Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) inspections are gaining mindshare in pipeline integrity management applications, and why not? These autonomous aerial systems are ideal for surveying a pipeline corridor to source high-quality optics on your asset. However, when surveying assets over vast distances, a UAV is going to generate an equally vast amount of raw imagery. Without […]
The government needs more data. That statement might fill some people with dread, but, when it comes to aerial data that helps people make critical decisions, it can mean saving lives and billions of dollars. From municipal to federal, the public sector deals with massive-scale projects that require geospatial data on vast portions of the […]
Governments are in search of ways to better visualize what’s happening along their nation’s coastlines and maritime environments. Border security, search and rescue, port and shipping activity, environmental health – there are numerous coastal activities that governments need to be aware of. New technologies on the market today can get you the actionable data you […]
When you think of product theft on a pipeline, you likely think of some of the more extreme cases of theft from across the globe. Rocket attacks on pipelines throughout the African continent or the devastating explosion from an illegal tap gone awry in Mexico last year. However, pipeline product theft is manifesting in much […]
Throughout history, many people have made a big fuss about how hard it is to make the trains run on time. If you ask us, the people who maintain all the rails the trains run on deserve some of that awe and admiration. With the advent of new technologies for streamlining visual inspection – such […]
Drones are a fantastic tool for gathering visual data, but as the saying goes, you need to pick the right tool for the job. Drones come in all shapes and sizes, and can be outfitted with a variety of sensors for specific monitoring applications. There is no cookie-cutter approach to drone aerial inspection that will […]
Conventional detect-and-react thinking around pipeline integrity management is causing midstream operators to hit a performance plateau. While new sensor technologies and in-line inspection tools might garner slightly more accurate readings, they still feed into a process that isn’t going to yield operators a dramatic improvement in pipeline integrity. Improving your ability to detect a leak, […]
When we think of autonomous, unmanned technologies – our minds can sometimes go to a pessimistic place. Unemployed workers standing out in the streets, while unflinching robots work without a moment’s lapse in the factory. The reality isn’t so horrifying. These technologies can be used to handle the arduous and dangerous tasks that burden your […]
Imagine you’re a haystack integrity manager. This isn’t a real job, but we’re working toward an allegory, so play along. Day-to-day, your responsibility is to ensure there are no needles in the dozens of haystacks under your company’s ownership. Some would say the task is near impossible, but thankfully, you have the technology to perform […]
For nearly two decades, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been a core component of pipeline integrity management. GIS applications provide a highly-visual, map-based interface that operators use to analyze information from a multitude of sources in a single platform. Even with these open, powerful tools for data analysis, midstream operators are still struggling to get […]