WorldWide Drilling Resource

A New Way of Looking at Things Compiled by Bonnie Love, Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The drilling industry is known for looking beneath the ground, however, the latest technology can actually help by looking at things above the ground - WAY above the ground! Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), better known as drones, have been used by the military, police departments, and even weekend enthusiasts to get a unique aerial view of the world around them. It didn’t take long for the drilling industry to discover new ways to utilize drone technology to improve performance and safety on the jobsite. Although these robotic flying machines got their start as a tool of war, today’s drones are used in several applications. The data collected by drones helps reveal what isn’t necessarily visible at ground level, and keeps workers out of inaccessible, often danger- ous, locations. Drones can be equipped with several different types of cameras capable of collecting a great deal of data. The data can be ana- lyzed through various software programs to provide a wealth of informa- tion for operators, maintenance, designers, and others on the ground. Here are just a few ways these unmanned aerial systems are impacting the drilling community: Agriculture - Drones offer a low-cost aerial camera view of crops. Seeing crops from the air allows farmers to spot potential irrigation problems, soil variations, and even pest infestations. It also has the potential to reduce water use. Blasting - After blasting, data collected can reveal material movement, delineations between ore and waste rock, and provide fragmentation analysis. Construction - Monitoring and surveying construction sites is made easier with drone technology, which is also used to calculate moved masses without interrupting the site’s workflow. Gas and Oil - Frequent inspection and maintenance ensures safety for the nation’s gas and oil industry. Instead of shutting down operations and sending an inspector into hazardous areas with a camera, a UAV can be used to deliver high-quality aerial data for inspections and mainte- nance without causing operational down time. Inspecting for leaks and spills can also be handled quicker and more efficiently with drones. Geothermal - Drone technology can be used to find thermal features in difficult ter- rain and provide an estimate of surface heat loss from thermal water in the survey area. In fact, researchers used a thermal infrared camera attached to a UAV, to capture nearly 6000 thermal images, recording temperatures of the Waikite geo- thermal area in New Zealand, including an inaccessible lake. The images were used to create an extensive thermal map of the area. Mining - Data from highwalls, stockpiles, waste dumps, muck piles, and tailings dams, can be collected and converted into information quickly and safely using drones. Since UAVs can pretty much go anywhere, mapping sites including hard to reach, or dangerous off limit locations can be handled in a safe and efficient manner. Solar - Mapping topography and finding the right location for each solar panel nor- mally takes humans multiple trips to chart the site’s terrain. Drone technology has eliminated those trips and gives designers the ability to select the best spot. In Cook County, Oregon, the Gala Solar Power Plant is one of the first solar farms designed using drone technology. Wind - Collecting wind farm data can be complicated. Climbing more than 250 feet up to wind turbine blades for inspection is not only time consuming, but also dangerous. Once up there, some inspectors have only their cell phone camera to take photos of damage or maintenance issues. Drones take the danger out of the equation and offer a more efficient way to inspect turbine blades. The inspection process which used to take months, can be done in hours. In the future, the data collected from wind farms may be used to create better, more efficient blades. This affordable, accessible technology is making waves in the drilling industry. Have you used UAVs at any of your jobsites? Maybe you have some tips for those looking to implement a drone program. We would love to hear from you! Share your experience with the World , send your information to bonnie@worldwidedrillingresource.com WWDR photo. Photo courtesy of SkySpecs. 24 APRIL 2018 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®