OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
The V-200 flying from the deck of a ship
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UAVSTOLIFT OFF
David Willems explains why 2020 will be the year that drone technology truly makes its mark in the oil and gas industry
T
he oil and gas industry is highly complex: asset management, environmental compliance and safety must all be addressed and guaranteed.
For example, many organisations have invested heavily in deploying large oil pipeline infrastructure across an expansive geographic network, spanning countries and continents. Tis creates a need for activities such as oil and gas exploration, inspection and monitoring of pipelines. Pipelines must be routinely inspected to not only ensure structural integrity for continuing safe operations, but also to monitor for intruders and other potential trespassers.
Te same can be said for oilfields out
at sea. Traditionally, inspections have been completed by deploying teams of personnel. However, these types of examinations often entail high-risk situations and very lengthy journeys, requiring each team member to spend a long time in the field. In addition, they can be very expensive; for example, aerial inspection of pipelines using manned helicopters costs usually north of US$3,000 for one hour.
Te oil and gas industry is one of the top four sectors with the greatest potential for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integration – after construction, agriculture
and insurance. Tis is a result of three main benefits that UAVs offer over manned operations: reduced costs, improved safety and enhanced communication.
A SMART SOLUTION Te Skeldar V-200 is a mid-range, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) rotary UAV solution that provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) technology for land and sea operations. It can fly for more than five hours using a heavy fuel engine, which is designed to operate on Jet A-1, JP-5 and JP-8 fuels. Its two-stroke engine configuration also
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