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Cyberhawk signs global teaming agreement with John Zink Hamworthy Combustion to provide UAV asset inspections

Chris Fleming 1 png
09 Apr 2019

Cyberhawk, a world leader in drone inspection technologies and visualization software for UAV data, has signed a global teaming agreement with John Zink Hamworthy Combustion (JZHC), a world-leading authority on flares, burners and emissions control and a pioneer in smart combustion solutions.

Cyberhawk will be supporting JZHC with aerial inspections of industrial assets and comprehensive inspection reporting worldwide. JZHC and Cyberhawk inspection engineers will collaborate to analyze and assess all integrity aspects of UAV flare inspection data, with JZHC providing operational, remediation and/or replacement recommendations. A complete and comprehensive report will be presented to the customer following each inspection.

JZHC designs some of the world’s most advanced flaring and combustion systems. Decades of research and development are incorporated into every flare design to provide unsurpassed reliability, safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness. With the advent of safer, more reliable live UAV flare inspections over the last decade, operators now expect to see aerial solutions offered as part of these solutions.

Since completing the first drone flare inspection in 2010, Cyberhawk is the only global UAV inspection company which has inspected more than 800 flares, consisting of both onshore and offshore, in over 30 countries.

Over the last decade, the use of drones for industrial asset inspections has grown significantly. The ability to inspect in-service flares can eliminate millions of dollars of OPEX from a company’s bottom line. Detection and monitoring of changes to an operational flare system could potentially avoid future unplanned shutdowns because of the early detection. These dollars can be better served through upgrading systems and/or designing preventative UAV inspection programs.

The safety risks presented by traditional access methods are also eliminated, including working at significant heights and in a potentially hazardous industrial environment.

While using drone-mounted cameras to capture detailed visual and thermal data, typical components inspected include the flare tip, pilot burners, stack, ladders, platforms, molecular seal and steam lines. The imagery obtained is analyzed and recommendations are provided. This lends to better maintenance planning and decision-making processes for the customer. For instance, preparing accurate turnaround workscopes and supporting scheduling and the sourcing of labour.

Cyberhawk has teamed-up with JZHC to provide expert analysis of flare inspection imagery. JZHC’s decades of experience in flare solutions will enhance Cyberhawk’s already world class inspection reports. In many cases, the inspection imagery can indicate operational anomalies. By analyzing Cyberhawk’s imagery, JZHC may be able to identify and recommend proactive actions to mitigate operational issues before they result in punitive regulatory action.

The adoption of drones for asset integrity inspections has grown significantly in recent years, presenting a further challenge - unlocking the intelligence in inspection drone data. iHawk Oil and Gas is Cyberhawk’s visual asset inspection software module for oil and gas drone data. iHawk provides operators, contractors and partners with cloud-based access to visual inspection data. Its asset visualization technology allows stakeholders to collaborate and interact with one central source of data, from anywhere in the world. Historical inspection data can be easily accessed to compare and evaluate asset integrity over time. Other modules include iHawk Construction, which enables visualization and interaction with all facets of very large and complex oil, gas and petrochemical projects.

Chris Fleming, CEO at Cyberhawk said: “We are delighted to team with John Zink, a company which shares our ethos of helping clients enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of their assets. Drones have changed the face of complex industrial inspections, with flare inspection being one area in which the most powerful efficiencies can be gained. We look forward to introducing high quality drone flare inspection services to an even wider global audience.”