WORLD FIRST INTERNAL INSPECTION FOR MAERSK OIL
Sector
Oil Gas & PetrochemicalRegion
EuropeIn 2015, Cyberhawk completed its first-ever internal UAV inspection of a cargo oil tank on an operational Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
The world-first took place on board the Gryphon FPSO, owned and operated by Maersk Oil in the UK North Sea. Maersk Oil has requirements to visually inspect cargo tanks for integrity, damage assessment and class certification. This type of inspection is usually conducted by rope access technicians who are suspended on ropes to inspect the tank structure, focusing on areas of high stress such as stiffeners, brackets, bracing, webs and stringers.
In 2016, this work was recognised by Oil & Gas UK and was presented the Business Innovation and Efficiency SME accolade at the industry bodies 10th annual awards ceremony.
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One of Maersk Oil’s main priorities was to reduce the human risk factors which are presented by rope access, which includes working at height for sustained periods of time as well as working in confined spaces.
Cyberhawk mobilized an experienced two-man UAV team, consisting of a drone pilot and inspection engineer. The inspection of the critical components of the tank was completed within a day, in comparison with rope access which would usually take between three to four days for the same work scope.
Inspecting the tank with Cyberhawk’s UAV allowed Maersk Oil to undertake a quick and safe audit of the tank, in turn allowing the company to identify and more efficiently plan for any possible contact based inspections in both this and other tanks.
