WASHINGTON — Satellite operator SES and ITC Global, which specializes in delivering satellite-based network solutions to challenging environments, have forged an alliance to provide connectivity to oil and gas industry clients and have signed an unidentified oil company as the inaugural customer.

In a Jan. 14 press release, the companies said the contract is with a “major oil producer” to serve its requirements in the Western Hemisphere. The network will utilize three SES satellites to connect the company’s entire “operational ecosystem,” including exploration vessels, drilling platforms, pipelines and production facilities, the press release said.

“Oil and gas operations are interconnected around the world, and we will leverage the global SES constellation to meet the escalating connectivity demand around the world,” Joe Spytek, chief executive of ITC Global of Houston, said in a prepared statement.

Elias Zaccack, senior vice president of the Americas for Luxembourg-based SES, said the strategic alliance with ITC Global will enable customers to better manage their sprawling operations and aid innovation and growth.

Among the services made available across the globe through the partnership are high-speed broadband, secure corporate networking and next-generation voice, data and video services, the companies said.

Warren Ferster is the Editor-in-Chief of SpaceNews and is responsible for all the news and editorial coverage in the weekly newspaper, the spacenews.com Web site and variety of specialty publications such as show dailies. He manages a staff of seven reporters...