Enhancing operational efficiency through digitalisation

Digitalisation is key in a market where companies must maximise output while minimising production costs. SES and Marlink are helping oil and gas companies transform their operations. Their managed networks enable automation, increase agility, and support better decision-making—all critical for optimising the complex environments of offshore operations.

SES and Marlink’s collaboration has proven especially valuable for companies working in the offshore sector. Digital solutions powered by SES’s high-speed, low-latency MEO constellation allow operators to deploy advanced technologies that increase profitability and reduce costs, such as real-time data analytics, cloud computing, remote diagnostics, and wireless sensor monitoring.

SES’s MEO constellation provides coverage to regions with the highest volumes of proven deepwater reserves, providing high-performance and cost-effective data services to your most remote oil fields. Coupled with the company’s geosynchronous earth orbit satellites (GEO), SES’s multi-orbit communications system enables reliable connectivity for various applications, regardless of location.

Delivering reliable connectivity for critical applications

One of the greatest challenges in offshore oil and gas operations is ensuring reliable connectivity for digital applications in remote areas, such as floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units and offshore rigs and platforms. SES’s O3b MEO satellite network, integrated with Marlink’s managed services, provides high-performance, reliable connectivity even in the most remote locations, ensuring business continuity and operational efficiency.

This robust connectivity is essential for the deployment of advanced digital tools such as condition monitoring, process simulation, and real-time asset tracking. With Marlink’s managed solutions, oil and gas companies can seamlessly integrate these digital technologies into their operations, driving improvements in safety, asset performance, and overall productivity.

Marlink emphasises that their scalable, market-focused solutions provide high-speed, low-latency satellite connectivity to offshore operations. By simplifying offshore managed networks and reducing costs, they support the digitalisation efforts needed to address the challenges posed by fluctuating oil prices and production.

Enabling cloud and AI-driven solutions

As digital transformation evolves, the integration of cloud-based applications and AI is becoming more important for offshore operators. SES and Marlink provide the connectivity that enables cloud digitalisation and AI-driven applications at the edge, where large amounts of operational data are generated but often difficult to fully utilise. With their combined solution, companies can run critical applications, monitor equipment performance, and make data-driven decisions in real time, regardless of their location.

By facilitating the deployment of "digital twins," virtual models of offshore assets that use real-time performance data, SES and Marlink empower companies to monitor the health of their infrastructure and optimize maintenance schedules. This, in turn, enhances operational efficiency, reduces downtime, and improves the overall lifespan of assets.

Addressing crew welfare and digitalisation goals

Crew welfare is another important consideration, particularly in remote offshore environments where maintaining connectivity can significantly improve working conditions. SES and Marlink are delivering high-speed, reliable broadband allows crew members to stay connected with their families and access entertainment, which reduces employee churn and enhances job satisfaction.

Global success and future potential

Through their partnership, SES and Marlink have delivered tangible results for oil and gas companies globally, helping them harness the power of digital transformation. With SES’s O3b MEO constellation providing the backbone for Marlink’s managed network solutions, the oil and gas sector is better equipped to face the challenges of the future.

As the industry continues to embrace digitalisation, SES and Marlink remain at the forefront, providing the connectivity solutions that drive innovation, operational efficiency, and long-term success.