Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are taking on a larger role in offshore operations, serving as a means of remote inspection, data collection, and logistics. Recent field tests have shown that drones can provide a fast, safe and cost-effective solution for the inspection and maintenance of offshore oil and gas facilities. The technology is expected to be embraced by the growing offshore wind energy industry as well.
Drone technology has advanced in recent years as operators have worked with manufacturers to develop custom drones that can serve a range of functions. Drones are perhaps most known for their ability to provide detailed, high-resolution images of remote areas and difficult-to-access structures. Using a wide range of sensors, the devices collect various types of data which operators can view in real time to identify potential problems and improve operations.
Generally, most drones have a flexible plug-and-play payload, while others may combine several sensors and abilities to perform complex inspection tasks and process the data. The data from rigs, platforms, and other facilities provides information that operators can use to improve operations, production and efficiency, and enables them to schedule preventative maintenance more effectively. Drones can also be used for water sampling and hydrocarbon detection; they can also provide important supporting documentation for the creation of 3D maps.
While inspection and data collection have been their primary use to date, operators are also looking to drones to meet their logistics and transportation needs. Drones can deploy equipment for personnel performing maintenance and repairs, and they can deliver critical parts in a rapid timeframe. Using drones is also expected to enable the industry to reduce vessel traffic, which in turn will lower costs and reduce environmental impact.
Early adopters
Drone technology has been a topic of growing interest over the past few years. In 2019, the research firm GlobalData Thematic Research issued a study on drones in the oil and gas industry, and it listed seven companies that had deployed drone technology in the field. They included BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Gazprom, and Shell.
The study noted that BP was among the earliest adopters of drones in oil and gas applications, undertaking trials at its Alaskan oil and gas assets in 2006. They were the first oil and gas company in the US to receive a license to operate commercial drones in 2013. In 2014, BP teamed with AeroVironment for imaging products and GIS services on its Prudhoe Bay assets on Alaska’s North Slope. Since then, BP has deployed drones, crawlers, and other robotic technologies to undertake risky tasks in its operational areas.
The study also noted that ConocoPhillips has employed drones for inspection and monitoring of its assets in the US, the North Sea, and Australia. At the Judy field in the North Sea, the company deployed drones to inspect the unmanned offshore production platform. ConocoPhillips was reportedly able to detect flaws on a flare tip at that platform using the inspection technologies onboard the drone, thus avoiding an unplanned shutdown.
For ExxonMobil, the development of drone technologies has featured prominently on its agenda for several years, the study noted. In recent years, the company has deployed drones for aerial surveillance and inspection of offshore platforms as well as onshore assets in North America, the UK, and Australia.
Shell is also among the early adopters of drone technology. It has been using drones from Aeryon Labs to perform flare stack inspections, and two years ago it announced a partnership with a technology firm Kespry to acquire drone-based aerial data from other industrial applications.
Equinor has been investing in a broad range of emerging technologies as it seeks to transform its operations through digitalization. The company’s drone usage is anticipated to grow as it embarks on automating oilfield operations in the North Sea. Their aim is to implement unmanned, and possibly fully autonomous, production platforms.
Logistics and transportation
In August, Equinor reported that it had performed the world’s first offshore logistics operation via drone technology. A drone flew a 3D-printed part for the lifeboat system from the Mongstad base to the Troll A platform in the North Sea. The operation was completed efficiently and according to plan, the company reported.
Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for Development and Production Norway, said that: “Development is rapid, and we see a huge potential within drone technology that could transform the way we operate, both under and above the sea surface. Equinor aims to lead the way in utilizing new technology on the Norwegian continental shelf. Drones could reinforce safety, boost production efficiency and contribute to lower CO2 emissions from Norwegian oil and gas. Drones will also play a role as we shape new energy solutions on the Norwegian shelf.”
The flight, spanning around 80 km (50 mi) to the Troll field, took about one hour at an altitude of approximately 5,000 ft (1,524 m). The flight was a test – the first of its kind – where an actual freight operation was conducted over a lengthy distance to an operating offshore installation. The drone was a Camcopter s-100 model, manufactured by Schiebel.
Equinor says that this type of drone has been thoroughly tested and has logged around 70,000 flying hours from other types of operations within the defense and coast guard services. The drone is more than 4 m (13 ft) long and weighs in excess of 100 kg (220 lb). It has a cruising speed of more than 150 km/h (93 mi/h) and it can carry cargo weighing up to 50 kg (110 lb).
The operator of the drone is the Sandnes-based company Nordic Unmanned; and both companies worked with the Civil Aviation Authority, Avinor Air Navigation Services, and the Norwegian Communications Authority to complete the transport operation.
Alena Korbovà Pedersen, who heads the work on developing logistics solutions within Equinor, commented that: “Over the longer term, we expect to see new infrastructure for logistics and support operations, which can reinforce what we already have within vessels and helicopters. If we are to develop the logistics solutions of the future on the Norwegian shelf, where drones could play an important role, we must cooperate across all of the industry’s players; operating companies, suppliers, the authorities and the trade union and safety interests.”
In addition to conducting logistics operations, Equinor says that airborne drones can also be used for inspections and observations of the technical condition of its offshore facilities. These UAVs are said to have extremely advanced camera equipment and can be used in search and rescue operations, or for early detection of hydrocarbon leaks. These abilities were also tested during this inaugural flight, Equinor said.
Methane detection
Last year, BP conducted tests with a drone to remotely monitor methane emissions west of Shetland. The pilot combined sensor technology originally designed by NASA for the Mars Curiosity Rover with a fixed-wing remote piloted air system (RPAS), or drone, which circled the Clair field platform at a radius of 550 m (1,894 ft) for 90 minutes. In total, the drone travelled more than 185 km (115 mi), 85 km (53 mi) farther than the UK’s previous record for a commercial drone flight, BP claimed.
Once the pre-programmed drone was airborne it managed itself autonomously, with the RPAS live-streamed data being collected by the methane sensor. Following the success of this campaign, BP said that it would use the drone to inspect its North Sea/Shetland area facilities, including ETAP and Glen Lyon.
“We wanted to test a method for collecting large amounts of data on our emissions over long periods of time, without having to send people or equipment offshore,” said project manager Joe Godwin. “The solution would also have to deal with the turbulent atmospheric conditions that we typically experience offshore in the North Sea.”
Ultimately, BP identified the RPAS drone solution provided by UK supplier Flylogix combined with the sensor technology by SeekOps as a good fit with its requirements. The drone was tracked and controlled remotely by three qualified pilots using satellite communications and a radio link from the island of Papa Stour, without the team having to leave their base onshore.
More recently, Flylogix and Cambridge Consultants have agreed to collaborate on harnessing Iridium’s satellite communications to control unmanned aerial vehicles from a central hub.
The arrangement will allow Flylogix to transition from local drone piloting at the airfield to centrally controlled operations, strengthening its support service for offshore E&P activities.
The future
Drones and UAVs are enabling oil and gas companies to inspect their infrastructure and assets faster, and with greater safety and better economics than before. The technology has the potential to replace the traditional inspection methods and provide better data while reducing risk and operational downtime. Using other supporting technologies such as AI, wireless networks, analytics, robotics, IoT, and cloud systems, offshore operators can access and the process the data and make better data-driven decisions.
As drones and UAV technologies continue to evolve, industry analysts say that future devices will have much greater inspection and detection capabilities. The devices will become smarter and enable operators to efficiently check various infrastructure conditions using infrared cameras, corrosion testing technologies, gas detectors, 3D laser scanning systems, and ultrasonic testing technologies.
Operators are expected to gradually move away from traditional methods that rely on fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters to perform aerial inspections. With drones becoming more affordable and flexible in their capabilities, most companies will have to adopt them to improve their operations, efficiency, and competitiveness.
There are still challenges to overcome, experts say. These include connectivity, network, security, and scalability issues. Manufacturers and end-users will also need to address regulatory and compliance requirements.
But faced with staffing challenges, a worldwide pandemic and low oil prices, the offshore oil and gas industry will look increasingly to drones and UAVs to help meet its inspection, data collection and logistical needs. The growing offshore wind energy industry will amplify these demands.
