Revolutionizing the Oil and Gas Industry: The Game-Changing Impact of Drone Technology on Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM)
Stephen Kaye Alberto
Chemical Engineer | Data Scientist | Consultant | Angel Investor | Artificial Intelligence | Project Management & Lean Six Sigma
The oil and gas industry, a sector known for its complex operations and high-risk environments, is witnessing a technological revolution. The hero of this transformation is none other than the humble drone. Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are redefining the way Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance (IRM) operations are conducted in the oil and gas industry (1).
The Dawn of the Drone Era in Oil and Gas
The earliest recorded use of a drone in oil and gas was in 2006 by BP, but the applications didn’t become widely known until about 2014. Today, drones are taking on much greater operations, and more often done by the O&G companies themselves. They’re putting drones inside (GPS-deprived) oil tanks for inspections, or expanding to more advanced payloads, like LiDAR, to construct highly accurate 3D models of refineries, drill sites, and more (1).
The Power of Drones in IRM
Drones provide unprecedented access to high-quality data in a fraction of the time and at a lower human risk, reducing company costs remarkably somewhere between 66 and 80 percent. They exhibit extremely stable flight and can be equipped with an array of sensors, simultaneously increasing inspection data quality and mitigating the high risks and costs typical to oil and gas inspections (1).
Rotary drones that carry visual and thermal sensors quickly access the tops of high-up flare stacks for inspection and collect data not visible to the human eye, sometimes while the machinery is still operating. Fixed-wing drones equipped with high-resolution RGB sensors can cover vast rural areas to map and inspect pipelines (1).
Moreover, Lidar-equipped drones generate precise, three-dimensional information about the Earth’s surfaces, which helps plan infrastructure, pipeline placement, drilling locations, and much more. Infra-red cameras are perfect tools for identifying heat levels and leaks in tanks and pipes (2).
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The Future of Drones in Oil and Gas
The work has increased so much faith in drones that companies are using them for non-IRM tasks like delivering parts and assets to remote locations more efficiently. While many industries and applications enjoy the standard benefits that drones offer, the benefits that drones bring to the oil and gas industry are arguably greater in quality and quantity (1).
In conclusion, the integration of drone technology in the oil and gas industry is not just a trend, but a game-changing revolution. As we move forward, the role of drones in enhancing efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness in the oil and gas sector will only continue to grow.
The future of the oil and gas industry is up in the air, quite literally, and it’s being carried by drones.
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