CBO Bossa Nova and five other newbuilds will operate with Cobham SATCOM VSAT and Satellite TV (TVRO) antennas in addition to radio communication equipment (photo: CBO)

Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO) has chosen Cobham SATCOM VSAT and Satellite TV (TVRO) antennas in addition to radio communication equipment for installation on six new Offshore Support Vessels (OSV). CBO’s state-of-the-art new OSVs have been commissioned to fulfil development contracts offshore Brazil and will be entering service during 2017 and 2018. The Cobham SATCOM equipment has been installed and is already supporting operations on the first of the new OSVs, with installation aboard the second vessel scheduled this month. Installation on the remaining four vessels, which are still in production at Oceana Shipyard in Itajaí, located in the state of Santa Catarina – Brazil, is due to take place throughout 2017.

With a fleet of 27 Offshore Support Vessels mostly fitted with SAILOR and Sea Tel satellite and radio communications technology, CBO is one of the largest, most technologically advanced offshore ship owners in Brazil and as such is a key operational partner for oil & gas companies in the region. Based on its experience of the reliability and functionality of Cobham SATCOM systems, CBO has once again chosen SAILOR and Sea Tel for its next phase of newbuilding. The Cobham SATCOM equipment contract was supported by Cobham SATCOM’s Brazilian partner Inovsat, which manages the majority of CBO’s on board communication technology and services.

CBO’s new AHTS (Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels) are OSVs designed to carry out anchor handling, towing and platform supply operations, carrying a wide variety of cargoes, from liquid to bulk cargo. All six vessels will operate with the same extensive Cobham SATCOM installation, ensuring high availability of bandwidth for data-centric operations in addition to high quality voice communication over satellite and radio channels. Each vessel will feature two Cobham SATCOM Ku-band VSAT antennas; a Sea Tel 4009 dedicated to client networks on board and a SAILOR 900 VSAT for ship operational and crew networks.

For crew welfare, while SAILOR 900 VSAT will provide access to connectivity for browsing the Internet and keeping in touch with home via Social Media and messaging, a Sea Tel ST80 TV system will also be installed to provide high quality satellite TV for communal areas on board. A complete SAILOR 6000 A3 GMDSS package also ensures long and short range operational and safety communication. The contract includes product training, which will be conducted by Inovsat during May 2017.

“We are proud to work closely with CBO to deliver on its communication requirements for its existing and new vessels,” says João Lima, Director, Inovsat. “CBO has first-hand experience of the quality and reliability of both SAILOR and Sea Tel equipment on most of its fleet, so can expect the same operational benefits when all six vessels enter operation in support of its clients’ offshore developments.”

Tags: Cobham SATCOM, Companhia Brasileira de Offshore (CBO)