Drilling rig owners can enhance crew connectivity by installing wifi and outsourcing communications management
Stena Drilling is upgrading crew communications across its fleet of offshore drilling rigs to boost morale through internet access.
A fleet of drillships and semi-submersible drilling rigs will be upgraded with an onboard wifi system that enables crew to access fast internet connectivity over geostationary satellite-based VSAT in areas where Stena’s drilling rigs operate worldwide.
Stena contracted Speedcast International to add Crew Wi-Fi to their fully-managed communications services on four drillships and two semi-submersible rigs following a successful pilot on a drillship currently drilling exploration and appraisal wells in Guyana for a consortium of oil majors.
Speedcast manages Stena’s global remote communications across this fleet. Crew wifi access systems will enable seafarers access to online services from mobile devices and allow Stena’s own IT team to focus on business requirements.
Drilling rig crew can pay for this connectivity with a credit card or PayPal through a self-service portal, and purchase vouchers, add credits or change plans by accessing the self-service portal and a direct billing gateway from their personal devices.
Speedcast said Crew Wi-Fi provides ship and drilling rig owners with a simple internet option for crew without the burden of administrating or managing the service.
“This is a convenient and cost-effective solution which removes the need for Stena personnel to manage administration and payment plans, and allows them to focus on critical business operations,” said Speedcast executive vice president of energy Keith Johnson.
“We are seeing this type of outsourced solution gaining momentum in the market.”
Stena Drilling has upgraded other systems on its drilling rigs and drillships in recent years.
At Riviera Maritime Media’s Annual Offshore Support Journal Conference in London, Stena Drilling marine superintendent John Flynn explained how it upgraded systems on semi-submersible Stena Don during its reactivation before starting drilling contracts with major energy companies in the North Sea sector.
He said Stena spent US$80M upgrading the Stena Don before it drilled a successful gas exploration well for Total in the west of Shetland area.
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