BW Offshore has signed a five-year framework agreement with Tampnet to standardise high-capacity connectivity across its FPSO fleet, giving offshore teams greater access to real-time data, cloud applications and onshore expertise.
The agreement builds on Tampnet services already deployed on three BW Offshore FPSOs and creates a common connectivity framework that can be adapted to the location and requirements of individual assets.
For BW Offshore, the deal addresses an issue in fleet digitalisation. FPSOs can operate for years in remote locations, while their crews and onshore teams increasingly rely on cloud-based applications and continuous data exchange to manage operations.
Tampnet will combine available connectivity options for each FPSO and manage them as a single resilient service. Its portfolio includes fibre, LTE and private 5G, with the company saying its network serves more than 450 fixed and mobile energy assets.
Fritz Ekløff, Head of IT & Systems at BW Offshore, said reliable connectivity is becoming more important as the company moves more applications into the cloud.
“Reliable connectivity is a prerequisite as we continue to digitalise offshore operations,” Ekløff said. “As more of the applications we depend on become cloud-based, efficient stable and secure connectivity becomes increasingly important to how our offshore and onshore teams work together.”
The framework is Tampnet’s first long-term global agreement directly with an FPSO contractor. Elie Hanna, CEO at Tampnet, said the arrangement recognises the need for connectivity that can operate across geographically dispersed assets.
“FPSOs are global assets, and connectivity has to follow them,” Hanna said. “BW Offshore’s decision to select Tampnet across its global fleet is an important recognition of our ability to solve that challenge, giving offshore operators the digital foundation to operate smarter, safer and more efficiently, wherever they are.”
BW Offshore has more than 40 years of experience in floating production solutions and has delivered more than 40 projects.
The agreement gives its fleet a standard connectivity layer while allowing individual FPSOs to use the connections available in their operating areas. That matters as ship and offshore asset management becomes more reliant on cloud software, remote collaboration and continuous operational data.
