Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep.6
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Oil and gas industry may face high risk of drone accidents, as the latter is becoming very popular in oil and gas operations, Trend reports citing GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Drones in Oil & Gas – Thematic Research released by GlobalData states that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are becoming integral to the oil and gas industry due to their increasing usability across the value chain to drive operational efficiency.
“As drone use is increasing in the oil and gas industry, it heightens the possibility of drone-related accidents either due to technical malfunctions or bad judgment from drone operators. However, to avoid such incidents, a new set of expertise is emerging within the oilfield services space, dedicated specifically to pilot drones, which will enable service providers to make optimum usage of drones to gather relevant data for their customers,” reads the report.
The report highlights that recent advancements in sensing and imaging technologies are enabling drones to be deployed in a wide range of settings to carry out predictive maintenance of critical infrastructure. Drone manufacturers are also collaborating with oil and gas companies to develop custom drone platforms that can be equipped with different types of data collection technologies for obtaining real-time insights. The industry’s steady transition towards digital transformation using sensors, Cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) is providing an added impetus to drone usage. This is bolstered further by falling hardware costs and easing government regulations.
“Drone technologies are easy to deploy, giving them an edge over conventional aircraft as their rotors are configured for operating in compact geometries and hovering at fixed spots to collect data. Their design allows them to survey a variety of installations, including oil and gas platforms, processing plants, pipelines and refining units. Naturally, drones are becoming essential for oil and gas operations,” said Ravindra Puranik, Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData.
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