Japan’s Terra Drone, with its drone and urban aerial mobility(UAM) technology, has entered into a joint research and development agreement with MODEC to improve the inspection of offshore platforms with drones and other floating systems, such as production, storage and offloading(FPSO). This agreement follows the memorandum of understanding signed by both companies on November 7, 2023.
MODEC and Terra Drone developments
Since the memorandum signed, MODEC has been using Terra Drone’s MODEC has been using Terra Drone’s drone technology to measure the thickness of crude oil storage tank hulls at FPSOs operating in Brazil. This technology has improved the safety of the inspection process by minimizing the need for work at height.
However, drone inspection technology needs to be perfected to overcome the difficult working conditions on offshore platforms. the difficult working conditions on offshore platforms. . Currently, due to limitations in the execution and efficiency of hull thickness measurements, crew members are still required to perform some of the inspections.
For FPSOs and other offshore platforms to operate safely for more than two decades, maintaining asset integrity is critical. Periodic inspections of the structure are vital, but they must be carried out in parallel with production operations, which means that inspection equipment must be limited.
Offshore platform inspection with drones
Through extensive technical discussions, MODEC and Terra Drone have identified areas for improvement and are committed to leading the development of drone inspection technology adapted to the harsh conditions of offshore platforms. The goal is to completely replace manual inspections of crude oil storage tanks with drones in the near future.
With these innovations, companies are looking to triple inspection efficiency and reduce costs. These initiatives will be applied to MODEC-operated FPSOs, while they are expected to be implemented industry-wide, addressing common challenges related to occupational safety and workload reduction in offshore operations.
This agreement will allow Terra Drone and MODEC to contribute to the sustainable operation of FPSOs and other offshore platforms from environmental, economic and social perspectives, improving safety, reducing workload and increasing inspection efficiency.
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Source and photo: TerraDrone
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