Offshore staff
TOKYO, Japan — MODEC and Terra Drone Corp. have performed drone-based hull thickness measurement of a crude oil storage tank in two FPSOs offshore Brazil, Cidade de Mangaratiba MV24 and Cidade de Angra dos Reis MV22, 300 km from the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
It follows approval from ABS for use of the technique in the FPSO sector.
According to MODEC, crude storage tank inspections pose risks to personnel as they can involve confined space entry and working at 30 m heights. And the inspectors must typically record approximate measurement points on paper, making it difficult to measure the exact same points in subsequent inspections.
The recent operations employed Terra Drone's Terra UT Drone, equipped with ultrasonic capabilities for non-destructive testing.
The setup means that inspectors can now safely operate the drone from a safe area inside the tank, MODEC said, avoiding work at height and leading to a safer inspection process. In addition, the drone can be used to capture video images and acquire 3D point cloud data, improving the traceability of measurement points.
MODEC now plans to develop a digital twin model using the traceable measurement data obtained through drones.
12.19.2023
