DNV in the Maritime Oil & Gas Industry

Offshore drilling for oil and gas began more than 100 years ago in the 1880's with wells dug from wharfs extending several hundred meters out into the ocean from the coast of California. However, it wasn't until after the end of World War II in the 1940's that drilling moved completely offshore, with wells sunk from platforms floating out of sight of land. DNV's own rise to being a leader in supplying risk management services to the international oil and gas industry began in the 1960's when Norway got started with oil and gas exploration.

The services that DNV provides to the oil and gas industry are varied. To get an idea of just how extensive DNV's involvement is, note that DNV classifies 30 percent of the offshore oil and gas tonnage for the entire world. DNV also provides expert assistance with offshore construction, from the planning and design stages, all the way through building, operation, and even decommissioning.

Maritime as the Next Step in the Ethernet Trend

The industrial Ethernet movement evolved from the realization that Ethernet products designed for a comfortable, well-controlled office setting were not suitable for use in harsh, less predictable industrial environments. The main reason is that commercial Ethernet equipment cannot meet the high reliability requirements demanded by industrial applications. In addition, industrial environments can be extremely hot, or unbearably cold, so that specially designed, more robust network equipment is required.

The industrial Ethernet revolution was also fueled by the fact that an increasing number of device manufacturers, such as PLC, DCS system, and field I/O manufacturers, now produce products that come with a built-in Ethernet interface. And since Ethernet is based on an open standard, users are not bound by product manufacturers' proprietary protocols and network structure. This simplifies the user's task substantially, since many different types of device can communicate with each other by just plugging the devices into the same network.

This trend of using Ethernet for industrial applications has taken a new twist with the realization that Ethernet can be used to solve communications problems for a number of marine applications. In fact, many industrial Ethernet devices, such as Moxa's own switches and media converters, designed originally for applications on land, have been found equally well suited for use in adverse marine-type environments. Examples include battleships and ocean liners, which when fully manned could be home to several thousand soldiers or passengers. Energy related applications, such as offshore drilling platforms, tide-power generation systems, and offshore windmill farms, could also benefit from using Ethernet.

Using Ethernet with Maritime Applications

As mentioned in the previous section, some Ethernet devices, such as switches and media converters, are now rugged enough to be used with maritime applications. In this section, we examine five such applications in more detail.

Battleships—Although the overall purpose of the battleship has not changed, the modern battleship differs considerably from its predecessors, particularly with the numbers and types of automatic control systems that are used. For example, automatic combat systems used on battleships coordinate data from radar, sonar, weapons, and communications, all of which are controlled by separate, highly sophisticated computer systems. The combat system uses Ethernet networks with fiber optics, with each subsystem collecting data for C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance¡Xe.g., see the website www.c4isrjournal.com) operations. Using Ethernet makes it much easier for designers of battleship systems to use one control center to coordinate data from many different systems, making it possible to analyze all information, and provide the battleship's commander with suitable integrated information for formulating attack and defence decisions.

Ocean Liners—When filled to capacity, a large ocean liner is essentially a floating city, with all the same infrastructure and public service requirements. In addition to having access to a variety of restaurants and recreational activities, passengers now also demand access to e-mail accounts and the Internet, real-time news, and even information exchange services such as MSN. By providing such services, as well as network games and VOD (Video On Demand), ocean liners can satisfy the requirements of traveling businessmen on vacation with their families. Ethernet networks on ships must be capable of operating in critical environmental conditions that include severe vibrations, high humidity, and hot temperatures. In addition, the networks must be immune from interference caused by other devices used on the ship. As far as switches are concerned, the only option for reliable on-ship operation is a rugged industrial Ethernet switch designed to work in these kinds of adverse environments.

Offshore Platforms—Offshore platforms are used to drill for oil and gas, setting up meteorological stations, and hydrology. Devices used on offshore platforms must be capable of withstanding any number of critical ocean environments, including the effects of moisture, vibration, shock, and temperature extremes. To ensure that all systems work properly, it is necessary to set up a sophisticated automated monitoring system. Using an IP network for the monitoring system makes it easier to set up a coordinated, platform-wide system that connects control and video systems into one network.

Tide-power Generators—Although most of us have witnessed the motion of the tides when visiting coastal areas, we probably didn't consider the amount of power involved in moving such massive volumes of water up and down twice per day. Electric generating systems that use tidal power are one answer to the problem of finding a "clean" replacement for fossil fuels. However, since this type of system is by necessity spread out along the coast, a modern communication system is required to coordinate, monitor, and control the various components and devices making up the system. By using an Ethernet network, video and control systems can be integrated as part of the same system-wide network, allowing operators to monitor the status of the entire system. The video system is used to view and record a variety of images, and helps to analyze the efficiency of the system and adjust the settings of equipment.

Offshore Wind Power—Traditionally, windmills are used onland in areas that experience steady, relatively high speed winds. A prime example is the Netherlands, for which windmills have been an important part of the power system for many decades. Another option is to place windmills offshore in coastal areas that are prone to steady winds. Offshore windmill farms, which could consist of many large windmills located along a coastal area, can benefit greatly from using fiber optics as a communication medium. Fiber optics is not only capable of transmitting signals several kilometers, but fiber optic equipment tends to have a high MTBF, making the equipment more stable and reliable.

Summary

The convenience of using Ethernet has been a major impetus for adapting Ethernet to many different disciplines and a wide range of environments. Another aspect of Ethernet that makes it so popular is that system integrators can easily combine signals from different types of devices and protocols to create a system-wide monitoring and control system. With the availability of rugged industrial Ethernet devices rated for use in maritime environments, such as the EDS switches, IMC media converters, and Serial Device Servers from Moxa, Ethernet is sure to be used more and more for marine applications, such as on ships and offshore platforms.