Automated Drone operations let you access dangerous areas, significantly reducing the risk to employees, which is an excellent way of demonstrating how technology is creating solutions to common health and safety issues. This automated mode of operation allows the operator to plan everything ahead of time while also controlling the drone to intervene in unforeseen situations, for which the drone may not have been programmed. Drone-powered inspection/surveillance is proven to be more Safer, Faster, more Cost-effective and Efficient for your Oil and Gas initiatives. This article talks about ‘Automated Drone Operations’, and how you can make the best out of your drone purchase.
Drones help to achieve excellence in the Management and Operations of the Oil and Gas fields. They have emerged as incredibly powerful, versatile industrial tools capable of many applications including:
Routine inspections are crucial to the Oil and gas sector, as they assure the integrity of all the complex systems involved. Drone-powered asset inspections empower you with ‘Predictive Maintenance,’ allowing you to conduct maintenance drives during planned downtime and prevent catastrophic mishaps. When I say routine inspection, I didn’t imply you’d have to follow the flight plan and fly the drone manually every time. With drones, you can automate periodic inspections and capture results consistently and efficiently. Apart from carrying out more accurate inspections – translating to spotting and rectifying more issues, drones keep your workforce fundamentally safer.
With an Automated mode of operations, drones complete hazardous and monotonous tasks remotely and quickly, freeing up manpower for safer and more productive work. Inspectors can focus more time on data analysis, making inspections safer, faster, more profitable, and more efficient.
Remote Surveillance
To better understand this scenario, I propose examining how much money you have spent on safety inspectors making site visits over the last few years, as well as how many near misses they have documented during those inspections. Now, consider the safety and speed that drones give! Renting or purchasing the equipment requires only a one-time expenditure, which makes perfect sense from a financial and security standpoint.
Drones can fly around and monitor all crucial Oil and Gas equipment, including the flare stacks and storage tanks, monitor field operations and workers, and detect encroachment on valuable company properties and trespassers. The safety and security of the plant and its people can be effectively monitored using this fine application of drones; you can ensure that the workforce is adhering to the safety guidelines set by the HSE management of the plant.
A drone’s leak detection capabilities are the most recent breakthroughs in drone technology. This is even more crucial to Oil and Gas, as their operations reportedly lead to more than three-quarters of total methane emissions contributing to Global Warming. A powerful drone paired with the right gas detection payload can detect the presence of methane gas from up to 100 m away in real time; it can capture even very low detection limits of particles as low as 5ppm. Moreover, Drone-powered methane gas leak detection opens avenues for automated periodic monitoring/inspection of gas leaks and captures results consistently. This helps the Oil and Gas industry adhere better to environmental guidelines while keeping their workforce and the planet safe.
In the event of a disaster, real-time data is crucial; of course, I’m heading to Drone-powered solutions that can be launched at a moment’s notice! Drones allow the Oil and Gas sector to effectively respond to emergencies by managing emergency operations better and allocating resources effectively while ensuring the workforce’s safety. Powerful drones can be utilised to monitor the development of oil spills and fires. Drones seamlessly fly around the mission area and equip the responders with photos, live video, along with GPS coordinates. Some drones have long-lasting batteries, enabling them to fly longer at a single stretch. It goes without saying how important automated drone operations are in emergencies!
According to GlobalData forecasts, the global drone market will reach $89.6bn by 2030, up from $13.7bn in 2021. Commercial drones’ market share will rise from 34% in 2021 to 64% in 2030. The oil and gas industry is anticipated to play a key role in the commercial drone market segment. Almost all the major oil and gas players have completely migrated to drone-powered solutions. For instance, BP, one of the world’s seven oil and gas “supermajors”, is one of the early adopters of drones in their operations; and other industry players are actively picking up on the trend. All these active migrations testify to how Drones are an incredible tool for the entire Oil and Gas sector.
Make the most of your valuable drone purchase using the Drones’ ‘Automated Operation’ functionality. Drones equipped with high-end payloads can be programmed to fly predetermined routes and gather data regularly. By leveraging this potential, companies can escalate their operations’ efficiency by being way faster, safer, and more Profitable while also staying ahead of potential problems. Thinking of specific drone-solutions to escalate the efficiency of your Oil and Gas operations? We have covered it in one of our previous articles – click here to read more.
Do you wish to add any of these powerful payloads or drones to your fleet? Drop us a line at hello@thedronecentre.ae, and let’s discuss how our drones and payloads can grow your business
