The system John Nixon first designed, manufactured and installed on the Queensland Gas Pipeline in 1989 provided clear, continuous communication along the entire length of the project.
Since those early days, many refinements have been added but the basic design is the same. The radio systems now cover the whole work area of the pipeline project and all camp communications, which encompass the telephones for both the office and pay phones, as well as television, internet cafe and all data for the project.
Mr Nixon says “For remote radio communications, which must be very reliable, we use state-of-the-art repeaters and linking communications equipment. All sites are solar powered and over the last 20 years this technology has become much more efficient.”?
Typically, the installation time of each tower and trailer with its equipment would be 2.5-3 hours. All the trailers are specifically designed to suit the harsh conditions, and various alterations have been made over the years to increase efficiency.
“We also use the very latest satellite technology to provide efficient phone, data and television to remote sites,”? says Mr Nixon.
The company also provides a communications centre for the project camp, which houses all the camp communications equipment such as the internet cafe and pay phones. The building is air-conditioned and has its own back-up diesel generator. It also houses an equipment room for the satellite, television, telephones and data equipment.
Jemena’s Queensland Gas Pipeline Expansion Project, which incorporated the addition of compressor stations at Rolleston and Banana, and 113 kilometres of looping from Moura to Bell Creek, has recently been completed. Nixon provided the looping contractor, AJ Lucas, with a communications system utilising four towers, and camp communications for 250 men, including the usual phones, data, TV and internet cafe.
On the other side of the country in Western Australia, the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP) Stage 5B Expansion is also drawing to a close in the first half of 2010. McConnell Dowell is constructing a further 440 km of looping which, when completed, will see 94 per cent of the pipeline duplicated between Dampier and Perth and 80 per cent duplicated overall.
The job is extremely spread out, covering more than 1,800 km and utilising 19 Nixon towers, with two thirds of the company’s technicians permanently on the job to expedite tower shifts when necessary, and general day-to-day work requirements. There have been nine different camps during the course of the job and Nixon has developed and installed voice-over internet protocol radio links to allow communication between repeater loops without the use of towers and radio repeaters in the middle.
The Queensland Curtis LNG Project has QGC planning a 380 km pipeline linking its Surat Basin tenements to a port site on Curtis Island near Gladstone. Nixon already has a radio system utilising 14 towers providing communications for safe pre-construction work such as land liaison, surveying and final route selection.
Good communications, particularly on a very remote project, are crucial for safe and efficient operations and the pipeline industry and Nixon has developed a fine working relationship over the past 20 years.