Photo: Marlink

Marlink, working alongside geophysical company PGS, has achieved an uplink speed of more than 250 Mbps as it helps the company collect offshore data. It has upgraded the smart hybrid VSAT installation on the seismic research vessel Ramform Hyperion to achieve this uplink speed using GEO VSAT.

Marlink’s in-house team of engineers designed a technical solution based on a 2.4 meter VSAT antenna, enabling seamless transfer of 2.7 terrabytes of data from ship to shore in 24 hours. Longer term, the solution was able to provide an average capacity of more than 230 Mbps upload from the vessel. Marlink announced the milestone on Jan. 15.

This throughput was achieved to enable the transfer of seismic data from the vessel to its landside headquarters for processing in real time. The increase in capability and efficiency for the vessel’s network reflects the very high value of the exploration 3D, high-density 3D or 4D undersea imaging it produces.

The data transfer was achieved using Marlink’s network of high throughput GEO satellites, with the focus on delivering data at the required speed specifically to shore. Beyond theoretical specifications, the trial aimed to evaluate the real-world performance of VSAT services in a dynamic maritime environment. Factors such as signal stability, latency, and adaptability to varying weather conditions were integral to the assessment.

“Operating in a highly demanding and specialized sector, our demands are for partners who are willing to push the boundaries of what is possible today and tomorrow. The real-time data transfer achieved on Ramform Hyperion has transformative implications for our ability to quickly move large volumes of seismic data from vessels to the cloud and start imaging the seismic data in parallel with ongoing data acquisition,” Erik Ewig, SVP Technology & Digitalization for PGS, said in a statement.