Ramona Adams
Boeing‘s Insitu subsidiary has secured a contract from Shell‘s QGC natural gas business to perform automated infrastructure inspection using remotely piloted aircraft systems.
Insitu said Wednesday it will carry out beyond-visual-line of-sight RPA operations over the Surat Basin in Queensland, Australia as part of the contract.
Insitu RPAs will inspect wells and other infrastructure components such as tanks, valves, floats, vents and pipes as well as evaluate the surrounding environment of QGC’s infrastructure.
Bill Langin, a QGC general manager, said the contract will help QGC reduce travel by approximately 497,000 miles per year.
The partnership also intends to speed up the assessment and resolution of infrastructure issues.
Insitu will work to process and analyze data from RPAs in near real-time before relaying information to field operators and supervisors as well as management staff at its Brisbane headquarters.
Andrew Duggan, vice president of Insitu’s commercial arm, said the company collaborates with another Boeing subsidiary, Phantom Works, to deliver data collection, analysis and dissemination tools.
