Entel ATEX IIC radios bound for Persian Gulf
CSE Transtel Singapore, a dealer specialising in systems integration, has won hard-to-get business in Iran by offering Entel's marine ATEX series 2.0 portables for use in opening up Phase 12 of the South Pars gas field development programe. End client, Petropars, has become the latest major oil and gas company in the region to invest in Entel's HT944 model, in recognition of the radio's solid and growing reputation for ease of use and durability, providing an elegant solution to the unpredictable challenges of the marine environment.
Following excavations that begun in 1990, the South Pars Gas Field was found to contain about 50% of Iran's natural gas resources and is now regarded as the largest offshore gas field anywhere in the world. This monumental field, located 100 kms from the southern coast in the Persian Gulf, is jointly owned by Iran and Qatar. So vast is the area to be exploited, there will be 28 phases of development over several decades.
The requirement for handheld portables specified that they must be ATEX IIB certified, but, as so often happens, Entel was able to exceed the customer's technical specifications by offering a superior ATEX IIC certified product - the highest safety rating available in the global market - as well as compatible intrinsically safe accessories including remote speaker microphones and ear-defending headsets. In such a potentially lucrative deal, competition from other high-profile radio manufacturers was to be expected, but CSE Transtel found that none could match the Entels' combined strengths of submersibility, high specification and robust construction.
Lei Xu, Entel’s Business Development Executive, worked closely with CSE Transtel, to ensure that the HT944 VHF marine radios would be delivered on time and within budget. "With Entel's coordinated production and distribution hubs, the logistics of manufacture, test and delivery came together seamlessly" he said. "The customer also benefited from knowing that we were there to advise every step of the way, always willing to assist in negotiating exacting technical requirements and the Iranians' tough regulatory regime. Of course, with frontier commercial expansion in such a potentially hazardous environment, having a proven product is a reassuring investment, both in safety terms and operational efficiency".
