Upstream Oil, Gas Companies Keep Exploring Benefits of UAVs by Karen Boman
Exxon Mobil Corp.’s recent use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), to help monitor the
impact of their offshore operations on whales is one example of how upstream oil and gas companies
are continuing to explore the potential that drones hold for upstream operations.
In March, ExxonMobil conducted a two-week research program offshore Santa Barbara, California
in which it utilized UAVs with shore-based cameras and satellites to scout for whales. By testing these advanced remote detection technologies, ExxonMobil aims to improve upon current detection systems for identifying marine mammals, company spokesperson Ashley Smith Alemayehu told Rigzone.
Oil and gas companies have been using drones for nearly six years now, embracing the health and safety advantages of drones versus traditional inspection methods, Philip Buchan, commercial director at UK-based Cyberhawk Innovations Limited, told Rigzone.
Shrinking operating expenditure budgets mean drones continue to be more widely used in upstream oil and gas. The ability to inspect an asset, such as a flare while it is live, means that production can continue, saving up to millions of dollars per day, Buchan said. By using drones, one Cyberhawk client was able to save $11 million one a multi-scope project.
Using drones avoids the need for personnel to work at height, in confined spaces, in hazardous areas or for extensive periods of time, Buchan explained.
“It is not possible for a human to inspect a flare while operational due to the extreme heat generated,” Buchan explained. “Drones don’t replace workers. Instead, they conduct the first sweep in asset inspection so workers only have to work in high live or difficult-to-access positions if physical maintenance is required.”
Oil, Gas Industry Exploring New Use Cases, Technology for UAVs
Drones are primarily used for inspection activities in upstream oil and gas, including flare stacks, underdecks, vents, drilling derricks and exhausts, Buchan stated.
Dyan Gibbens, CEO of Trumbull Unmanned, told Rigzone that her company’s upstream oil and gas clients are focused on using drones in three areas:
?mapping, or using drones to create 2D, 3D and thermal maps of oil fields, rock outcroppings and facilities
?responding to oil spills and other incidents and emergencies
?inspecting tanks, infrastructures and plants
Gibbens’ company worked with ExxonMobil for its whale scouting program. Trumbull Unmanned also has worked with Chevron Corp. to use UAVs to create thermal maps of its operations in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
“UAVs are unique in that they can collect a lot of data rapidly, which leads to companies having the information they need to make quick decisions,” Steven Fargo, president of DataWing Aerial Analytics, told Rigzone. “Identifying abnormalities and measuring changes will proactively help operators by assisting them with preventive maintenance decisions.”
The repeated use of UAV-based data collection can also provide a timeline of information showing trends that can be used to predict future events, and alert decision-makers when a potential threat to an asset is determined, Fargo said. Examples of this application in the oilfield include inspecting tank batteries and exposed pipe, among other equipment.
Future Applications for Drone Technology
Gibbens told Rigzone that the oil and gas industry is continuing to find additional business cases for disruptive innovation in drone technology. According to Gibbens, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. is currently evaluating the use of drones and drone footage in the valuation and sale of upstream, midstream and potentially oilfield service assets.
Gibbens and other industry insiders see great potential for emerging technologies such as machines learning to allow upstream oil and gas companies to gain greater insight from data gathered by UAVs, said Gibbens, whose company is developing such technology.
UAVs, capable of collecting data that can later be analyzed using machine-learning algorithms, can enable upstream oil and gas companies to use data for analytics-based inspection, Fargo told Rigzone.
In terms of future applications, DataWing expects to see more projects focused on solving problems associated with fugitive emissions and optimizing facility mechanics. Drones with optical gas imaging sensors or other thermal cameras can help in environmental or industrial inspection requirements, Fargo told Rigzone.
Both Fargo and Gibbens see methane sensing as one of the biggest emerging use cases for drones. Methane emission monitoring is one area where UAVs could eventually be instrumental in assisting upstream operators with environmental and regulatory compliance. This will be particularly useful as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Land Management continue to tighten the reporting and inspection requirements, Fargo explained.
Trumbull Unmanned is working with NASA JPL to fly UAV-mounted sensors to identify and quantify methane sources, Gibbens said. Earlier this year, the company flew controlled releases on a Lockheed Martin Indago around California. Currently, the company is working on transitioning from controlled tests to operating flights. Within the next few years, Trumbull Unmanned intends to fly UAV-mounted sensors in swarms in order to isolate methane sources, leading to the eventual use of this technology as a tool to measure carbon and sell or exchange carbon credits, Gibbens noted. Much of this will be driven by regulations as we learn what they require and what type of technology is practical and approved for monitoring.
Gibbens said that the upstream oil and gas industry is on the cusp of this disruptive innovation. Drones could eventually have physical jobs, like robots in the air.
“As we continue to move towards autonomous operations, swarms and four dimensional freedom for all, we want to be involved in each phase as engineers, UAV operators and pilots,” Gibbens noted.
Last year, Cyberhawk launched an internal inspection solution after undertaking an inspection of an internal oil cargo tank on board a Maersk floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO), Buchan stated. This type of inspection usually is conducted by rope access technicians suspended on ropes to inspect tank structures. Using drones to conduct this type of inspection dramatically reduces the safety risk to personnel.
The launch of this internal inspection service has further opened up the application of UAVs for FPSOs, onshore oil tanks and inside chimneys and boilers.
“Our next aim is to develop a system which allows our pilots to fly a UAV into a confined space from outside without any human interaction,” Buchan stated.
Right now, the pilot must be inside the space to fly the drone. This inspection technique is currently under development. Judging by early testing in chimneys and other confined spaces, Cyberhawk knows that the launch of this service will be another major step forward to the application of drones in upstream oil and gas.
“There are some developments to technology required, but a large part is developing the operational procedures so that this type of work can be completed safely and repeatedly,” Buchan said.
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