EXPLORATION • DRILLING • FIELD SERVICES
The ability to quickly change and reconfi gure fi bre cables can save considerable time and costs in off shore drilling applications
F FIBRE LEXIBLE
A quick and easy solution can speed the certifi cation of fi bre optic cabling installed in explosive atmospheres, including caustic marine environments
A
s automation continues to expand into diverse industrial sectors, the demand for multi-channel fi bre optic cable is following suit.
However, there is an increasing need for high-count, high-bandwidth fi bre, capable of delivering the ever-increasing amount of data required in a single cable. T is requirement is often most pressing in locations where space limitations won’t permit installation of extensive runs of low- count fi bre, such as off shore platforms. In addition, for sectors such as oil and
gas there is a considerable advantage to installing pre-terminated plug-and-play quick connectors that meet the recently adopted international standards for explosive atmospheres. As an example, fi bre is increasingly being used in upstream exploration and
production where land-based rigs are often moved. T e ability to quickly change and reconfi gure fi bre cables can save considerable time and costs. Also, since off shore rigs can’t aff ord the time and cost of helicoptering in a fi bre technician every time a cable requires servicing or replacement, quick-connect/disconnect connectors save on both service and downtime.
Another situation that often requires
addressing is the need to make frequent changes to fi bre cable confi gurations or service/replace cable when equipment is damaged. T e use of pre-terminated fi bre cable connectors that can quickly and easily be plugged in or unplugged can be very useful in both facilitating installation and avoiding prolonged service downtime.
AVOIDING EXPLOSIVE HAZARDS In both off shore and land-based natural gas and oil rigs, multi-channel high- speed fi bre optic cable is required to control automation as well as monitor equipment status and communicate predictive notifi cations when components are in danger of failing. Such capabilities create enormous cost savings by avoiding extended downtime due to catastrophic equipment failures. Because these hazardous locations include sites with potentially explosive atmospheres, the risk of a catastrophic event should be taken into consideration. According to organisations that establish international safety requirements, the potential for fi bre optics to cause ignition of explosive atmospheres presents a real hazard.
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