AirControl Entech achieve world first live stream offshore inspection from UAV

Air Control Entech, a leading UAV (drone) based Service Company to the Oil and Gas industry has delivered a world’s first in offshore inspection.

Air Control Entech UAV inspection team successfully streamed the world’s first live offshore inspection. The live inspection from a North Sea FPSO operated by a UK headquartered Oil and Gas Company was successfully streamed directly to the client’s onshore offices in Aberdeen.

This new development, co-funded by investment from Aberdeen’s Oil & Gas Technology Centre aims to cut the cost of inspecting and maintaining offshore infrastructure.

By using the UAV to complete the inspection and live stream, the operator obtained a real time view of the asset, removing the need for a shut down and rope access teams mobilizing to inspect the flare.

This successful trial leads the way for future trials and a final refined product that stakeholders are eagerly awaiting due to the safety benefits and combined cost and time savings with this inspection technique.

Kieran Hope, Managing Director of Air Control Entech said:

“Any type of live stream from an offshore installation was going to prove challenging due to communications and the historic difficulties of achieving a high definition live stream back to onshore from a type of installation that struggles with fixed communications. Our success therefore is a huge accomplishment and step forward in the industry.

We have had an incredible amount of interest in the live stream since starting to develop the capability and we look forward to performing further field trials and assisting the Oil and Gas market with their live stream inspection needs.”

As well as having major safety benefits, the drone technology significantly saves on time and reduces cost. Air Control Entech also recently provided operator Total E&P UK Limited (TEPUK) with the opportunity to demonstrate streaming of live data from offshore directly to TEPUK’s onshore office, which proved to be successful.