Stratos Global, Bethesda, Md., has reported it has been selected by R&M Energy Systems (R&M) to deploy a global SCADA network based on Inmarsat's BGAN mobile broadband satellite service. Stratos was selected by R&M through Stratos Channel Partner Galaxy 1 Communications.

R&M, based near Houston, is one of the leading providers of closures, valves, drilling components and artificial lift systems for the global oil and gas industry. Deployment of R&M's new BGAN SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) network expanded last month to include all of R&M's key operating regions. Network deployment is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year, with new deployments coming online as needed.

The custom-designed network utilizes BGAN satellite terminals to reliably transmit operational data from oil pumps and other mission-critical equipment in remote areas not accessible by R&M's traditional monitoring infrastructure. The BGAN SCADA network is fully integrated with R&M's control and monitoring platform. It provides IP connectivity to field equipment via the Internet or a private VPN network.

R&M's future plans include monitoring automated choke valves and other active and passive equipment. In the past, R&M's customers did not have the ability or capacity to capture and present operational data from that equipment in an economical manner. As a manufacturer of pumping equipment for oil and gas, industrial and municipal markets, it is important for R&M to provide its customers with a single, integrated solution that is supported by the pump manufacturer.

BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) uses small, lightweight terminals to provide simultaneous, high-speed IP data and voice connectivity anywhere in the world.

"The ability to provide our customers with these remote monitoring and control capabilities is extremely valuable," says R&M Product Champion for Automation and Control Michael Smith. "It enables them to allocate limited resources to address the most critical issues first. Having up-to-the minute telemetry on equipment and remote diagnostics allows our customers to dispatch the right equipment and personnel to resolve problems as quickly as possible."

Smith adds, "With Stratos' dependable BGAN SCADA service, we benefit from a single-source, universal solution that works anywhere and is easy to use. This eliminates the need to engage multiple local providers in dozens of different regions."

This BGAN SCADA network relies on Stratos Dashboard to enable optimal network productivity and affordability by providing real-time traffic reports, cost control and online provisioning for new terminals. Stratos Dashboard is the foundation of The Stratos Advantage portfolio of value-added services.

Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm says, "Our BGAN SCADA service has become the ideal remote-connectivity solution for some of the world's leading energy-services companies. It is gratifying to meet a critical need for R&M and to help them provide superior customer service."

Parm adds, "This latest deployment strengthens our position as the preferred provider of creative SCADA solutions to support the demanding global networking requirements of many of the world's most important markets - including upstream oil and gas, utilities, mining, water-management and tower-monitoring."

This BGAN SCADA network uses Hughes 9201-M2M Satellite IP SCADA Terminals, a specially engineered Class 1 compact BGAN terminal enclosed in a protective housing. The terminals are designed for permanent, fixed-site deployment and 24x7 network connectivity in the harsh environments associated with remote SCADA networks.