Oil and Gas Rigs

The Challenge

The importance of access to live and recorded video content on oil and gas rigs cannot be underestimated. Given that these structures can measure over 100m in length by 60 metres in width, it’s no surprise that they are commonly referred to as cities in the sea and they are often accompanied by support vessels. While the number of on-rig personnel varies with each two-week shift, it can reach up to 200 on the larger platforms, and they require both reliable information and entertainment.

The Solution

Accommodation for workers on the rigs is furnished with TV screens, and networks of displays are also used in meeting and collaboration rooms and in dining areas. To enable video distribution and digital signage to reach teams, MediaStar Systems is delivering stored video content and live TV broadcasting over LAN networks on rigs as far afield as the Gulf of Mexico, Africa and Trinidad and Tobago. In the North Sea MediaStar has been specified by some of the most prominent oil operators including BP for its multi-billion redevelopment projects west of the Shetland Isles. In addition, MediaStar delivers IPTV to the rig support vessels and remotely operated vehicles to relay ocean floor exploration and inspection data back to the rig.

The Outcome

To deliver content, most of our rig customers are using a combination of MediaStar 778 Encoders combined with 783 and 784 LAN-Caster Gateways for live TV. In addition, MediaStar 780 players decode H.264 and MPEG-2 encoded network streams to playout video and deliver locally stored video content.

Some oil platforms are also using the MediaStar HLS wireless live streaming solution to distribute video onto individual tablets and phones.

Co-ordinating the delivery of content is done through MediaStar Media Manager, based on a drag-and-drop process, which allows the administrator to schedule a mix of live streams, videos and HTML content. And for digital signage, the MediaStar 782 media player is to send alerts, messaging and emergency notifications to reach oil rig workers.

It goes without saying that all technology on a remote platform needs to be reliable and high-performing, and this applies to AV solutions. MediaStar has become a system of choice in the sector because it is consistently robust, scalable and has been built for purpose and designed to last.