A Remote Satellite Communication Terminal for the Geophysical Survey and Exploration Industry
Geoffrey P. Tamulonis · Offshore Technology Conference · 1982
ABSTRACT This paper addresses system requirements and potential benefits of a transportable satellite communications earth station for the geophysical survey and exploration industry. The basis for this paper is an ongoing research and development effort being undertaken by the author in cooperation with geophysical and exploration companies. In the first part of the paper, emphasis is placed on the potential operational aspects unique to this industry, such as data rates, interface protocols, operating environment, and transportability. The second part of the paper deals with implementation constraints upon current and future satellite communications. The final part presents a system design that integrates the operational considerations with implementation realities. Estimated costs of implementation and operation are discussed INTRODUCTION Satellite communications are not new to the energy exploration industry. In 1976, Cities Service placed an earth station on an exploration rig, operating in the Gulf of Mexico, 110 miles south of Galveston). By 1979, Exxon had put an earth station on each of two drilling ships. ARCO Oil and Gas has been operating a releasable earth station in the western over thrust area for a year and has just deployed two more transportable. These systems were implemented for voice communication between a drill site and an operations center, although the channels were capable of also passing low speed, in-band data. In the geophysical services segment of the energy exploration industry, satellite communications is now becoming a reality. Previously, technology, government regulation and the high cost/benefit precluded the use of transportable earth stations. Now the industry is turning to satellite communications. The requirement is for transmission of high speed data as well as voice. Satellite communications equipment manufacturers, such as M/A-COM DCC, are working with several independent geophysical service companies and the major producers to develop transportable earth stations capable of transmitting a day's worth of seismic shooting data back to processing centers in a few hours' time. In the present phase of development, the marine systems are limited to data transmission rates of 56 kbps as initial operation will be over the INMARSAT network. Land transportable designs currently under consideration will accommodate data from 56 kbps to 1.5 Mbps. The communications needs and requirements of the geophysical survey .and exploration industry present a challenge to the suppliers of satellite communications equipment. The aim of this paper is to present the unique operational aspects, implementation constraints, and a land transportable system .design that were evaluated in a recent research and development effort and implementation study. Although these factors were examined for satellite communications in North America and surrounding waters, consideration was given to the ultimate goal of the development of a worldwide communications capability for the energy exploration industry. POTENTIAL BENEFITS There are two principal direct benefits that the geophysical survey and exploration industry can derive from satellite communications: