Key oil and gas sector and communications sector participation announced for both Aberdeen conference in May and Cairo conference in June

Hermes Datacomms has now joined the line-up of companies supporting the two-day Cairo programme, which already includes the generous support of Principal Sponsor Schlumberger, and also of Hughes and Advantech Satellite Networks.

In addition, five weeks prior to O&GC3 in Cairo, the 'Oil & Gas Connectivity: Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics' Conference - also organised by UK-EMP with the support of GVF - will take place on 12th and 13th May at the Marriott Hotel, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Increased sponsorship support for the Aberdeen event has also been announced to include RigNet, Vizada, and Cisco Systems, in addition to the Principal Sponsorship of Schlumberger, and the support of Caprock Communications, and Arqiva.

The O&GC3 conference in Cairo will feature a two-day programme which is complementary to the earlier Aberdeen conference.

The Cairo event will comprise a series of 12 themed panel sessions, together with up to eight 'Showcase' presentations.

In detail, the 12 themes for 'Oil & Gas Communications: North Africa & the Middle East' are as follows:

- Application & Technology Dynamics: From SCADA to Broadband Data Networking - An Overview

- Communications Infrastructures Alternatives in the US$100+ Barrel Environment: Investing in Future Mission Critical Delivery
- Enablers of the 21st Century 'Digital Oilfield'
- Regulatory & Licensing Solutions: National & Regional Answers in an Oil & Gas Wireless World
- Local & Global Connectivity Links: Fibre & WiMax Factors for Oil & Gas Business
- Integrated Solutions from the First to the Last Mile
- New Training Dynamics for Oil & Gas Communications
- Platform-Technology Neutrality in E&P Applications Development
- Real-Time Remote Collaboration & Operations Support Centre Networking
- Communications Terminals: Installation, Maintenance & Performance Metrics Case Studies
- Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity & Environmental Impact in North African & Middle Eastern Oil & Gas
- The Energy Industries & GVF Market Sector Initiatives

'The Cairo conference programme is an excellent extension and complement to the 'Oil & Gas Connectivity: Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics' conference in Aberdeen', commented Paul Stahl, Managing Partner of UK-EMP. 'As the premier regional event at which the complex interrelationship between oil & gas sector applications supply, and the communications infrastructures required to support and deliver them, will be comprehensively investigated, Aberdeen will set a firm foundation for further communications and oil & gas industry dialogues applicable to a different regional situation', Mr. Stahl continued.

Chairman of both the Aberdeen and Cairo conferences, Martin Jarrold, GVF Chief of International Programme Development, added:

'Current searches for new reserves of oil & gas have migrated to harder-to-reach offshore locations, for example, most recently in the Arctic Ocean latitudes, and as older production fields are the target of innovative drilling and pumping techniques designed to extract the very last drop of oil or cubic meter of gas, the mission-criticality of information and communications technologies (ICTs) is becoming even more evident'.

'Oil & Gas Connectivity: Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics' will provide extended networking opportunities between key leaders of oil & gas companies, the vendors of cutting-edge applications, and the suppliers of state-of-the-art communications links. The conference will create opportunities for companies in the oil & gas vertical to call upon all ICT solutions providers - terrestrial wireline, wireless, and satellite, in the communications field, together with developers/vendors in the digital applications field - to match their offerings more closely to the specific demands and requirements of the oil & gas patch.

The key programme themes at 'Oil & Gas: Digital Applications & Communications Dynamics' will be as follows:

- Applications Evolution and 21st Century Dynamics in Oil & Gas Networking Communications
- Resilience & Security in 'Enabling the Digital Oilfield'
- Developing Advanced Communications Infrastructures to Realise the North Sea 'Digital Oilfield'
- Networking Technologies & Topologies 1: From Narrowband SCADA & Asset Tracking to Broadband Satellite Communications in the Oil & Gas Patch
- Networking Technologies & Topologies 2: Terrestrial Wireless & Fibre in the Oil & Gas Patch
- Technology & Topology: Evolving Commercial Applications to the Satellite Environment
- First Mile/Last Mile Networking Solution Innovations: Technology Hybrids & the Digital Oilfield Applications Solution
- E & P Convergent Digital Solutions 1: Real-Time Data Monitoring, Data Management & Remote Collaboration
- E & P Convergent Digital Solutions 2: Operations Support Centres for Drilling & Production
- E & P Convergent Digital Solutions 3: The Design & Ergonomics of the Collaborative Visualisation Environment
- The North Sea Oil & Gas Patch in the Greater Oil & Gas World 1: Local Wireless Connectivity & Hardware Case Studies
- The North Sea Oil & Gas Patch in the Greater Oil & Gas World 2: Global VSAT Connectivity & Hardware Case Studies
- Maintaining the Business Mission Critical Link: Oil & Gas Communications When Disaster Strikes
- 'All the 9s': Maximising Redundancy with Out-of-band Control & Monitoring Solutions

This programme poses a major question. How can satellite, and non-satellite, communications solutions help 'enable the digital oilfield'?

The dialogue to follow will go beyond what is implicit in the 'enabling of the digital oilfield' - that is, the imperative requirement for systems resilience and data security - to analyse today's communications product and service environment within which the players in the solutions vendor community compete to satisfy the efficiency and data risk-management needs of the buyers of Digital Oilfield ICT solutions in the E & P environment.

Contributing to the Aberdeen dialogue will be confirmed speakers from such organisations as Schlumberger, CapRock Communications, Arqiva, RigNet, Vizada, Cisco Systems, Avanti Communications, Cameron, and CNR.

Other invited speakers will include representatives of many other member-organisations of GVF, the wider telecommunications environment, and companies active in oil & gas E&P.

In further comment Mr. Jarrold added, 'Our Aberdeen dialogue will also examine how the use of different communications platforms is helped, hindered, and determined by geographically determined supply factors, as well as an analysis of the potential for spectrum allocation conflicts between terrestrial wireless and satellite solutions in different parts of the global oil & gas patch.' Mr. Jarrold continued, 'Moreover, it will explore the evidence for increasing levels of demand for fibre in the offshore production environment, examining whether or not there is a coherent business model to support the deployment of such infrastructure'.