If that weren’t enough, the health risks of COVID have forced many companies to quickly shift to an unfamiliar work arrangement – shifting numerous staff to remote worksites and having to re-think the nature of field operations entirely.3
Here’s the conundrum: How can you improve performance in a difficult market, while having fewer resources at your disposal than ever before?
AI is the central means through which you can have your slice of the $100 billion pie that the digital transformation is poised to deliver to midstream oil & gas firms. In a recent World Economic Forum Report on the Digital Transformation Initiative in the Oil & Gas Industry, it’s estimated that the implementation of automation along with advanced analytics and modeling is poised to reduce incidents by nearly 10%, and the number of pipeline spills by nearly 100,000 barrels by the year 2025.4
So how does this value manifest for you as a pipeline operator?
Let’s walk through the process to see how robotics and automation can deliver on these results.
After a baseline inspection of your pipeline right-of-way, deep neural network models and algorithms can be applied for subsequent analysis. This primarily happens through two analytic techniques:
While the neural networks behind this analysis may mimic the human visual cortex, they lack the complex decision-making of a human being to determine whether these are really and truly actionable issues. For this reason, a final step of human verification takes place before data is ported into your GIS. At SkyX, we have our own in-house analytics team that verifies and discards all flagged anomalies before client delivery.
Intelligent decisions are made from more than a single source of data. Thankfully, AI can make meaningful connections between your various sensor systems – for holistic pipeline management.
Take the case of pipeline failure due to corrosion along the line. AI can combine visual anomalies in the area (such as soil discoloration or pooling liquid), readings from the nearest SCADA point sensor, models from the most recent PIG inspection, and even useful record data such as the age of the pipeline and coating history – and create a profile for what corrosion incidents look like on your line.
Not only are these critical points of data useful to your team in a real-time scenario, but they also provide the fuel for intelligent predictive analytics.
As AI starts to recognize the trends and patterns along your pipeline, it will provide insights that can be used to predict failures and plan maintenance interventions before damage manifests:
By combining a real-time visualization of your pipeline with advanced analytics that pinpoint and predict potential threats to your pipeline, your remote teams and on-site staff can collaborate with greater efficiency than ever before. More importantly, with predictive insights, you can implement an intelligent preventative maintenance program that eliminates disastrous accidents, reduces downtime, and ultimately puts less stress on field resources and personnel.
Adopting AI into your pipeline integrity management program will allow you to capitalize on the promise of digital transformation for midstream oil & gas. If it seems like a daunting undertaking, data providers like SkyX are ready to help you through the journey.
Have questions about how high-quality aerial data can elevate your organization?
Contact our team to discuss your unique challenges and data requirements.