Improving Rig Safety in Congo

A major industrial platform project in Congo required a complete lighting solution for its drilling station, including platform and worker rig lighting, as well as illumination for multiple skids. Operating within hazardous areas and confined spaces, the project demanded reliable, high-output, and compact luminaires capable of delivering consistent performance in Zone 1 and Zone 2 hazardous-area environments. Raytec, through its partner A2S, designed and deployed a robust lighting system tailored to the application.

Challenge

Lighting hazardous area environments presents unique technical and operational challenges. For this Congo project, the primary challenges were:

• Extreme Environments:
  Congo’s extreme environments, including humid tropics, corrosive offshore waters, remote locations, and dust-heavy mining sites, challenge lighting specification, requiring rugged, high-IP, Ex-rated LED systems to ensure durability, safety, and reliable performance.
• Strict Zoning Requirements:
  The platform contained several ATEX-classified zones, meaning only certified luminaires could be installed. Ensuring compliance without compromising performance or installation flexibility was a key concern.
• Need for High Light Output:
  With expansive platform areas and multiple work zones, high-output lighting was essential to provide clear visibility. The challenge was to achieve powerful illumination while limiting the number of luminaires, reducing energy consumption, and installation complexity.
• Compact Solutions for Confined Spaces:
  Some critical areas, such as the instrumentation zone at the centre of the drilling station, were highly constrained. The challenge was to install lighting that was compact yet powerful enough to maintain safe working conditions in tight spaces.
• Project Delivery and Coordination:
  Given the project’s location in Congo, managing logistics, installation, and commissioning posed additional challenges. A solution that could be delivered, installed, and commissioned efficiently was required.

Solution

Raytec, together with A2S, provided a complete end-to-end solution, carefully addressing each challenge with Raytec products.

Products Used

• x5 Zone 1 Mid Power Flood
• x2 Zone 1 High Output Linear
• x8 Zone 2 Mid Power Flood
• x8 Zone 2 High Output Linear
• x5 Zone 2 Bulkhead

Extreme Environments: Our range of hazardous area LED luminaires are made with marine-grade aluminium, rated IP66/67, and reliable operation in ambient temperatures up to 55°C, ensuring durability, safety, and long-term performance.

Strict Zoning Requirements: The range is fully certified to ATEX, IECEx, and UKEX standards, with luminaires engineered for Zone 1, Zone 2, and Class I Division 2 environments. This ensured full compliance across the platform without compromise. In this case, the Zone 1 and Zone 2 products were selected specifically because they meet the stringent global safety standards and are designed for use in hazardous atmospheres.

High Light Output: The SPARTAN Floodlights and Linears offer high lumen output and excellent efficacy, enabling large areas to be illuminated with fewer fittings. Products such as the Mid Power Flood deliver powerful, uniform illumination suitable for large-scale drilling operations with up to 167lm/W. This performance allowed A2S to optimise the lighting layout, minimise the number of luminaires required, and still achieve outstanding visibility across elevated work platforms and rig structures.

Compact Solutions for Confined Spaces: For restricted zones, such as the central instrumentation area, the 4ft Linear and Bulkhead luminaires were installed. These enabled installation in tight areas without compromising light distribution or coverage.

Project Delivery: The A2S team managed the project from start to finish, utilising Raytec’s 2D and 3D lighting design to plan the most efficient lighting solution. The team oversaw installation, electrical connection, testing, and on-site commissioning in Congo, ensuring the project was completed on schedule and to specification.

This solution ensured all platform areas were safely and efficiently illuminated, improving operational safety and productivity.

Why Raytec

Raytec was chosen for this project due to several key advantages:

• Expert Lighting Design: Raytec offers complimentary 2D and 3D lighting design services, enabling A2S to visualise the installation before deployment for the customer. This ensured optimal placement, uniform coverage, and full compliance with ATEX regulations.
• Flexibility and Range: Raytec offers one of the industry’s most extensive hazardous area portfolios through its SPARTAN brand and works closely with A2S on specifying the most suitable products for each application. The range includes floodlights, linear luminaires, bulkheads, emergency versions, and modular high-output options, enabling solutions to be precisely matched to each application—from wide-area illumination to confined-space lighting.
• High Power Output: Raytec luminaires offer high lumen packages (up to 34,000lm in Zone 2 High Power Flood!), advanced optics, and excellent efficacy, allowing fewer luminaires to achieve required lux levels. Raytec’s LEDs deliver long lifetimes, low maintenance, and consistent performance, making them ideal for demanding environments like offshore drilling platforms.
• Reliability in Harsh Conditions: Engineered for industrial and offshore sectors, Raytec’s fittings are IP66 and IP67 rated, highly resistant to dust, water, vibration, and corrosion. Their robust construction ensures dependable long-term performance in hot, humid, or abrasive conditions typical of remote energy installations.

About A2S

A2S – Advanced Safety Solutions is a French company specialising in safety solutions for hazardous industrial environments, including ATEX zones. With recognised expertise, an in-house engineering department, and a strong network of leading technology partners, A2S designs and delivers comprehensive systems for detection, signalling, and communication tailored to demanding environments.