Air Control Entech (ACE), a provider of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection solutions and the Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) are launching a revolutionary new drone. These game-changing UAV are designed to deliver faster and more accurate cost-effective inspection to offshore oil and gas sites.

Instead of augmenting an existing design, ACE worked with industry partners to create bespoke UAVs to meet specific requirements and tackle the challenges faced by companies when undertaking offshore inspections.

Three New Additional Features

• Live stream capability will provide a real-time, high-definition video stream and data transfer from the offshore UAV to the onshore inspections teams. The aim is this will reduce the size of the offshore inspection teams and improve the speed and efficiency  of reporting.
• Ultrasonic testing will enable faster, smarter and repeatable non-destructive testing. Using electromagnets the UAV will be able to lock onto a structure, not only will this allow repeated readings at a single location, it will allow the UAV to conserve battery power and thus enable longer flight times.
• 3D laser-scanning will allow for the scanning of offshore structures to within 2-millimetre accuracy. This will contribute to significantly improving the accuracy of re-engineering projects by obtaining point cloud data from inaccessible locations.

UAV Trials and Then onto Phase Two

Having secured early-stage technology trials with major operators, ACE is now ready to deploy UAVs for testing over the North Sea. The valuable feedback generated by this will be used to further improve the UAV’s functionality and capability.

After the trials are completed, the next phase of this project will see the development of a UAV for use in confined space. They will also work on research to develop improved flight control systems and better battery technology to allow for longer flight times.

Rebecca Allison, Asset Integrity Solution Centre Manager, said:

“We’re pleased with the progress of our project with Air Control Entech and it’s great to see three new UAVs ready to be deployed. Our goal is to eliminate the impact of asset integrity on operational uptime by 2026 and developing advanced UAVs is vital.”

“The feedback and support of our industry partners has been instrumental, so it’s no surprise that there is already wide-spread interest in trialling the technology.”

Kieran Hope, Managing Director for Air Control Entech, said:

“We are delighted to have completed the initial milestones for our project with the Oil & Gas Technology Centre. We now have three cutting-edge UAVs which are ready to be deployed. The support from the Centre has been excellent and it’s helped us deliver technology that makes essential inspection work smarter, faster and safer.”

“We look forward to continuing our UAV development with the Centre and delivering technology that adds value to the industry and reduces costs for operators.”