Introduction
Integration of commercial drones in various industries has a significant potential to positively impact such industries. These drones are deployed to conduct inspections that improve industry operations, including increasing precision, driving efficiency, and providing safer workforce options. In 2021, the global drone inspection and monitoring market recorded $7.47 billion. This market is also projected to grow to $35.15 billion by 2030 (Firouziaee & Khaliliyan, 2022). Some industries that have recorded fast-growing integration of commercial drones in their operations include infrastructure and construction, search and rescue operations, insurance claims, energy, utilities, and resources, and agriculture and agribusiness. Traditionally, Oil and Gas (O&G) industry employs helicopters to inspect refineries, power lines, and offshore rigs. Thus, replacing helicopters can contribute positively to the growth and efficient operations within this industry, including ensuring sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the tasks. Thus, this paper provides an O&G industry overview and the positive impacts that the use of drones is likely to accrue.
Overview of the O&G Industry
The O&G industry is the biggest sector in the world in terms of dollar value. It employs hundreds of thousands of workers worldwide and generates hundreds of billions annually across the globe. This industry comprises wells, gas gathering and processing facilities, storage, and transmission and distribution pipelines (Firouzjaee & Khaliliyan, 2022). These components form the essential oil and natural gas cycle. Natural gas is contained within underground crude at high reservoir pressures. Removing oil from the reservoir also removes associated natural gas. The O&G has an enormous effect on every aspect of day-to-day life. Various financial and policy decisions, ranging from national governments, corporations, and individuals, are based on oil and natural gas availability, use, and cost.
The O&G experienced depths following the 2014 downturn. However, oil prices started recovering in 2016, turning from $40 to $67 per barrel in September 2018 (Norouzi, 2021). Several factors led to the recovery. Among these factors, include the success of the production restraint agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the non-OPEC countries. This agreement has been effective since 2017 (Norouzi, 2021). Secondary factors that played a role in the O&G recovery included less market from the challenged producers finding their way into the market and the global growth in demand, as revealed by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2022, the O&G industry recorded the highest profits, leading to ample cash flow to fund its 2023 strategies (Norouzi, 2021). The O&G has been provided with a clear mandate that will secure supply in the short term while changing to embrace cleaner energy in the long term.
Every supply chain in the O&G industry entails configuration, management, and continuous improvement of sequential operation sets involving multiple parties. Supply chain management aims to deliver maximum service to the customer at the most affordable cost possible. The supply chain has three sectors, comprising upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. The upstream sector defines O&G exploration and production. It consists of the processes and operations involving searching for the potential underground and underwater fields of O&G. It also consists of drilling of exploratory wells and operating the wells which recover, bringing crude oil and raw natural gas to the surface (Firouzjaee & Khaliliyan, 2022). Recently, unconventional gas has been included as part of the Upstream sector. As a result, it affects Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) processing and transportation development.
The midstream sector comprises the transportation, storage, and processing of O&G. immediately after recovering resources, their transportation to the refinery is supposed to happen. The refinery is usually located in an entirely different geographic region from the O&G reserves. According to Norouzi (2021), various transportation options can significantly vary, ranging from massive cargo ships to small connector pipelines. This transportation can make trans-ocean crossings dependent on the commodity and distance involved. The transportation means may also involve tankers, ships, and trucking fleets.
The last sector in the O&G supply chain is the downstream sector. This sector encapsulates operations after the production phase to the end consumers. Some of the processes in this sector include refining crude oil and distributing the by-products to the retail level and end consumers. The downstream sector can be described mainly by margin business, known primarily for its high complexity (Firouzjaee & Khaliliyan, 2022). Thus, companies are always expected to bear a global perspective and encompass marketing and delivery of final products to retailers and consumers. This paper proposes integration of drones in the entire pipeline works and line, beginning from the pipeline construction to operation.
Integration of Drones in the O&G Industry and Its Long-Term Impact on the Society
Drones are part of emerging technologies within the O&G industry that have been embraced by various gas and oil firms. Some areas that these technologies have impacted positively and show potential even for further positive impact include leak detection, surveillance, and inspection (Wanasinghe et al., 2020a). These areas have become cheaper, safer, and faster, leading to firms capitalizing on emerging opportunities. Consequently, O&G firms must consider using drones throughout the supply chain, from upstream to downstream.
Pipelines have different stages and work, beginning with their construction. Leveraging drone technology in the planning pipeline, carrying out route surveys, and performing routine inspections to reduce risk and guarantee safety and security has been an ongoing discussion for quite some time. Integrating a combination of drones and advanced software can guarantee superior analysis and insights, providing high-resolution geospatial data, videos, and images of pipelines (Wanasinghe et al., 2020b). Thus, they can be imperative to pipeline operators, implementation agencies, and project planners to make informed decisions. Consequently, drones can be deployed in pipeline construction, safety, operations and maintenance, security, managing contingencies, environmental gains, and global deployments.
In pipeline construction, drones can be helpful in progress monitoring. Major pipeline construction projects, such as international pipelines, can entail significant resource investment and spread over a long distance. There are also numerous stakeholders involved, including governments, private investors, environmental agencies, and potential customers among others. As a result, drones come in handy in capturing high-quality videos and images, which are useful in planning pipeline routes and enhancing investment pitches to probable investors. Drones can also retake the footage during construction to generate appealing data about construction progress. Besides, drones can also help in relaying real-time relaying of instructions and monitoring actual work progress (Karam et al., 2022). It requires that drones be fitted with high-resolution cameras and loudspeakers. Other tasks that drones can be deployed to carry out during pipeline construction include transportation of materials, on-site management of the inventory of construction materials and equipment, and carrying out safe basting operations, especially when fitted with high-resolution thermal and optical cameras.
Drones can also play a critical role in improving the safety of operations and during pipeline maintenance. Various risks arise along the pipeline due to oil and gas leakages. These leakages and spillages pose a threat to human beings, property, and the environment in general (Wanasinghe et al., 2020a; Wanasinghe et al., 2020b). They also result in financial constraints and reputational damage to the pipeline company. Consequently, there is a need for their timely containment. Thus, drones mounted with specialized sensors detect such leakages and spillages and send signals to ensure timely management in cases of a looming disaster. They are also of the essence in performing comprehensive pipeline infrastructure inspections and safety audits to investigate any possible failure. These measures go a long way in improving the general security of the pipeline.
Conclusion
In the sector of O&G, drones have become part of emerging technologies. Drone technology has been significant in this industry because of the diverse stages and work involved in pipelines such as planning, route surveys, and inspections. These stages require guaranteed safety and security and reduced risks, which drone technology offers. Drones are useful throughout the pipeline stages, beginning with carrying out feasibility studies, construction, operation, and pipeline monitoring. These drones are helpful in cutting the costs of constructing and running a pipeline, especially when a long pipeline renders constant human management costly and ineffective. Drones also have a tremendous positive impact on the environment and the community. The timely inspection of the pipeline could reduce the chances of risk mismanagement. As a result, such possible occurrences as oil spillages and gas leakages can be prevented or, in case they occur, dealt with in good time. Thus, drones alleviate any accidents, fires, and contamination of the environment with oil and natural gas.
References
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