Drones and the Future of Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations
Overview
Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have a significant role to play in the future of the oil and gas industry. This guide focuses on drone-related data and statistics, supporting activities for oil and gas operations, future outlooks, and 3Laws Robotics' innovative software solutions for enhanced safety and reliability. Within this technology context, drones are projected to create a $140 billion market opportunity within the oil and gas sector and will be covering 75% of global offshore infrastructure inspections by 2025.
Drone-Related Data & Statistics
The integration of drone technology within the oil and gas industry is on the rise. Market research from PwC suggests that there is a potential to create a $140 billion market opportunity through the application of UAV technology in business and civil sectors. Pertinently, by minimizing safety risks and increasing efficiency, this cutting-edge technology will be occupying about 40% of the operational processes in the oil and gas sector, including flare stack inspections, pipeline inspections, and emissions tracking.
Supporting Activities for Oil and Gas Operations
Drones provide cost-effective and efficient solutions in carrying out maintenance operations involving offshore platforms, under which human involvement can be risky. By 2025, it is anticipated that drones will be covering about 75% of global offshore infrastructure inspections, according to estimates from Sky-Futures, a drone inspection services provider. The benefits of drones in these activities include improved efficiency, reduced operation costs, and increased worker safety, as shown by the 80% reduction in inspection costs found in a DroneDeploy survey.
Future Outlook
Significant growth is predicted for the use of drones in the oil and gas industry. A report by Frost & Sullivan suggests that the UAV market will generate revenue exceeding $4.1 billion by 2022. This growth is driven by technological advancements and the increasing need for cost-effective, safe, and efficient means of inspecting and maintaining oil and gas infrastructure. This trend extends not only to large oil and gas companies, but to smaller ones as well, which are expected to increase their use of drone technology by 60% within the next three years, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
Key Takeaways
- The application of UAV technology in business and civil sectors is projected to create a $140 billion market opportunity.
- Drones will be taking over the majority of safety-risk related tasks, occupying approximately 40% of operation processes in the oil and gas sector.
- By 2025, drones are anticipated to handle about 75% of global offshore infrastructure inspections.
- The use of drones in oil and gas industry operations is expected to generate revenue exceeding $4.1 billion by 2022.
- Smaller oil and gas companies are anticipated to increase their use of drone technology by 60% within the next three years.
About 3Laws Robotics
3Laws Robotics is an innovative software development company focused on enhancing safety and reliability for robotics systems within various industries. These include warehouse automation, with past successes such as helping an autonomous forklift customer achieve a 40% efficiency gain, resulting in a swift 6-month payback period. A major challenge being addressed by 3Laws Robotics is the certification process, a significant hurdle for most robotics companies. With the 3Laws Supervisor software, this process is simplified by furnishing robust safety features and evidence of system robustness, thereby potentially streamlining the certification pathway. This software is constructed on Control Barrier Functions (CBFs), a technology developed at Caltech that provides mathematically provable safety. By enabling real-time guardrails for autonomy stacks, unwanted downtime caused by needless e-stops or collisions is minimized, thus improving operational efficiency. Specializing in dynamic, predictive safety, 3Laws Robotics is positioned as the next-generation safety solution, surpassing traditional e-stop methods and unlocking the full potential of robotics.