Alcatel-Lucent together with the Technip Samsung Consortium (TSC) is set to provide an advanced communications system for Shell’s new Prelude ‘floating liquefied natural gas’ (FLNG) facility, the first of its kind in the world. The system will enhance the safety and efficiency of operations and provide entertainment and communications services for crew members on the facility, 200 kilometers off Western Australia.
Alcatel-Lucent will use its extensive experience in working in the oil and gas industry to provide a robust and reliable communications system, vital for working a remote and harsh environment such as this. The system will enhance safety and maintain critical communications links with other vessels, aircraft and on-shore facilities for operational and emergency support. It will also provide much needed entertainment and communications services for the crew living on board the facility for long periods of time, to allow them to connect with friends and family onshore.
The TSC consortium, which will construct the FLNG, is made up of Technip, a French global engineering, project management and construction company for the energy industry and South Korea-based Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), one of the world’s largest shipbuilding and offshore development and construction companies.
Rajeev Singh-Molares, President of Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific Region said: “ This critical project represents a great opportunity to demonstrate to the oil and gas industry our expertise in integrating high-performance, reliable communications systems that perform essential operational activities as well as ensuring the safety of the workforce and the environment .”
For this project Alcatel-Lucent will bring its extensive experience in engineering, project management and integration services to deliver a comprehensive communications system that integrates a wide variety of elements. These include operations, safety and entertainment systems such as: trunk and marine radio communications; air communications radar recorder (black box); beacons; local and wide area networks; voice over IP; closed circuit TV; public address alarm systems; distress and safety systems; GPS; weather monitoring; and search and rescue transponders.
FLNG is an innovative technology that will allow the production, liquefaction, storage and transfer of LNG at sea. This project opens up new opportunities for Shell to develop so called ‘stranded gas’ – resources that otherwise wouldn’t be developed through onshore LNG plants. As well as being the first ever FLNG facility, it will also be the world’s largest floating offshore facility.
[mappress] Press Release, July 24, 2012