Long-Range Offshore Wireless Connectivity for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Mumbai
Introduction
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), a Fortune Global 500 company, is engaged in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons across India. With operations spanning the entire hydrocarbon value chain, ONGC’s Mumbai offshore region represents a significant portion of its production infrastructure.
The offshore operations are organized across three major asset groups:
- Mumbai High Asset (MH Asset)
- Bassein & Satellite Asset (B&S Asset)
- Neelam and Heera Asset (NH Asset)
To support communication across these geographically distributed offshore platforms and onshore installations, a high-capacity wireless transmission network was implemented using industrial-grade microwave technology, powered by Wavesight’s wireless transmission solutions.
Project Objective
The objective was to establish a high-capacity, scalable and reliable microwave backhaul network over sea, capable of carrying multi-service traffic across offshore assets.
The network was designed to:
- Deliver voice and data connectivity across offshore and onshore locations
- Support enterprise applications such as SAP, intranet/internet, email and video conferencing
- Enable SCADA and DCS communication from field installations to asset and basin headquarters
- Provide seamless voice communication through VOIP and digital telephony integration
- Support video surveillance and real-time monitoring of field parameters
The system was engineered to deliver carrier-grade services in an unlicensed frequency band, with high spectral efficiency to support multiple applications on a shared industrial wireless network.
Network Architecture
The deployment consists of a distributed microwave backbone, connecting 4 offshore platforms and 9 onshore facilities in the Mumbai High Asset with the help of 13 Scorpion 1 Gbps point-to-point links.
The network includes a long-range offshore link between Maker Tower and Neelam, spanning approximately 55 km and achieving around 370 Mbps throughput.
Challenges
- Maintaining continuous data communication across distributed offshore assets
- Ensuring stable long-range connectivity over sea and in marine operating conditions
- Supporting enterprise and industrial control systems on a shared network
- Implementing connectivity in environments where fiber deployment is complex and resource-intensive
Solution
The network utilizes Wavesight’s industrial-grade wireless transmission solutions, based on Scorpion radios, to establish long-distance offshore communication links.
Key aspects of the implementation include:
- Deployment of Scorpion microwave radios for over-sea communication
- Use of IP67-rated rugged metal enclosures suited for marine environments
- Establishment of secure, low-latency wireless links across offshore platforms
- Support for SCADA and DCS connectivity between field locations and control centers
- Enablement of voice, data and video applications on a unified network
- A resilient and scalable network design, addressing environmental and industrial interference
- Integration of a Network Management System (NMS) for centralized monitoring and visibility
System integration was carried out by Suraj Informatic Limited, ensuring compatibility with ONGC’s existing network systems.
Results
- Established communication across offshore and onshore installations
- Enabled real-time monitoring of field assets
- Achieved long-distance connectivity, including a 55 km link with ~370 Mbps throughput
- Reduced dependence on fiber deployment in offshore environments
- Delivered a network with minimal maintenance requirements
- Created infrastructure capable of supporting future surveillance expansion and enhanced site security
Outcome
This implementation demonstrates a proven approach to offshore wireless communication using microwave backhaul, enabling connectivity across distributed oil and gas assets over long distances.
By supporting enterprise applications, industrial control systems and real-time monitoring on a shared network, ONGC established a communication backbone aligned with the operational requirements of its Mumbai offshore operations.
With this deployment of 26 Nos Scorpion 1Gbps radios , the total number of radios deployed across ONGC Locations including 31 Scorpion EX ( ATEX Certified Radios ) has crossed 200 , making the deployments at ONGC one of our most credible deployments in India.
