Pipeline inspection using drones can be highly advantageous for businesses, helping teams proactively address maintenance, lowering worker safety risks, and saving time and money.
Drone inspections involve deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to complete sensor-assisted and visual assessments of the pipeline’s infrastructure. Advanced technologies help teams gain detailed insight and take critical asset inspections to the next level.
How Drone Inspection Is Used in the Pipeline Industry
Regular inspections are critical for ensuring the safety and reliability of water, gasoline, natural gas, and oil pipelines. Damage to these structures can have serious consequences, including environmentally threatening leaks, interrupted services, expensive downtime, or catastrophic failures.
Although thorough inspections are critical to the pipeline industry, successfully conducting them can be demanding. The following are common inspection-related hurdles faced by businesses in this sector:
- Accessing remote or hard-to-reach infrastructure can impose safety risks.
- Facilitating a comprehensive assessment can be incredibly time-consuming and impact operational efficiency.
- Deploying human crews and conducting inspections manually is expensive.
Drone technology helps address common pipeline inspection challenges with advanced solutions, such as:
- Aerial surveillance: Drones can conduct industrial aerial inspections, capturing high-resolution images and insights about pipeline routes.
- Automated flight paths: Preprogrammed paths help drone equipment follow comprehensive, repeatable piping inspections, even in dangerous or hard-to-access areas.
- Integration with asset management: Teams can integrate pipeline data collected from drones with other important systems, such as asset management and predictive maintenance, to support compliance and infrastructure longevity.
- Sensor integration: Drones outfitted with advanced sensors, like infrared and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors, can proactively detect anomalies, corrosion, leaks, and other common issues.
- Real-time data transmission: With rapid data delivery, drone solutions enable teams to access valuable insights into piping and infrastructure integrity for real-time decision-making.
Advanced Accessibility
Advanced drones can easily access pipeline infrastructure such as valve stations, pump and compressor sites, riser points, and above-ground crossings. These are often located in challenging environments where dense vegetation, water, steep grades, or remote terrain pose safety and logistical risks for ground crews.
Drones enable thorough visual and sensor-based inspections without requiring shutdowns or major disruptions. They can also cover long distances quickly, making them ideal for surveying extended pipeline rights-of-way and hard-to-reach segments. With the ability to navigate tight spaces and variable terrain, drones support more complete inspections with fewer access hurdles and greater operational efficiency.
Improved Safety and Reduced Risk
Accessing pipeline infrastructure and conducting comprehensive inspections can be hazardous to human workers. Reduced human exposure to potential threats, including chemicals, heights, pressurized lines and harsh environments, is always preferred. Drone technology allows for remote data collection and assessment, reducing the potential for safety risks associated with manual inspection, from slips to wildlife encounters. With drones, teams can respond to emergencies without putting responders at risk.
Drone inspections also help businesses in the pipeline industry comply with safety regulations from local, state and federal agencies, such as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Boosted Cost and Operational Efficiency
A leading advantage of using drone technology to fulfill pipeline inspection duties is the significant cost savings your business can enjoy. Drones support lower expenses relating to labor and equipment demands, such as helicopters, ground vehicles and personal protection equipment (PPE).
Another way drones can support cost savings is by performing inspections faster than human workers can. While ground crews may take days or weeks to complete a thorough assessment, drones can access and analyze large portions of the pipeline in just hours.
Drones can also help combat downtime by supporting targeted maintenance efforts that reduce unnecessary infrastructure repairs, extend asset lifespans and promote maximized uptime.
Enhanced Data Quality and Proactive Issue Detection
Drone technology enables advanced data collection through integrated sensors and high-resolution imaging. For above-ground infrastructure, drones can capture detailed thermal, visual, and multispectral data to detect issues like corrosion, gas leaks, and structural deformation. These tools support asset visualization using 3D models and LiDAR scans, offering operators clearer insights into their infrastructure’s condition.
For buried pipelines, drones are a valuable asset for aerial right-of-way (ROW) patrols. These patrols help monitor surface indicators of underground problems, such as vegetation die-off, erosion, pooling fluids, or unauthorized encroachments. When paired with infrared or multispectral sensors, drones can flag potential subsurface anomalies that may warrant further investigation.
Data captured by drones supports fault analysis, pattern recognition, and AI-driven maintenance planning. With access to real-time, high-quality visuals and sensor feedback, pipeline operators can detect early signs of performance decline, prioritize repairs, and respond proactively to prevent escalation.
Improved Sustainability
Drone inspections in the pipeline industry can help teams minimize environmental impacts. Drones cause less disturbance to sensitive habitats than ground crews with heavy equipment while reducing emissions related to inspection travel.
Advanced sensors and thermal imaging can help with proactive corrosion, subsidence and leak detection. The consequences of any of these occurrences can be detrimental to the surrounding environment. For example, the drone could detect a gas plume and help the team address a minor leak before it becomes a more significant ecological threat.
Drone inspections can help businesses support environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives and meet regulatory compliance standards relating to environmental regulations, such as the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and Section 402 of the Clean Water Act.
Why Partner With Acuren for Drone Inspection in the Pipeline Industry?
To maximize the benefits of drone inspection for the pipeline industry, your business must partner with a trusted inspection service provider. Acuren leverages advanced, industry-leading equipment and versatile tools to revolutionize the inspection process.
Our drones support reconnaissance for immediate access to your most remote areas. They also allow us to navigate confined spaces that would be impossible or too risky for human workers and offer real-time insight into pipeline system operation for the most informed and proactive decision-making.
We are your partner for non-intrusive inspections, preemptive damage assessments, and supercharged maintenance prioritization. Our capabilities enable us to monitor piping and related structures internally and externally for thorough assessments that support:
- Safety assurance.
- Quality control.
- Regulatory compliance.
- Cost-effectiveness.
Learn More About Industrial Inspection Services From Acuren Today
When your business needs affordable, dependable inspection services, turn to Acuren. We are a global leader in industrial inspection solutions with over 40 years of experience and more than 110 locations throughout North America.
We serve customers across numerous industries, from pipeline services and mining to oil and gas. Our team offers robust drone and robotic inspection, equipped with the most technologically advanced equipment to help ensure your pipeline operation functions safely and efficiently.
Get in touch with the Acuren team to learn more about our inspection services or request service today.
