Motorola tapped for mining comms

Queensland Gas Corporation (QGC) has signed up Motorola Solutions to provide radio communications to the company's liquefied natural gas project in Queensland, in a deal worth $14.4 million.

(mmmm lead dust image by Rob and
Stephanie Levy, CC2.0)

At the sites based in south east Queensland, QGC turns the coal seam gas reserves into liquefied natural gas, which is then transported through 540km of underground pipeline to Curtis Island where it is liquefied.

The network to be put in place by Motorola will comprise of a microwave system connecting processing plants in the gas fields and a Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) system covering 28 sites with a base station at each of the central processing plant, field compression stations and the main line valve stations. QGC's Chinchilla and Brisbane offices will also be equipped with the new radio system.

There will be a total of 3000 radio handsets deployed that will operate in the 450 to 470 megahertz range. Motorola will also provide GPS tracking for vehicles, desk terminals, a dispatcher console, voice recorder and a battery charger.

The construction, implementation and integration of the network will be conducted by Motorola using employees from Brisbane and Melbourne and workers from its contractor CBO.

The devastation caused by the floods in Queensland this month is expected to hamper mining efforts in the state. Motorola told ZDNet Australia that the project was still running to its timetable but could not confirm whether the floods would have any impact on the project, set to commence early this year.

Updated 2:43pm: Comment from Motorola added.