GVF Oil and Gas Conference Highlights Strong Energy Sector Demand for HTS Satellites

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 1, 2011

High Throughput Satellites (HTS) will increasingly be a key addition to the offshore communications industry’s portfolio, as energy-sector interests demand more broadband for less cost. The projection of strong demand for HTS solutions was one of several prominent topics explored during the “GVF Oil & Gas Communications South East Asia” conference (O&GCSEA2011) held 22-23 November at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Themed ‘Redefining the Digital Oilfield Onshore, Offshore, Deep & Ultra-Deepwater’, the event attracted approximately 100 offshore communications executives, who heard more than a dozen reports from front-line experts. A report provided by Northern Sky Research (NSR), an independent consulting firm, revealed that HTS – a term that refers to new high-frequency, high-powered broadband satellites – is poised to drive a significant volume of business, despite negative economic trends in the international marketplace.

“By 2020, HTS will account for 7.65% of total retail satellite communications revenues, compared with only 0.12% in 2011”, said Patrick French, NSR’s Senior Analyst. “Energy-sector companies’ appetite for cost-effective broadband is a major factor in this growth projection, because they depend on high-throughput connectivity to increase operational productivity and reduce costs.”

A host of industry leaders also provided market and technology insights during O&GCSEA, which was held in association with Harris CapRock, Intelsat, Hughes, SpeedCast, and Hermes Datacomms, and was supported by the Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC). Delegates represented a wide array of satellite communications solution providers and energy sector satellite communications solution end-users, including: Acasia; Anacom Asia; APT Satellite Co; Baker Hughes; Codan; ExxonMobil; FPSO Ventures; GVF Training; Harris CapRock; HeiTech Communications; Hermes Datacomms; Hughes International; iDirect Asia; Intelsat; iPerintis; Kebabangan Petroleum; Kencana Marine Drilling; Mahkota Technologies; Marine Technologies; Maxis Broadband; MEASAT; MISC Berhad; Murphy Oil; NSR; NTT MSC; Numix Engineering; Petronas Carigali; Scopetel; Spacenet Thailand; SpeedCast; Talisman Energy; TC Communications; TE Management; Technip; Telekom Malaysia; Time dot com; Veerappan & Company; and numerous others.

The Kuala Lumpur dialogue covered a wide range of topics of overlapping interest to solution providers and end-users, and was led by a range of high-level executives including (in chronological order of their appearance in the conference program):

Hamish Anderson, Senior Solutions Architect, Harris CapRock
Rick Abbasi, Senior Product Marketing Director, Network Services, Intelsat
Vaibhav Magow, Regional Sales Director, APAC, Hughes International
Patrick M. French, Senior Analyst & Head of Singapore Office, NSR
Todd McDonell, Chief Executive Officer, TC Communications
Gary Steer, Technical Director, Hermes Datacomms
Mohd. Faizal Zainal Amri, General Manager, Hermes Malaysia
Nick Dukakis, Vice President, Maritime & Offshore, Speedcast
John Meyers, Managing Director, Spacenet Thailand
Jerry Ling, Sales Manager, Communications, MT-Marine Technologies Pte Ltd
Elliot Hill, Senior Consultant, iDirect-SatManage/iDirect Asia
Ricky Yiu, Deputy Director, APT Satellite Co. Ltd
Harsh Verma, Senior Manager, Sales, Hughes International
Arnaud Feletin, Senior Manager, Field Communication Services, Baker Hughes
Gary Shmith, General Manager, Satellite Communications, Codan
Christopher Sivertz, Managing Director, PTS Thailand, Chief, GVF Training SEA

“Despite downward pressures on global markets, economic growth is still evident in the South East Asia region which is clearly reflected in a resurgence in South East Asia’s oil & gas industry,” said Martin Jarrold, GVF Chief of International Program Development and Kuala Lumpur Conference Chairman. “This is exemplified not only by a proliferation of J.V. and M&A activity, but in a scaling-up on expertise and technology to better meet future energy needs. A part of this technological scaling-up has been illustrated by the energy sector’s strong interest in the mission-critical topics discussed in the conference, and in the support for the conference from communications end-users right across the energy sector.”