Petroleum Development Oman reports rapid return on investment with
Redline's rugged wireless infrastructure, and expands project to
include more wells
TORONTO, April 9, 2012 /CNW/ - Redline Communications Group Inc. (TSX:
RDL) ("Redline" or the "Company"), a leading provider of broadband wireless solutions
for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, today announced the launch
of a larger, second phase of a major wireless project for Shell Oil
joint venture Petroleum Development Oman LLC (PDO). This expansion
follows the successful deployment of a wireless infrastructure network
supporting over 2000 wells.
In November 2010 Redline announced that PDO had selected Redline to supply a wireless communications infrastructure to meet their goal
of having full bi-directional communication and integration between the
corporate layer and the field layers for their oil and gas fields.
Over 2000 of the 5000 oil wells in their Oman location are now
connected wirelessly using Redline equipment to a centralized site
where they are monitored and managed remotely in real-time, eliminating
the need to have workers drive from well to well to collect critical
operating information and make changes to optimize the system. PDO is
now expanding wireless coverage to all wells.
Redline's rugged RDL-3000 and AN-80i broadband radios, powered by
SmartLINK software, are the cornerstone of the PDO system. They
operate in point-to-multipoint configurations, allowing many units in
the field to communicate over long distances to a smaller number of
base stations which improves the cost effectiveness of the system. The
entire field is surrounded by a ring of Redline RDL-5000 radios
delivering high-capacity, reliable, long distance backhaul. The Redline
technology has extremely large capacity which supports the many
different types of machines communicating simultaneously over the
wireless network. SCADA systems, RTUs, video surveillance cameras and
Wi-Fi hotspots are all connected over the wide area Redline network,
with the more important communications such as control over the well
heads getting priority treatment through Redline's patented and patent
pending Quality of Service (QoS) technology.
Data and information now flow seamlessly between more than 2000 oil
wells and the central control location, providing a full picture of
what is happening in the field and how it is impacting the finances of
the oil field operator. In addition to connecting well heads, mobile
rigs and semi-mobile units are also now wirelessly connected using
Redline products, allowing access to corporate systems regardless of
location.
Redline products are especially well suited to the M2M needs of the oil
and gas industry because they are powerful and flexible enough to
accommodate the many different types and priorities of communications
in an oil field, and they operate reliably in even the most extreme
environments. Because the PDO oil field covers an area of 28,000 square
miles of desert, rugged, resilient and reliable equipment is critical.
"The Redline products have delivered on their promise of highly reliable
performance in a challenging environment," said Saeed Al Shidhani,
PDO's Head of IT Projects. "We have seen immediate and significant
improvements in performance and data throughput as a result of the
wireless digital connectivity delivered by Redline, and we plan to more
than double the number of wells that are included in this system in the
coming months."
"We are pleased to see this project grow, and we expect it to continue
to grow even more," said Eric Melka, Redline's CEO. "It's confirmation
that we have delivered real and measurable improvements to Petroleum
Development Oman's oil field operation, and we are committed to ongoing
innovation to be a catalyst for more effective ways of managing oil and
gas production. This segment has become the fastest growing of our
business and we attribute this growth to our partnerships and our
unique, rugged M2M technology that we have designed specifically for
the energy sector."
Redline has made a major commitment to the oil and gas industry
worldwide as well as in the Middle East region. The company has
recently opened an office in Dubai and has increased staffing in the
region to support its growing oil and gas customers.
About Redline Communications
Redline Communications (www.rdlcom.com) is the innovator of Virtual Fiber™, a rugged broadband wireless
solution used by companies and governments worldwide to cost
effectively deploy and manage distributed services and applications.
Redline's resilient products provide machine-to-machine connectivity
over wide areas in even the harshest environments, and are used to
facilitate and enhance public safety networks, deploy and extend secure
networks, and connect digital oil fields and smart grids. Redline has
been delivering powerful, versatile and reliable wireless systems to
governments, the military, oil and gas, and the telecom industry for
over a decade through certified partners in the Americas, Middle East,
and Africa.
<p> </p> <p> <b>Company Contact:</b><br/> Redline Communications<br/> Lynda Partner<br/> +1-613-618-3200<br/> <a href="mailto:lpartner@rdlcom.com">lpartner@rdlcom.com</a> </p> <p> <b>Media Contact:</b><br/> John Sidline<br/> Mobility Public Relations<br/> +1-503-946-3311<br/> <a href="mailto:rdl@mobilitypr.com">rdl@mobilitypr.com</a> </p>