Up High, Down Low: Drones Impact Offshore Energy: Part 1
/In the air, on land, and under the sea, drones are helping offshore energy companies improve safety, production, maintenance, and more. From wind turbines and oil rigs to underwater pipelines, drones are all over the place.
From NY Times
Drones are already being used to:
Inspect offshore wind turbines
Make small wind turbine blade repairs
Inspect and monitor offshore rigs
Inspect, clean, and repair subsea infrastructure
Inspect flare stacks
Deliver supplies to offshore assets
See examples of these projects in Inside Unmanned Systems.
Energy companies are finding big benefits in using drones to conduct inspections of offshore energy facilities, monitor conditions on an ongoing basis, assess damage after an emergency, map sites and assets, and more. Drones are playing a vital role in the offshore energy industry, and that's why companies are investing in this technology.
Experts expect robots and drones to help improve work human employees do in the field. The machines aren’t expected to “steal jobs,” but are positioned to help keep humans on the job safer and focused on things robots can’t do.
Whether up high or down low, drones are here to stay in energy.
