courses of action
to enable the transition of OESI to its next
phase, Pettigrew said.
Other important participants
The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is
another important industry participant for
anyone involved in design and construction
of offshore facilities. Headquartered in
Washington, D.C., the agencys board
members are appointed by the president
and confirmed by the senate.
The CSB is an independent federal
agency normally charged with investigat-
ing industrial chemical accidents, but was
asked by President Obama to review the
Macondo disaster.
When the response includes well
containment and intervention
T he offshore industry has responded to the need for rapid
well control and containment of any future offshore blow-
outs, deepwater or otherwise. Independent third-party com-
panies now offer sophisticated well-containment solutions.
Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) and Helix are
two such working in the Gulf of Mexico.
In July 2010, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and others
recognized the need to be better prepared for deepwater
well-control incident and founded MWCC, which introduced
its interim containment system (ICS) in February 2011. Today,
MWCC has 10 member companies and represents unprec-
edented industry collaboration.
MWCCs containment system is available for use in GOM
water depths from 500 feet to 10,000 feet, with temperatures
up to 350o F and pressures up to 15k psi. The system can cap
and flow an incident well and has capacity to process up to
100,000 barrels of liquid (BOPD) or 200 million cubic feet of
gas (MMCSFD) per day.
Additionally, it can store up to 700,000 barrels of liquid in
each of its two modular capture vessels (MCVs). The liquid is
then brought onshore for further processing via shuttle tank-
ers. Since its inception, MWCC has added expertise, person-
nel and facilities support through partnerships with Technip
USA, Kiewit Offshore Services, WoodGroup PSN, Core
Industries and other leading oil & gas service providers.
Helix, originally formed by a group of pioneering oilfield
divers, specializes in subsea services, including laying pipe-
lines, subsea engineering, the operation of state-of-the-art
remote operated vehicles (ROVs), seabed trenching and geo-
technical vehicles and support vessels.
In January 2015, Helix, OneSubsea and Schlumberger
formed the Subsea Services Alliance to develop technologies
and deliver equipment and services to optimize the value
chain of subsea well-intervention systems. In well contain-
ment, the Helix fast response system (HFRS) can handle up
to 55,000 BOPD, 70,000 BLPD and 95 MMSCFD, at 10,000 psi
in water depths to 10,000 feet.
For more information:
www.csb.gov/videos/deepwater-horizon-blowout-animation
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 17

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offshore safety
The CSB investigation of the Macondo incident cov-
ers technical, organizational and regulatory factors that
contributed to the April 20 blowout. In 2014, the CSB
produced an 11-minute animation describing the factors
involved in the incident.
The primary efforts of BSEE, API, OESI and COS are
focused on technical and equipment standards, including
design of large-scale remediation equipment, the CSB
examined the Macondo incident from a process-safety
management perspective. While these concepts are very
common in refining, petrochemical plants and industrial
facilities around the world, they are not as commonplace
in offshore oil & gas operations.
At a January 2017 meeting of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers in Houston, Marybeth McCauley, lead CSB
Macondo investigator since 2010, presented the CSB
approach and findings to about 40 offshore deepwater
engineering veterans. Her presentations basic theme
was equipment design is not the only factor important
in safe offshore operations. An energetic discussion
followed, with engineers supporting improved technical
design and standards in discussion with the management
system failure experts.
As exemplified by the Macondo incident, the operator,
service companies and drilling contractor must actively
work to bridge the gap between the work-as-imagined
(WAI) by the drilling program technical team and the
work-as-done (WAD) by the management of the well-
operations crew on the rig, said McCauley.
The CSB report looks at the following:
Events leading up to the Macondo tragedy
Technical findings related to BOP functioning
Human and organizational factors associated with the
Macondo incident, including crew decision-making
The role of safety regulators overseeing offshore
activities, including past deficiencies and present
challenges.
Final words
Drilling wells and producing oil and gas is not easy in
an environment 10,000-plus feet below the surface and
where total well depth can exceed 25,000 feet below
surface, with operating pressures that can exceed
10,000 psi and bottom-hole temperatures ranging from
250 to 350 degrees F.
We hope this brief history and review of important
regulatory and industry safety initiatives now impacting
offshore engineering designs will be of value, especially
for those involved in such projects. OG
Marty Stetzer is president and Joe Perino is a senior associate
with EKT Interactive.
18 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
input #106 at www.controleng.com/information
SCADA offShore
FCC compliance and
frequency selection
for SCADA
Radio-frequency solutions remain viable for offshore installations
S
By elizabeth Buckley CADA systems, also some-
FCC-FFA Licensing, LLC times referred to as multiple
address systems (MAS), are
heavily governed by the rules
and regulations of the Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC), and in some situations, the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA).
In the oil & gas industry, SCADA sys-
tems are relied upon to enable controlling
valves, monitoring flows and collecting
data. Systems of this nature are used
widely from offshore platforms in the
Gulf of Mexico and throughout the United
States to aid in safe, efficient operations
and environmentally responsible produc-
tion and transmission of petroleum, elec-
tric or utility products. The systems poll
and control numerous sites on a periodic
basis to provide management with reliable
and current data with respect to important
operating parameters, including: valve set-
tings, flow rates, volume and pressure dif-
ferentials.
Over the years, SCADA technology has
advanced through the addition of Internet
protocols, an increase of modulation rates,
and most recently, use of cloud modalities
for data storage and management.
Initially, devices installed at control and
data-collection points, called remote ter-
minal units (RTU), used simple dual-tone
multi-frequency (DTMF) techniques, fol-
lowing telephone companies that started
using touch-tone for dialing and internode
signaling rather than dc pulses. The next
generation of RTUs adopted RS-232 data
20 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
exchange, as transmission facilities moved
from DTMF analog to digital.
When the Internet became increasingly
used for all manner of information and com-
munication exchange, demand grew for even
newer methods for handling data and control;
thus, Internet-protocol interface for devices
and systems came into favor, said Darryl
Parker of Alligator Communications.
Challenges remain
While the technology environment
evolved, the basic function did not change
for SCADA systems. There was still the
fundamental requirement to control
devices and gather data about operations.
The reality was now use of a leased
common carrier, or in other words, the
telephone company. Due to the cost of
expanding services, facilities were scarce
or unavailable in many remote locations, as
was the Internet.
A radio-frequency (RF) solution solves
many of these challenges because it does
not rely upon heavy capital expenditures
for construction, is easier to maintain, more
reliable and its implementation may not
involve as much bureaucratic delay.
RF equipment options are available and
buying radios can be easy. It is often the
other components involved which can lead
to confusion. Keeping a few things in mind
will help.
For example, are the radio units licensed
under the FCC rules requiring a radio autho-
rization? If so, will the radios fall under
Part-90, land mobile operations; Part-101,
Note that Part-90 SCADA operations gener- Things to consider when specifying RF solutions
ally are considered secondary to any sys-
tem seeking to employ the same frequency/
frequency pair for voice operations. The FCC
Part-90Land mobile Part-101Microwave
has made available a few UHF pairs within SCADA multiple address system
the 462/467 MHz band that have been set
aside for SCADA operations, primary to voice VHF
931/942 MHz
communications with limitations. The equip- 220 MHz
Frequency bands 952/928 MHz
ment is limited to 6 watts ERP and the master UHF
956 MHz
transmitter has a 20-feet above-ground-level 1.4 GHz
transmitter limitation. Courtesy: FCC-FAA
Licensing, LLC Simplex or duplex
Both Both
capability

for MAS operations; or the unli- Yes, 90-mile separation

censed 902-928 MHz band? Bear in
mind that the unlicensed operations
are not included in the FCCs data-
base and operations among users
are at-will and subject to interfer-
ence. Another question to ask is
whether any transmit antenna will
be located on a structure requiring
registration with the FAA and pos-
sibly the FCC?
Before purchasing equipment, it
is important to know if spectrum
for it is available. In certain blocks
in the Gulf of Mexico, like Garden
Banks and Vermillion, 900 MHz MAS
systems may not be an option due
to congestion or because of the
required 90-mile separation between trans-
mitters. Finally, unlike with operations on
land, out at sea real estate is not as avail- able when trying to find a frequency. Rarely
able and users are limited to transmitting
from a platform.
In our practice, we have found that due
to the uptick in oil field activity, Part-101
MAS spectrum can be scarce, so we urge
our clients to be open to Part-90 frequen-
cies, and we also suggest they not hold off
on deciding, so we can secure a frequency
as quickly as possible, said Mona Lee,
president, Mona Lee & Associates, LLC.
Final thoughts
Pros and cons apply to both Part-90 SCADA
and Part-101 MAS operations. The chart
that accompanies this article specifies
considerations that should be taken before
purchasing radio equipment.
Finding a licensed Part-101 frequency is
usually fairly easy, if you arent in a congest-
Exclusivity/primary No, excepting a few UHF
between co-channel
operations pair with limitations
licensees
RTUs may be individu-
ally licensed or applica-
Part-101 channels are
tions may apply for a
designated for exclu-
rule waiver to have RTUs
Limitations sivity. The RTUs do not
licensed as temporary-
require site-specific
fixed units without speci-
licensing
fying each RTU location,
per 47 CFR 90.137(b)
License term 10 years 10 years
12 months from grant 18 months from grant
Construction period of any authorized fre- of any authorized fre-
quency/frequency pair quency/frequency pair
ed area, but short spacing can still be a viable
alternative. There are several options avail-
does it happen that some solution cant
be found, said Jeremy Lewis of Micronet
Communications Inc.
In summary, know what spectrum is avail-
able in the desired vicinity for usage before
purchasing equipment. Engineers and manag-
ers first should determine whether Part-90
SCADA, Part-101 MAS or unlicensed 902-928
MHz operations will best meet the needs for
secure operations. This can avoid what could
otherwise become a costly matter. OG
Elizabeth Buckley is an FCC radio licens-
ing expert with FCC-FFA Licensing, LLC, in
Alexandria, Va. She has been handling FCC and
FAA applications for oil, gas and utility compa-
nies for more than 27 years. Buckley is a partici-
pant on the ENTELEC Regulatory Committee and
Utilisite Joint Use Committee.

OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 21

ApplicAtions for mobility
Benefits of wireless
for oil & gas explicated
Streamlined applications running on smaller devices lead to more productive workers
T
by sidney Hill,Jr. heres no question about it: weve
gone mobile. Wherever you go,
people are using smartphones or tab-
lets to check email, connect to social
media or scan news headlinestasks
that just a few years ago, required a
laptop or PC.
This ability to access and share information
anytime from anywhere is among the primary
reasons oil & gas companies are incorporating
mobile technologies into their operations.
In fact, global consulting firm Accenture
contends mobile adoption is currently a top-
three technology priority for oil & gas com-
panies because of its potential to address
many of the industrys systemic challenges.
Accenture presented that argument in a paper
it published in conjunction with enterprise
software supplier SAP.
The paper, titled Mobile solutions for oil &
gas companies. Enterprise mobility: a transfor-
mation opportunity, argues that the industrys
many unique challengessuch as price volatil-
ity, heavy regulation and operations that span
wide and diverse geographic areasmake hav-
ing access to real-time information vital.
Two-way communication
Because the current generation of mobile
technology also can easily handle two-way
communication, field personnel can send data
back to enterprise systems that can be used for
longer-term analysis and process improvement.
Until recently, the primary use [of mobile
technology] had been to get information out into
the hands of field personnel, the Accenture
paper notes. Now, companies are attaching
greater importance to the inward flow of infor-
mation to data-driven enterprise systems such
as enterprise-resource planning (ERP), enter-
prise-asset management (EAM), supervisory
22 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
control and data acquisition (SCADA) and supply-
chain management (SCM).
Oil & gas companies are using this new gen-
eration of mobile solutions to support a wide
range of tasksfrom managing work orders and
parts inventories related to equipment mainte-
nance, to monitoring equipment status and filing
inspection and regulatory compliance reports.
There is simple logic behind the adoption
of this technology. Its much easier to review
and record readings via the screen of a mobile
device than it is to carry and keep track of a
paper notebook, or even a laptop computer.
That makes workers happier, and ultimately
more productive.
Both workers and management also seem
to be responding positively to the approach
many technology suppliers are taking when it
comes to designing mobile oil & gas solutions.
Rather than developing solutions based on
assumptions about what these companies and
their workers want and need, technology sup-
pliers are now more prone to go out into the
field to assess those needs firsthand. In most
cases, they then will build solutions tailored to
the needs of that specific company rather than
taking the traditional approach of developing a
generic application and trying to sell it to mul-
tiple customers.
User context drives design
We want to solve problems that are worth
solving, declared Gaurav Khandelwal, CEO
of ChaiOne, in explaining that suppliers
development approach. It starts with our
strategy group, which consists of individuals
who are trained in being empathetic to peoples
frustrations and stresses. We send them into
refineries, into the fields and onto rigs to get a
sense of the business problems as they exist
on the ground.
 Sometimes the team discovers a
problem can be solved simply by updat-
ing decades-old business processes
rather than installing new technology.
When technology is required, ChaiOne
assigns a business analyst to review
the situation and calculate the potential
financial return the company can expect
from solving the problem.
We always want to quantify the
cost before designing a solution,
Khandelwal said. Then we design a
solution that accounts for the context
in which it will be used. That context
includes not only the data that users
will be viewing or exchanging, but also
the environment in which they will be
working.
This focus on user context has made
interface design a top priority for most suppliers
of industrial-mobile solutions. The interface is
always designed around the user, Khandelwal
explained. If we know a person may have to go
out at 4 am to respond to SCADA system alerts,
were not going to make them look at a white
background. Well give them a dark background
with lighter lettering that will be easier to read
in the dark. If the user is a welder, we will equip
them with a smart watch instead of a smart-
phone or tablet so their hands can be free while
performing that job.
This approach resulted in the design of a sys-
tem for Weatherford, an oilfield services com-
pany, that reduced well downtime and boosted
operator productivity by 100%, per Khandelwal.
When Weatherford initially engaged ChaiOne,
its goal was to simply mobilize a desktop appli-
cation that was monitoring oilfield production
for hundreds of Weatherford customers. Many
of those customers were unhappy because the
desktop system was frequently issuing SCADA
alarms that operators only became aware of
when they returned from the field hours later.
Beyond the easy fix
While simply issuing all operators mobile
devices with alarm capabilities seemed like an
easy fix for this problem, ChaiOne preceded
with its normal method of sending its strategy
team into the field to assess the situation.
We talked with a dozen of [Weatherfords]
customers in the field, Khandelwal said. We
found that in many cases, the alarms werent
significant, and didnt necessarily require an Full data sharing: Mobile
immediate response. We also found that in solutions enable better com-
many other cases, there was an operator munication between the
nearby when an alarm was triggered who could field and control-room set-
tings by allowing field per-
have responded and solved the problem quickly
sonnel to see the same data
if they had known about the alarm.
that is displayed on large
Using that information, ChaiOne developed
screens in the control room.
a mobile app that gives operators better insight Courtesy: Transpara
into which alarms are most critical. This allows
the operator nearest to the location where a
critical alarm is triggered to respond immedi-
ately while also letting other operators know
the problem is being handled. The app also
helps operators map their daily rounds so they
are certain they are going to locations that are
most in need of maintenanceand most prone
to trigger critical alarmsfirst. This is how
the system both reduced well downtime and
boosted operator productivity.
The Alyeska Pipeline Service Companys
method of solving a similar problem shows
how recent advances in technology have made
it easier to incorporate mobile applications into
the oil & gas ecosystem.
Alyeska, which has managed the 800-mile
Trans-Alaska Pipeline System since the 1970s,
also was struggling with the question of how
to best respond to SCADA alarms. It turned to
a company called Transpara, which sells what
has been described as a lightweight business-
intelligence tool.
This system, called Visual KPI, reads data
from operational systems, such as SCADA and
data historians, and presents it in a form that
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 23
ApplicAtions for mobility
Clear field of vision:
Weatherford, an oilfield
services company, reduced
well downtime by 100% by
making data from its SCADA
system fully available to
field personnel via mobile
devices. Courtesy: ChaiOne
24 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
people who dont typically work with those sys-
tems daily can understand, according to Robert
Hylton, Transparas vice president of products.
After we read the data, we decorate it for the
purposes of visualization, organization, analysis
and alerting, Hylton said. Decorating data can
be as simple as converting a raw value into a
KPI so that the viewer knows whether that rep-
resents a good or bad condition.
As a lightweight business-intelligence tool,
Hylton says Visual KPI is, thats geared toward
helping operations personnel understand condi-
tions in their specific areas at a given point in
time rather than providing information for in-
depth process analysis.
Transpara calls its system lightweight because
it runs in a web browser rather than on a back-
end server linked to a database, which is how
most SCADA systems and data historians oper-
ate. Browser-based systems are supposed to be
viewable on any device with an internet connec-
tion, but sometimes the data can be skewed on
different screens.
Hylton said Transpara enhanced Visual KPIs
portability by using responsive design tech-
niques in building its user interface. That means
the application automatically adjusts to fit what-
ever screen its viewed on at a given moment
whether its a large monitor on the wall of a con-
trol center, desktop computer or smartphone.
Users dont have to worry about what the
application will look like on the screen, Hylton
said. The software does that all for them.
Alyeska adopted Visual KPI as a means of
sharing the information that was triggering
alarms, particularly during non-business hours,
across the enterprise. That was critical when
engaged in endeavors where the person nearest
to the location of the alarm might have to travel
300 miles to solve the problem.
Alyeska says the widespread
data-sharing this system enables
helped cut its annual operating
costs by $1.5 million by allowing
it to detect and solve problems
quicker, in addition to reducing the
number of times it had to dispatch
workers to conduct repairs during
off-shift hours.
iPhones for everyone?
IBM and SAP have formed
partnerships with Apple to develop
mobile oil & gas applications on the iOS platform.
The iOS platform offers a powerful proposi-
tion for application developers, said Santosh
Mulayath, an associate partner in IBMs chemi-
cals and petroleum business. The devices and
operating system are all well-integrated because
they are developed by the same company.
Theyre also well-maintained. The usability is
high and the platform is secure.
Mulayath said the ability to use native iOS
features such as global-positioning systems
(GPS) and location services also enhances the
platforms appeal to both developers and users
of mobile oil & gas applications.
We have developed more than 100 indus-
try-specific solutions for oil & gas companies,
Mulayath said, and work hard to tailor these
solutions for individual clients and integrate
them into their environments.
Some of those solutions extend the reach of
IBMs widely used Maximo asset-management
system to mobile users, but others pull data
from other vendors products, including SCADA
and data historians.
Likewise, SAP has built iOS-based solutions
that pull data from its own widely used asset-
management platform, as well as systems
from other vendors.
To a great extent, the security inherent in
Apples closed ecosystem has made this type
of development possible by lowering resistance
to the introduction of consumer-oriented tech-
nology in an industry in which companies his-
torically have gone to great lengths to protect
corporate data. OG
Sidney Hill Jr. is a graduate from the Medill School of
Journalism at Northwestern University. He has been
writing about the convergence of business and tech-
nology for more than 20 years.
Connecting Whats Needed with Whats Next

STRENGTHEN YOUR
CONNECTIONS

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To safely and cost-effectively solve your deepwater challenges in these dynamic market conditions,
choose from our portfolio of advanced technologies and innovative subsea tieback solutions. As your
trusted eld-development partner, our unmatched experience and advanced engineering enable us to
adapt and evolve to safely meet the current and future demands of the oil and gas industry.

By working together, we will safely and reliably re-shape the future of the oil and gas industry.
input #107 at www.controleng.com/information
Connect with whats next at Oceaneering.com/WhatsNext
WIRELESS OFFSHORE
Overcome challenges in offshore
wireless communications
Sound communications are key to good collaboration, and must be secure as well
I
By Josh Parker n rugged, remote offshore environments,
Rajant Corp. challenges abound. Equipment and employ-
ees must navigate unpredictable weather
conditions while ensuring that production
stays high, downtime remains low, and work-
er safety and security are protectedand
none of these is negotiable.
Wireless communications networks help
offshore operations traverse some of these chal-
lenges, providing a cost-effective way to moni-
tor and control operations, both on the rig and
remotely. Wireless network applications include
the following:
Internal communication on the rig
Wireless connection of mobile applications
Wellhead and gas-field monitoring and control
Rig power management and monitoring
Pipeline telemetry
Data aggregation
Process analytics.
Not all wireless networks are created equal,
however, and the offshore oil & gas sector in
particular presents some significant hurdles any
network used must manage.
The challenges of wireless offshore
The most obvious challenge is that offshore
operations are found in some of the most
remote areas of the planet, which means that
environments are harsh. Extreme temperatures,
corrosive saltwater, constant vibration and
pervasive dust and dirt are just some of the
conditions in which wireless networks need to
be deployed and run.
Reliable, constant connectivity is another
major concern. While an offshore networks
capabilities must go beyond enterprise reliability,
even some industrial-grade wireless networks
are not suited to an offshore operation, where
all assets are constantly in motion.
Offshore oil & gas operations consist of both
fixed rigs and moving equipment, which includes
maintenance tugs, work vessels and floatels. All
26 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING
parts of the operation must have connectivity
and share data, but the mobile equipment may
not always be able to see a network antenna
on a rig from all positionscalled line-of-sight.
In areas with rough seas, a boat or floatel may
not have line-of-sight to an antenna on a rig. In
this event, connectivity will be lost.
In addition to environmental and line-of-sight
concerns, the installation itself can be an issue.
In the production field on a drilling rig, OSHA
considers many areas hazardous because of the
possibility of explosions. This limits where, when
and how networks are installed. The installation
or redeployment of a network requires shut-
down for safety reasonsand a shutdown may
mean several million dollars in lost production.
Not to be forgotten is the need for unassail-
able network security. The U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) identified the energy
industry as one of 16 industrial sectors So vital
that their incapacitation or destruction would
have a debilitating effect on security, national
economic security, national public health or
safety, or any combination thereof.
In 2015, there were 16 recorded cyber
attacks on energy installations considered seri-
ous enough for the Industrial Control Systems
Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT)
to investigate. Thus a wireless network must be
more than just reliable and rugged: it must stand
up to cyberthreats and protect critical data,
especially as cyberattacks on offshore rigs are
increasing. Unfortunately, many wireless net-
works cant overcome these challenges.
Historical limitations
In the past, satellites provided offshore produc-
ers with high-latency, low-bandwidth communi-
cations that were useful for transmitting telem-
etry data, but were not appropriate for automa-
tion and control systems requiring less latency,
or for fixed and mobile multi-services like voice
and video requiring more bandwidth. Many
industrial-grade wireless network technologies
can provide low-latency and high-bandwidth, but
have other limitations.
Point-to-point (PtP) systems are unable to deal
with changes on the Z-axissuch as the vertical
movement of boats and floatels in rough seas. A
PtP network would require a wide-scale antenna
system because at least one side of the net-
work will always be moving. These systems also
have only a single signal going back and forth,
which creates the possibility of interruptions.
Point-to-multipoint (PtMP) systems need
full coverage on one or more vessels, which
requires additional equipment. Still, only one sig-
nal is going to and from each point.
More hardened offshore communications
equipment is focused in expensive license
bands such as 6 GHz or 10 GHz ranges, which
means spending tens of thousands of dollars
on links from one point to another with no addi-
tional backup communicationsand even then,
the bands arent built for offshore. Offshore
operators can add capabilities so that the PtP/
PtMP system can track assets to maintain
communications, which works while equip-
ment is moving side-to-side or back-and-forth,
but not up-and-down in rough seasand the
signal will not travel through water, or through
a wave.
Cellular LTE technologies have similar limita-
tions; their frequencies dont work well in ocean
environments. These technologies are multiple-
input, multiple-output (MIMO), meaning multiple
antennas are used at both the source (transmit-
ter) and destination (receiver). When signals are
transmitted, each wave on the ocean causes a
new multipath and angle, like ripples on a pond,
and is constantly changing. Antennas receive
all signals out of order, and because so many
multipaths are coming into a radio, throughput is
nonexistent.
What to look for
There are a few key characteristics of an off-
shore-ready network.
A network must have high availability.
Oil & gas operations strive to have the highest
availability in communications, whether onshore
or offshore, but the conditions in which they
operate cripple many networks. Environmental
or accidental radio-frequency (RF) noise, broken
RF equipment, dynamic changes in the char-
acterization of the RF site, and the range on
non-compatible RF devices all can interfere with
wireless-network performance.
Any single-path or PtMP network has a sin- Interface offers insight into
gle-point-of-failure and that reduces reliability. network. Used for networks
A network should allow for and survive any chang- of any size, a web-based
es to network infrastructure, whether planned tool called BC|Enterprise
monitors and graphs the
or unplanned, by having multiple radios creating
individual performance and
multiple paths, and thus no single-point-of-failure.
environmental attributes
Even if a radio on one piece of equipment or ves-
of mesh radio nodes and
sel fails, the network should be able to reroute, administratively designated
limiting connectivity problems to an individual groups of nodes over vari-
vessel versus multiple vessels, and ensuring that ous time periods. Courtesy:
operations are minimally affected. Rajant Corp.
Even on rough seas, a network should have
enough peers that workboats tossing on the
waves can still connect to it; a workboat may not
be able to see the main antenna tower through
the waves, but can see a peer workboat and con-
nect via that boats radio, maintaining connectivity.
A network must be highly secure. Because
of cyberthreats to the energy sector, an airtight
network is an absolute must-have.
Networks with military-grade security with
configurable per-hop, per-packet authentication are
ideal for the offshore oil & gas sector. A network
should offer end-to-end encryptionmeaning
when encrypted information flows through the
network and comes out another radio it stays
encrypted until it is delivered to its destination,
ensuring privacy.
A network must allow real-time data to
enhance production and safety. A high-band-
width, low-latency network allows critical infor-
mation to be vetted and processed in real time.
Equipment can be fitted with sensors that send
data continuously to a central collection point via
the network, allowing operators to see patterns
and prevent problems.
Semi-autonomous or autonomous equipment
can be controlled remotely via the wireless
OIL&GAS ENGINEERING APRIL 2017 27
WIRELESS OFFSHORE

radios appended to sensors, meaning power
can be killed before or at the time of an issue
without waiting for a workboat to reach the
equipment and an operator to turn off a valve
or pump. Remote data-gathering also can lower
operating costs and increase safety; employees
can perform duties from onshore sites and col-
laborate with a few platform workers via camera.
Fewer platform workers mean less transport to
and from the platform, minimizing transportation
costs and reducing risk.
Data like engine run-time allow for proactive
maintenance, and can help engineers catch prob-
lems with equipment and change their process-
es, saving money on repairs or replacements and
reducing downtime.
On the safety and compliance side, proper envi-
ronmental sensor packages can show gas leaks
that technicians cannot smell, and control equip-
ment can keep technicians in a safe zone if there
is an issue. Sensors can detect leaks or changes in
pressure and shut off a pipeline automatically.
Some offshore vessels are stationed in zones
where piracy is a concern, and surveillance foot-
age streamed over a strong network can keep
infrastructure, people and assets more secure.
Equipment and vessels also can be outfitted with
GPS tracking devices to prevent or detect theft or
piracy.
A network must be scalable and reconfigu-
rable. Offshore, drilling, cabling and tug vessels
are always coming and going, and bobbing up and
down. Standard design and equipment cannot
support the nomadic state of an offshore oilfield.
A network should have assets that allow
operators to reconfigure and move radios
and network infrastructure as the environ-
ment changes. For example, there may be
multiple vessels onsite during drilling, but sup-
port vessels leave when drilling ends, while
others are permanent. With PtP or PtMP net-
works, operators need to completely redesign
the network for the remaining vessels to scale
it down each time new vessels leave, and then
do it all over again the next time drilling com-
mences and new vessels or equipment arrive.
A scalable, re-deployable network makes it
easy to move vessels on and offline, expand-
ing and contracting the network as needed
for each rig, while the network continues to
operate with the same reliability. Shutdown is
limited to the initial installation, saving on the
costs associated with downtime.
The power of the right network
In the offshore oil & gas sector, environmental
conditions are a constant challenge, and
people and equipment are always in motion, so
access to real-time data powered by a strong
communications network is a necessity.
The right network will allow offshore opera-
tors to boost productivity and even cut costs by
allowing proactive maintenance and reducing
downtime. In the current era of low oil prices,
an offshore operation can take advantage of
the efficiencies a powerful network can create,
while keeping workers safe and ensuring criti-
cal industry data stays secure. OG
Josh Parker is director of customer support and prod-
uct management at Rajant Corp., a private wireless
network provider and mobile networking pioneer.

ADVERTISERS INDEX
COMPANY PAGE NO. RSN WEB
Archrock 14 104 www.archrock.com
Baldor Electric Company C2 100 www.baldor.com
Magnetrol 1 101 www.magnetrol.com
MATERION 6 103 www.materion.com/couplings
OCEANEERING 25 107 www.Oceaneering.com/WhatsNext
Pyromation Inc. 18 105 www.pyromation.com/oilandgas
STRESS ENGINEERING SERVICES INC. 19 106 www.stress.com
Unitronics C3 108 www.unitronics.com
WAGO Corp C4 109 www.wago.us
WELDBEND 2, 3 102 www.weldbend.com

28 APRIL 2017 OIL&GAS ENGINEERING

input #108 at www.controleng.com/information
NETWORKED VALVE CONTROL.
COMPACT.
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IN

VAL 12
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WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM 750
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r Compact, 12 mm wide module
r Control two valves up to 24V and 1.6A each
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input #109 at www.controleng.com/information