PERSIAN GULF OFFSHORE MULTIPLE WORKSCOPE INSPECTION
Sector
Oil Gas & PetrochemicalRegion
Middle EastIn September 2015, Cyberhawk was appointed by a major oil and gas operator in the UAE with the safe inspection of six flares, 12 vent stacks, multiple bridges, tripods and telecom towers, offshore in the Persian Gulf.
The operator also wanted to reduce human exposure to hazardous environments, including working at height, as well as remaining a safe distance from the operational assets. Further to this, high-quality data was sought to improve maintenance and turnaround planning, in turn supporting management decisions.
The rationale behind the operator’s use of UAVs was to avoid the requirement to shut down platform operations whilst inspections took place.
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The alternative technique considered for the flare tip inspections was using a full-size helicopter, however, this method would not have given a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the whole flare such as under the flare deck and supporting structure. The UAV also meant other difficult inspection work scopes such as bridges, tripods, and telecom towers could be inspected on the same mobilization. Therefore, the use of UAVs was investigated and deemed to be the preferred method for addressing these issues.
Cyberhawk’s significant aviation experience of operating in more than 20 countries globally meant that we knew how to secure the necessary flight permissions from the UAE aviation authority, as well as additional approvals from the local airforce.
A two-man team was mobilized to the platform, consisting of an experienced UAV pilot and an oil and gas inspection engineer. Detailed inspection reports were then produced by Cyberhawk’s experienced oil and gas inspection team with additional analysis from Cyberhawk’s flare expert on the condition of the flare tips. The operator reported that the work was completed safely and efficiently with high quality reports provided in a timely manner.
FOREWIND DOGGER BANK MET MAST INSPECTION
Cyberhawk was tasked by Forewind to carry out a repeat drone inspection on the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm metrological (met) masts in April 2016. Cyberhawk was chosen due to our previous experience in successfully inspecting the met masts the previous year.