This article is intended for anybody in charge pipeline surveying in oil and gas industry. It could also be helpful for companies who provide pipeline surveying facilities. The article covers in-depth the core benefits a company can reap if they use drones for pipeline surveying.

Introduction

The oil and gas sector has is using a method for inspecting, surveying, monitoring, and repairing pipelines that is safer, more effective, economical, and environmentally friendly i.e. unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Drone use has benefited the oil and gas sector in numerous ways, including detection of pipeline corrosion, valve inspection, risk reduction, uptime improvement, leak detection, and repair.

Traditional pipeline surveying techniques, such as ground-based inspections, can be affected by local conditions. These may also be time-consuming, expensive, and have less accuracy range. The process of pipeline surveying will be influenced by the weather and sometimes it may be dangerous for surveying personnel because of the physical involvement of surveying personnel.

As an alternative, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is safer, more effective, and more affordable. Drones may also be loaded with a wide range of attachments that give them different inspection capabilities.

These automated devices also have GPS technology, which enables inspectors and maintenance teams to precisely detect problematic spots.

If you are still using the old methods for pipeline surveying, we would recommend you to switch to drones based inspections.

The benefits of employing drones have been listed in this article to make up your mind and save you considerable amounts:

Assurance Of Safety

In numerous ways, drones can assure safety when used for pipeline routing, topography, thermal imaging, leak detection, and volume measurement.

Safety in Gas leakages and Blowout Detection

Drones with gas sensors can discover and find blowouts along pipelines, enabling quick repairs to reduce the dangers to the public as well as the environment. Drones used for leak detection lessen the need for employees to enter potentially hazardous places like those close to high-pressure pipes, which lowers the chance of accidents.

Safety in Leak Detection and Access to Hazardous Places

Drones using thermal imaging cameras might need temperature fluctuations throughout pipelines to identify possible problems like leaks, obstructions, or equipment failures. Drones can able to access places that are hard or hazardous for human employees to access, including hot pipes, lowering the chance of mishaps.

Safety in Oil and Gas Storage

Oil or gas stored in tanks and reservoirs may be analyzed using drones equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology. Drones can accomplish this task without human personnel having to enter potentially hazardous spaces like tanks and reservoirs, which decreases the chance of an incident.

Safety of Human Resources

Drones can support the process of determining the most efficient and safe route for a pipeline, taking into account factors such as terrain, weather, and environmental impacts. The use of drones for this purpose reduces the need for human workers to access potentially dangerous areas such as remote or hard-to-reach terrains, reducing the risk of accidents.

It’s worth mentioning that these applications require specialized equipment and trained operators, and regulations and safety precautions must be followed to ensure the safety of people and the environment. By eliminating the need for human employees to enter potentially hazardous places, the use of drones in certain applications can contribute to increased safety. However, it is important to take all necessary safety measures to make sure that the drones themselves do not present any hazards.

Versatility Of Drones

In pipeline surveying, Drones have recognized themselves as versatile tools for pipeline routing, mapping, ROW monitoring, and confined space Inspection

Drones for Surveying Topography and Vegetation Along Pipeline Lines

Drones can produce reliable information for pipeline installation, operation, and maintenance by creating comprehensive maps and 3D models of pipeline routes. In order to identify possible problems with erosion, landslides and natural hazards that might damage pipeline integrity. They can also be used to survey the topography, vegetation, and other elements of the terrain along the pipeline path. In order to find locations that need maintenance or repair, drones may also be used to scan the state of existing pipelines.

Drones for Choosing the Most Effective and Safe Route

When choosing the most effective and protected path for a pipeline, drones may help by taking into consideration the geography, the weather, and the effects on the environment. They can also help identify possible problems with the route, such as wetlands, rough slopes, or different sensitive locations that may affect the pipeline survey.

Drones for Monitoring Right-of-Way (ROW) of Pipelines

Drones can be used to observe the Right-of-Way (ROW) of pipelines, which includes the land and airspace rounding the pipeline, to detect potential issues such as encroachments, illegal dumping, and illegal activities. Drones can also help to identify potential issues with the pipeline’s ROW that could impact the integrity of the pipeline, such as erosion, landslides, or further natural hazards.

Drones as Versatile Tools for Confined Space Inspection

Drones are versatile tools that can be equipped with a wide range of sensors and cameras, which allow them to perform a wide range of applications. This versatility makes them an ideal tool for pipeline surveying, as they can be used to inspect, map, and monitor pipelines in a wide-ranging of conditions and situations.

Drones’ Load Capacity and its Utilization

Some drones have the capability to carry a payload such as cameras, sensors, devices, and equipment, which can help to improve the accuracy and efficiency of pipeline surveys. The load capacity of drones can vary depending on the model and manufacturer, but some drones are capable of carrying payloads of up to several kilograms which can be applied according to need.

Drones at inaccessible places

Drones can be used in places where people can’t safely or easily reach structures like pipelines, tanks, reservoirs, and confined spaces. This can help to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents, while also providing valuable information for pipeline construction, operation, and maintenance.

So, drones have proven to be versatile tools for pipeline surveying, mapping and surveying, pipeline routing, and ROW monitoring. Their versatility allows them to perform a wide range of tasks and operate in a wide range of conditions and environments, making them an ideal tool for pipeline surveying.

Ease Of Configuration

The ease of configuration of drones in pipeline survey operations is one of the key advantages of using this technology. Many little UAVs (for example, N-copters) can fly and land on the surface, either with or without a landing pad. Some may also be flown and landed by hand, making them extremely versatile and simple to operate. Larger and more advanced UAVs (N-rotor or fixed wing) needs a certain type of launching equipment to allow the platform to take off.

The process of configuring a drone for pipeline survey operations is relatively simple and can be done by trained operators.

This process generally involves the following steps:

  1. Depending on the unique needs of the pipeline survey, drones can be fitted with a variety of cameras, sensors, and other specialist equipment. This comprises optical inspection cameras, thermal cameras for leakage detection, topographical mapping LiDAR sensors, and gas sensors for methane leak detection. Depending on the type of survey and the requirements, several sorts of equipment may be simply chosen.
  2. Prior to flying, the drone’s settings and flight route must be set up. Waypoints and the flight plan are part of this, and they may be made using mapping software and sent to the drone’s onboard computer. With the use of mapping software and pre-made templates, the flight plan may be readily constructed, speeding up the procedure.
  3. Several pre-flight tests should be carried out by the operator before takeoff to confirm that the drone is in good operating order and that all equipment is set up correctly. For the survey to be secure and accurate, this step is essential.
  4. Once in the air, the drone’s operator has the option of controlling it using a ground station or remote control. The which was before flight plan allows the drone to be operated autonomously or manually. The drones are made to be simple to fly and operate, so this phase is likewise simple.

The drone’s cameras and sensors will be used to gather data while it is in the air. This information may be processed and examined to find any pipeline problems, such as damages, corrosion, or leaks.

Advantages In Thermographic Imaging

A form of infrared imaging method is thermographic imaging. Drones may now use this technology to detect heat emanating from things, whether or not they are illuminated visibly. In order to assess piping networks that deliver fluids at temperatures other than the ambient temperature, aerial thermographic inspections are suitable (e.g., oil and gas pipelines survey).

Thermal radiation around the pipe is scanned by thermal cameras and optical gas imaging (OGI) devices to find flaws in insulated pipes. The drone’s thermal imaging technologies will be able to identify abnormalities in the form of heat loss when insulating problems are existing. Early detection of thinning or defective insulation can save financial losses and assist avoid potentially fatal incidents.

Moreover, subsurface pipeline system flaws may be found using thermographic imaging without the need for expensive excavations. The soil’s temperature is impacted by leaks in subsurface pipes. For instance, if a pipeline carrying hot fluids is destroyed, the leaks that ensue will heat the area around the pipeline. Thermal cameras on drones might then detect this difference in heat easily.

Cost Reduction

There are various ways that drones may lower the cost of inspection, leak detection, labor, and security monitoring. Pipelines, flow lines, and additional infrastructure may be inspected by drones with multispectral and hyperspectral sensors to look for damage, corrosion, and leaks. Drones can also quickly cover a broad area, cutting down on the time and cost needed for inspections.

Economic Advantages of Drone Inspection in the Oil and Gas Industry

Oil and gas sector and produced liquid, a salty byproduct of oil refining, is usually delivered across 10 million kilometers of pipelines worldwide. $37 billion is spent annually by the international oil and gas sector on monitoring above- and below-ground pipelines. Drones can slash the cost of traditional surveillance by over 90%, stop environmental catastrophes, and stop property damage. For instance, contamination from produced water leaks can damage a whole crop on farmland and harm vegetation, with clean-up expenses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Drone inspections can quickly scan hundreds of kilometers of pipeline, generating aerial footage that identifies changes in the landscape that signify pipeline breaches.

Time and Personnel Savings in Inspections

Drones can cover large areas in a short amount of time, reducing the overall time and labor required for inspections, leak detection, and security monitoring. One of the biggest benefits of using drones in pipeline surveying is their ability to reduce labor costs. Drones can contribute to a large decrease in maintenance expenditures. In comparison to a helicopter, a drone generally utilizes 1/100th the amount of fuel while simultaneously leaving behind a very little carbon impact (ease of shipping and instrument portability). Drones can fly over pipelines and collect data quickly and efficiently, reducing the need for large teams of surveyors to physically inspect pipelines. These can significantly lower the overall cost of pipeline surveying.

Drones may be used to identify and prevent possible threats including disruption, theft, and vandalism as well as to monitor pipelines and many vital infrastructures for security reasons. By eliminating the need for human personnel to enter potentially high crime places drones being used in security monitoring lowers the cost as compared with traditional surveying methods.

Accuracy Of Results

Drones can provide accurate results in land surveying, slope monitoring, and digital surface models for pipeline survey in several ways:

Creating Detailed Maps and 3D Models

Drones equipped with cameras and sensors can create detailed maps and 3D models of pipeline routes, providing accurate information for pipeline construction, operation, and maintenance. Drones can also survey the topography, vegetation, and other features of the land along the pipeline route, which can help to identify potential issues with corrosion, landslides, or further natural hazards that could impact pipeline integrity.

Slope Monitoring and Digital Elevation Models

Drones can survey the slope of the land along pipeline routes, which can help to identify potential issues with slope instability and hazards that could impact pipeline integrity. Drones equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology can create digital elevation models (DEMs) and digital terrain models (DTMs). It delivers highly accurate data on the slope and elevation of the land.

Drones equipped with LIDAR can generate comprehensive 3D models of the surface of the earth, which can be used to recognize potential hazards, such as rock outcrops, that could impact pipeline integrity. Drones can also be used to produce digital surface models of existing pipelines, which can be used to find areas that require maintenance or repair.

Pipeline Surveillance

Pipeline surveillance is an important part of the oil and gas sector since it helps to assure pipeline integrity and safety while also spotting possible concerns before they become big issues. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with visible or infrared cameras can be an excellent tool for pipeline monitoring since they can conduct routine patrols with little or no human interaction.

UAV capabilities for pipeline monitoring

UAVs outfitted with cameras may be programmed to take off, maneuver, and patrol a section of the pipeline at predetermined intervals, taking photos or videos of locations of interest. These photos may be studied to spot possible problems including damage, corrosion, or leakage. The UAV may use onboard GPS sensors and waypoint data to plan the path to be traveled, make appropriate course adjustments, and hover in position as commanded by the settings provided. The parameter setup may be done either before or during the flight, providing flexibility and real-time modifications.

Real-time Monitoring and Alerts

UAVs may also send real-time surveillance photographs to operators, allowing them to watch the pipeline in real-time. This is especially beneficial for immediately spotting possible concerns and taking proper action. Furthermore, UAVs may be configured to produce alerts when any odd occurrence, such as a leakage or a possible security danger, is detected.

Increasing the frequency of inspections and monitoring

The employment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in pipe surveillance can bring a variety of advantages. It decreases the need for human personnel to enter potentially hazardous places while increasing the frequency of inspections and monitoring. Furthermore, it enables more efficient and precise data collecting, which can eventually serve to enhance pipeline safety, integrity, and efficiency. Moreover, UAVs are effective and productive, which may save the industry time and money.

The Future of UAVs in Pipeline Surveillance

Ultimately, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in pipeline surveillance is a potent instrument that can assist to enhance pipeline safety, integrity, and reliability while also lowering costs and increasing the rate of inspections and monitoring. It is a technology that is currently and will continue to be employed in the business.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones in pipeline survey offers a wide range of benefits for the oil and gas industry. These benefits include increased safety for both human workers and industry, versatility in performing a wide range of tasks and operating in various conditions, ease of configuration, cost reduction through time and personnel savings, and improved accuracy of results. UAVs equipped with cameras and sensors can create detailed maps and 3D models of pipeline routes, survey the topography and vegetation along pipeline lines, monitor the right-of-way of pipelines, and inspect confined spaces. Also, UAVs can provide real-time monitoring and alerts, increasing the frequency of inspections and monitoring. As technology continues to advance, the use of UAVs in pipeline surveillance will become even more prevalent and valuable for ensuring pipeline integrity and safety.

References

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