BRUNEI – INSPECTING 20 NUIS OFFSHORE AND 3 FLARES ONSHORE
Sector
Oil Gas & PetrochemicalRegion
AsiaCyberhawk’s repeat work for the client, and reputation for the successful UAV inspections of offshore oil and gas assets, saw the team selected as the preferred provider for this challenging multiple work scope project. The use of drones for the data collection was favoured thanks to the ability to provide highly accurate data, and minimised risk to personnel versus the working at height issues associated with conventional inspection and access techniques, such as rope access, scaffolding or manned helicopter.
For the flare tip and structural inspections, production shutdown is commonly required, which can be extremely costly for the client. The use of UAVs avoids such costly shutdowns. Furthermore, one of the flare towers was 4km away from the coast and accessible only by jetty.
Safe access to the NUIs was set to be challenging, as the boat landing platforms of some of the assets were not fit for purpose. We carried out full NUI close visual inspections, capturing high resolution data for each jacket.
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Traditionally, this inspection would be completed with the use of a helicopter, however, the level of detail obtainable is nowhere near what is achieved with UAV operated by experienced personnel. The Cyberhawk team worked quickly and efficiently, with the successful inspection taking just a few days instead of weeks. Furthermore, the detailed visual data captured by our UAVs and analysed by our engineering teams assisted in focusing maintenance only in areas that required it.
The project reinforced Cyberhawk’s leading position in the industry and region to date.
OFFSHORE FLARE INSPECTION ON AN FPSO IN WEST AFRICA
Cyberhawk was called upon to inspect a flare on an FPSO off the coast of West Africa in April 2017. Critical damage was detected on the flare tip and since then, Cyberhawk has been asked to closely monitor the damage and report back any potential further degradation. The intent was to defer a costly unplanned shutdown until the flare could be safely replaced three months later.