Using Drones To Monitor Pipelines

One of the largest oil and gas exploration and production companies, Cairn Vedanta Oil, located in India, has recently announced their move to further incorporate drone technology into their everyday operations.

Cairn Vedanta Oil is looking to use the drones to reduce the need for foot patrols and the use of helicopters for exploration on their sites.

The company has said that the drones are a much cheaper option, they get the job done faster, and that they're safer than using the traditional methods of helicopters or foot patrols to carryout pipeline surveillance.

And the Chief Operating Officer for the company, Suniti Bhat, has said that their company might be the first in the country to make this sort of change and choose to move in the direction of starting to incorporate more drone use into their business model.

The hope is that the cost effective drones will be able to provide a more efficient surveillance option, which will in-return help to minimize accidents and reduce any potential loss.

Aside from using the drones to monitor pipelines, Bhat also suggested that they might be looking to use the technology in other ways as well. Such as using drones to inspect high rises or possibly engage in leak detection.

It wasn't that long ago that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) came up with new legislation surrounding drone use in the country. Prior to that new legislation being introduced, there was a complete ban on the use of drones.

And even though there are still a few hoops to jump through to use the drones to inspect the pipelines, Bhat insists that the benefits outweigh the hassle of having to obtain any permits before they can get to work.

Though they might be the first company in India to start using drones in this way, they certainly aren't the first in the world. You can already find drones being used similarly to inspect pipelines in places like the U.S., Canada, Iraq, and other areas. A growing number of companies are likely to move toward embracing this flexible surveillance option in the future, to help them conduct oil and gas pipeline maintenance, monitoring, and inspection.

Pics:
Pixabay

Sources:
https://qz.com/1118172/dgca-indias-aviation-regulator-has-finally-put-out-draft-regulations-for-flying-drones/
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/cairn-vedanta-deploys-drones-to-monitor-pipelines/article23630504.ece
https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/airlines-aviation/coming-soon-regulations-for-use-of-drone-technology-in-india/1135045/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/using-drones-to-monitor-oil-pipelines_us_59390907e4b014ae8c69ddd4
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/10/drones-bp-us-allows-faa-regulation
https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/iraq-to-use-drones-to-protect-and-monitor-oil-pipelines-from-2018/62127964

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