Categories: Technology

HOW DRONES HAVE IMPACTED THE MINING, OIL AND GAS SECTOR – REASONS TO INVEST IN IT

The Oil and Gas industry has seen a rise in business over the last two decades due to rapid industrialisation. This sector, along with the mining sector, has evolved with new technology introduced to monitor and ensure the proper functioning of all operations. A great invention that has changed the monitoring and surveillance game is aerial drone solutions. They are remote-controlled flying robots with cameras and other detection tools attached to them. They hover over any infrastructure or property where no man can reach to inspect the site.

Many safety officials in various sectors like construction, oil and gas, mining and agriculture use these drones to survey the space to establish that it is safe for workers and employees to operate. In sectors like mining and oil, the working conditions can be harsh. There are land excavation sites and oil wells that require constant monitoring. These places are unsafe for people to visit in person. Drones work best in such areas to safeguard the lives of individuals. There are many other advantages and uses for oil and gas companies to invest in these high-tech drones, which will be explained in detail in this article.

Various beneficial uses of drones in the oil and gas sector:

The following are points explaining the reasons for oil companies and factory owners to invest in aerial drone solutions:

Gas leak detection: The gas pipelines carrying the high-pressure natural gas obtained as a by-product of oil excavation transports it from the drilling site to the storage facility. There could be an unforeseen rupture on the surface along the transportation pipelines and storage facility. As a result, this harmful untreated gas starts escaping into the atmosphere. Oil sectors invest in drones with gas sampling sensors and other imaging tools to monitor the site as a precautionary measure. It will also ensure the safety of employees since they need not go close to the leak during the inspection and make necessary decisions for problem resolution.
Rehabilitation of mining sites: Another beneficial use of aerial drone solutions is that they are used to rehabilitate sites during mining. The UAVs come with multispectral imaging and sensing cameras. Apart from that, they also have a seed-spreading feature to improve the landscape rehabilitation performance. This way, the mining process can be planned more proactively. It is an essential investment to consider since it helps minimise the environmental impact. The activity of drilling holes in the ground to extract natural fuel resources negatively impacts the environment. Companies can invest in drones to survey and rehabilitate the land, to prevent negative impacts on the planet’s surface from their future projects.
Digitisation and inspection of assets: Oil sectors have large factories established at sites secluded from the city. It is because these factories, during their refining process, release harmful and flammable gases as a by-product. These gases and flares can be monitored easily with the help of unique high-zoom cameras and thermal sensors. It reduces the necessity of personnel being present in a highly toxic environment for a prolonged duration. The drone is flown over the facility during patrol routines as a part of the safety guidelines. The survey-grade drones generate 2D and 3D heat maps and models respectively to assess every vertical structure present. This digital assessment allows engineers to derive more accurate data and document all crucial findings of the survey. It ensures the seamless operation of all the machinery at the facility.