Blended, hybrid networks: the next frontier for the digital oilfield

Growing demand for application-specific routing and cyber security has created new solutions for users, writes Alexandre de Luca, President, Energy, Enterprise and Government, Marlink

Hybrid networks have evolved quickly to become the new standard for high value communications, designed to meet demanding performance standards in remote and challenging locations.

Offshore oil and gas companies are increasingly focusing on digitalization to enhance their operations, improve efficiency, increase safety and reduce risk. This combination of drivers has increased demand for high throughput, low latency bandwidth to support cloud-based applications and enable a new range of remote operations.

To optimize operations through IoT, Machine Learning and AI requires moving large amounts of data to shore without impacting ongoing daily operations. This data can help to monitor asset health and enable predictive and proactive maintenance reduce NPT and downtime.

As user demand for higher volumes of business-critical data continues to increase, so too does the requirement for fully orchestrated solutions that combine custom network management with next-level security. The blend of network management and in-built security processes supports end-to-end management and reporting to enable informed operational decisions.

The next stage of this evolution is to combine the flexibility of a hybrid network with end-to-end managed services provides a blended solution that delivers fully reliable connectivity with added value for multiple user groups on board assets.

Marlink’s combination of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) from Starlink and OneWeb services, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) solutions from SES, alongside our benchmark GEO VSAT solutions and 4G/5G solutions. This design, tailored to meet the specific needs of offshore operations, ensures reliable and high-performance connectivity.

Our track record in curating solutions that meet and exceed client requirements enables us to offer blended networks based on hybrid connectivity that incorporate application-based routing through secure SD-WAN, automatic failover and proactive remote monitoring.

Marlink can prioritize traffic through the LEO constellations, optimizing applications by demand for low latency and high bandwidth. Marlink can also fully segregate crew welfare services to enhance network security and assure business-critical application performance. Based on this multi-bearer, blended solution, Marlink can deliver connectivity that exceeds the 99.7% availability requirement demanded by the biggest exploration and production operators around the world.

The increasing volumes of data and new types of traffic over the network have also led to increased exposure to cyber threats. This increased exposure requires a proactive and resilient approach to cyber security at all network levels. This is why Marlink provides cyber tools designed to securely integrate LEO and MEO solutions into client networks outside the Marlink gateway. It also recommends proactive approach for cyber security including pen testing, vulnerability assessments, and organizational awareness training to mitigate risks. This is the Marlink approach to take the fullest advantage of new advancing hybrid networks by blending them with the most sophisticated tools and procedures to optimize client data flow in the most secure manner.