Norwegian pipe facility goes with Sepura TETRA

Sepura, in conjunction with 1-2-3 Communication AS, has supplied a TETRA system to the Subsea 7 North Sea Spoolbase in Vigra, Norway, comprising TETRA infrastructure, STP9000 hand-portable radios and a dispatcher solution.

The spoolbase — a shore-based facility used to facilitate continuous pipe laying for offshore oil and gas production — runs 3.7 kilometres across the island of Vigra and includes a purpose-built deep-water quay area, covering a total area of 284,505 square metres.

One of the longest spoolbase facilities of its type in the world, it employs up to 75 people when working at normal capacity, rising to 120 in peak periods.

“We are very pleased with the features and performance of the TETRA system deployed,” said Kenneth Furnes-Røsand, HSE Base Manager for Subsea7 Spoolbase. “In particular, the reliable audio clarity of the Sepura STP9000 hand-portable enables clear and precise communications, a vital requirement in the environment in which we operate.

“In addition, our collaboration with a professional vendor such as 1-2-3 Communication AS delivered valuable cost and time savings,” Furnes-Røsand continued. “We intend to expand the TETRA system to a larger number of talk groups and users in the months to come.”