Schlumberger DeXa.Net Provides Remote Connectivity for Titanic Expedition and Documentary; Real-Time Data Network Supports Complex Communications Project.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2002

Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), a global technology services company, announced today its DeXa.Net(TM) Remote Connectivity Services were used by EarthShipTV, an interactive video entertainment channel, to provide communications for the film crew who gathered footage for the documentary and Internet broadcast, On Expedition With: Ghosts of the Abyss. The EarthShipTV crew needed a secure, reliable network infrastructure to transmit film footage to the studio and to receive timely communications while on the ship.

"The satellite link was the lifeline of our project," said producer/director John David Cameron. "The whole point of this show was to offer the viewer a real-time 'you-are-there experience.' For the first time ever, we brought live footage from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to viewers around the world. Without Schlumberger, there would have been no show."

Schlumberger was selected to provide communications for the project because of its well-established VSAT (very small aperture terminal) satellite link capabilities. VSAT technology traditionally connects marine vessels with globally dispersed land offices in the energy exploration industry, and offers larger bandwidth for transmitting and receiving vast amounts of data.

Schlumberger co-developed the world's first VSAT terminals with Hughes Aerospace in 1985, and through its expertise in bringing data from remote locations to office desktops around the world, was awarded the contract to develop a state-of-the-art communications solution supporting the four-month film project. The DeXa.Net VSAT satellite network enabled EarthShipTV to maintain a marine-based office with viable two-way, transmit/receive connections to its land-based office.

DeXa.Net VSAT terminals are protected against erratic weather conditions and the antennas compensate for a vessel's motion, remaining locked on a satellite orbiting over 23,000 miles above the earth regardless of sea swells or vessel speed. A typical application of this satellite technology occurs in the oil industry, where linking offshore rigs with land-based offices for efficient and secure transmittal of seismic data during the exploration phase of a production project is common practice.

"Schlumberger has been able to extend the expertise and unique technologies of the DeXa(a) Suite of Services to customers outside our traditional oil and gas market," said Paul Stewart, vice president, marketing & technique, Schlumberger Network & Infrastructure Solutions. "Technology proven in the oil industry is applicable to many sectors, where leveraging sophisticated, truly global technology developed by Schlumberger resolves complex problems, enabling the success of business projects."

The Schlumberger DeXa.Net solution for the project consisted of an asymmetric SCPC (single carrier per channel) circuit utilizing an INTELSAT satellite (IS-706). The circuit connected the LAN (local area network) aboard the ship carrying the film crew at the Titanic site in the North Atlantic with one of seven VSAT antennas at the Schlumberger Earth Station south of Houston. From there, a terrestrial circuit was used to transmit to the production studio in Los Angeles, enabling the crew to transmit and receive data, voice and e-mail continuously. This turnkey communications solution provided a secure and seamless network connection for the duration of the documentary project.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger is a global technology services company consisting of two business segments, Schlumberger Oilfield Services and SchlumbergerSema. Schlumberger Oilfield Services supplies technology services and solutions to the international petroleum industry. SchlumbergerSema aggregates IT consulting, systems integration, managed services and related products to the telecommunications, energy and utilities, finance, transport and public sector markets. Both business segments offer the Schlumberger DeXa(a) Suite of Services to provide IP network connectivity, information security solutions, distributed computing support services and data center hosting services. In 2001, Schlumberger revenues were $13.7 billion. For more information visit http://www.slb.com.

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