Though atypical, it is not a rarity to spot a drone flying over a construction site where a pipeline company is at work, snapping high-resolution photographs and transferring data or images back to its human counterparts for review.

The midstream sector has put drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, to use more than the upstream sector, according to PwC, which has studied the commercial applications of drone technology. However, as E&Ps consider more ways to cut costs and become more efficient—both onshore and offshore—use of drones may be poised for growth.

Drones are on the radar for some companies, especially when it comes to monitoring infrastructure, looking for leaks and spills or conducting inspections using infrared cameras or other sensors.

Nate Clark, a principal at PwC, told Hart Energy that other uses for drones in the E&P space include composing 3-D images of sites by combining high-resolution photographs with GPS stamping, conducting high-accuracy surveys, and monitoring sites for compliance with standards. Project partners that are not operators can also use them for monitoring, he said.

“You have harder-to-dispute evidence. Instead of inspectors manually recording in logs, you have high-accuracy data right there,” Clark said. “It’s quicker and it’s less costly.”

But drone technology has more to offer than aerial flights.

PwC, which has a drone data processing center in Poland, sees potential in seaborne, long-life drones, which could be an alternative for ROVs and limiting tethering requirements.

“High-endurance seaborne drones can potentially go for months at a time without coming into a dock,” Clark said, listing other potential uses including:

  • Platform surveillance;
  • Subsea surveys;
  • Deliveries; and
  • Inspection of subsea flowlines.

Drones offshore have also been used for high-resolution sonar surveys of near-shore platforms for demolition purposes or decommissioning.

In the E&P space, “we see a lot of experiments and a lot of people looking to prove the business case; however, we haven’t seen anyone institutionalize the programs so far,” Clark said.

Taking Shape

For the most part, drones are being used to ensure compliance with land agreements and for oversight of onshore well sites on the E&P site, he added.

“The less frequent use is delivery. With higher-class drones with greater lifting capacity, you could potentially do Amazon-style type deliveries [of key parts or equipment to sites], although we see that as a bit further off,” Clark said.

However, such deliveries may be closer than thought.

The Maersk Group accomplished the task earlier this year when it tested the feasibility of using drones for deliveries to vessels offshore. Launched in foggy weather from the deck of a barge, the Xamen Technologies-built LE 4-8X Dual ATEX octocopter drone with a 120-cm wingspan traveled 250 m to deliver a package to the Maersk Edgar tanker.

The drone is approved to work in explosive environments. As it hovered above the tanker, the drone operator lowered the UAV by 5 m, and then released the package—via a remote control—onto the tanker.

The package was not a crucial piece of equipment, but the small box of cookies delivered brought cheers from the crew, as shown in a Maersk video.

Cutting Costs

Drone technology could help E&Ps cut expenses.

“Drones can make savings in both costs and time. There are high costs for on-board delivery of small parcels filled with urgent spare parts or mail, because of the need for a barge,” Markus Khan, supply chain manager at Maersk Tankers, said in a company release about the test.

According to Maersk, the average cost for a barge is about $1,000 but can be higher.

Maersk continues to study drone usage for inspections, surveillance such as anti-piracy or navigation, firefighting and other uses. Currently, Maersk Oil is using drones at installations in the North Sea, the company said.

Costs for the drones vary. Drones with a lifting capacity of a few ounces—enough to carry a small camera—run about $100, Clark said. But four-rotor drones capable of lifting of between 10 and 15 pounds and carrying high-quality camera equipment typically cost between $1,000 and $3,000. These are the most commonly used, he said; however, the price for a drone with a lifting capacity of up to 50 pounds and at least six rotors—mostly used for cinematography—can exceed $10,000.

“But the $1,000 drones get you pretty far,” he said. “The drone in essence is not the hard part; it’s really doing the data analysis on what you’re getting back from the drones.”

But there are some drawbacks, including public concern and the possibility of misinterpreting a technology that is intended to enhance safety. There is also a need for drones to be explosion-proof, although drones are more likely to be damaged than cause damage, he said.

Misuse of drones is another concern. It only takes one bad actor using drones for “paparazzi-style activity” or interference—such as getting too close to firefighting crews trying to extinguish a wildfire—to toss drones into a negative light.

Velda Addison can be reached at vaddison@hartenergy.com.