The Future of Situational Awareness

Worldwide, there is ongoing pressure placed on the safe extraction and operation in oil and gas exploration. The U.S. and other world governments have recently mandated “situational awareness” to the daily operations of large and small operators, and the new checks and balances help verify the safe operation of each asset.

It’s not exactly clear what the long-term effect is going to be on corporations, but it’s certain now that the offshore drilling and oil and gas industry will be operating under a stricter regulatory environment than previous decades.

In recent years, the oil and gas industry has shifted toward comprehensive integrity management, with more emphasis being placed on the safe use of subsea systems and equipment. Future programs will be expected to provide even more robust monitoring systems.

A SOLUTION FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Situational Awareness (SA) is the perception of environmental elements with respect to time and/or space, the understanding of their meaning, and the projection of their status after some variable has changed. SA involves being aware of what is happening in the vicinity to understand how information, events, and one’s own actions will impact goals and objectives, both immediately and in the near future. SA is especially important in work domains where the information flow can be quite high, and poor decisions may lead to serious consequences.

SIDUS Solutions, headquartered in San Diego, California, manufactures and produces integrated remote video surveillance systems, services, and equipment for subsea and top-side applications. With its products, services, and target businesses, SIDUS has readily embraced situational awareness in support of global safety and security initiatives. Having an extensive selection of video products to meet its clients’ demands, SIDUS stands out through its comprehensive understanding of the diverse use of such equipment, as it relates to many industries and applications.

PROJECT ENGINEERING

Leonard Pool, SIDUS’ managing director, stresses that the understanding of the different parts in the SA system, and how they are related, is key to applying SA hardware effectively and cost-efficiently. “This is why SIDUS has put its focus on individual project engineering and after sales support. Many people think of assets as only being materials or financial vehicles,” he said. “At SIDUS, we feel the most important assets are our client’s hard-working people who show up to the job site day in and day out. We want to make sure that they have the best tools to keep their people safe. Having the right hardware is a good start, but only when the hardware can be put to work in the most efficient way, will the video system truly show its value, allowing safety and security to be guaranteed.”

“Tailoring systems to each individual applicant’s demands enables our customers to apply SA in everyday business,” Mr. Pool added. “Having a rich source of after-sales support to draw from, keeps the system and its operators on the right path as well as ensuring their safety and security for the future.”

SIDUS has grown from designing primarily subsea pan and tilts and rotators to providing an extensive product line of underwater positioners, high-definition cameras, penetrating bright lights, projection lasers, and inspection systems, as well as an array of engineering services. While the SIDUS-designed and -manufactured product line focuses on subsea applications, their highly skilled engineering team provides topside design and installation for industrial and hazardous areas. Their world-class engineering staff provides seamless system integration, design, installation, and commissioning of all remote video surveil- lance systems.

From concept design to technical support, SIDUS has solutions for every need. To meet the demands of the customers, SIDUS offers over 80 models of cameras, lighting systems, pan & tilts, lasers, and control recording systems. In addition to many standard products, SIDUS offers application specific, customized solutions including specialized protocols, connectors, and power requirements

GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS

SIDUS’ commitment to hardware, engineering, and support allows for corporations to comply with the growing governmental reporting regulations, thus reducing red tape. It also allows corporations to maintain or reduce their costs and the number of workers required to secure and monitor their assets and processes, while maintaining a company presence, meeting regulations, and protecting their employees’ personal safety and security. In one example, SIDUS was able to provide a remotely controlled subsea deployed video monitoring system to a major GOM operator for monitoring the Riser Pull-In operation. The client claims its investment in SIDUS’ equipment has a projected saving of over $1 million annually. SIDUS’ answer to the new governmental regulations, which it fully supports, is to focus on its core capabilities; designing mission critical video monitoring systems that consistently provide reliable and repeatable results. In 2021, SIDUS has become ISO 9001:2015 Certified in addition to following government regulations.

THE FUTURE

SIDUS introduces a new series of game changing HD-IP cameras. The SS400 Series and SS550 “Dark Crystal CAM” camera will allow you to have excellent video image quality under demanding lighting conditions and designed to fit where traditional cameras cannot go. Leveraging state of the art technology, SIDUS has significantly improved video quality and added numerous features never before available in such compact size and easy to use cameras. With depth ratings from 300 m or 4000 m with Delrin or aluminum housing and 11,000 m (optional) with the titanium housings, these cameras are designed for long- or short-term deployment applications. It is our mission to provide superior products, solutions, and service to our global customer base. We deliver products that improve safety, efficiency, and ease of operation in challenging environments. Making situational awareness our number one priority.

Specializing in environmental cameras, robotic-positioning, and lighting systems, SIDUS services and manufactures complete, integrated security and surveillance solutions for any marine, defense and subsea application. SIDUS equipment, operational in blue water and 6500-meter depths, is available alone or to integrate with existing systems. From concept design to technical support, SIDUS has solutions for every need. To meet the demands of the customers, we offer over 80 models of cameras, lighting systems, pan & tilts, lasers, and control recording systems. In addition to our many standard products, SIDUS offers application specific, customized solutions including specialized protocols, connectors, and power requirements. SIDUS is a field proven solution.

For more information, visit: www.sidus-solutions.com.

This story was originally featured in ON&T Magazine's Special December 2021 issue. Click here to read more.