[SatNews] Stratos Global has been selected by R&M Energy Systems (R&M) to deploy a global SCADA network based on Inmarsat’s BGAN mobile broadband satellite service.

Stratos was selected by R&M through Stratos Channel Partner Galaxy 1 Communications. R&M, based near Houston, is one of the leading providers of closures, valves, drilling components and artificial lift systems for the global oil and gas industry. Deployment of R&M’s new BGAN SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) network expanded last month to include all of R&M’s key operating regions. Network deployment is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year, with new deployments coming online as needed. The custom-designed network uses BGAN satellite terminals to reliably transmit operational data from oil pumps and other mission-critical equipment in remote areas not accessible by R&M’s traditional monitoring infrastructure. The BGAN SCADA network is fully integrated with R&M’s control and monitoring platform. It provides IP connectivity to field equipment via the Internet or a private VPN network.

R&M’s future plans include monitoring automated choke valves and other active and passive equipment. In the past, R&M’s customers did not have the ability or capacity to capture and present operational data from that equipment in an economical manner. As a manufacturer of pumping equipment for oil and gas, industrial and municipal markets, it is important for R&M to provide its customers with a single, integrated solution that is supported by the pump manufacturer. BGAN uses small, lightweight terminals to provide simultaneous, high-speed IP data and voice connectivity anywhere in the world.

This BGAN SCADA network relies on Stratos Dashboard to enable optimal network productivity and affordability by providing real-time traffic reports, cost control and online provisioning for new terminals. Stratos Dashboard is the foundation of The Stratos Advantage portfolio of value-added services. The network uses Hughes 9201-M2M Satellite IP SCADA Terminals, a specially engineered Class 1 compact BGAN terminal enclosed in a protective housing. The terminals are designed for permanent, fixed-site deployment and 24x7 network connectivity in the harsh environments associated with remote SCADA networks.