MODEC has renewed its joint research and development (R&D) agreement with Terra Drone for the non-destructive internal inspection of crude oil storage tanks on floating production, storage, and offloading systems (FPSOs) using Terra UT drones.
The renewed agreement builds upon the joint R&D contract signed by the companies in 2024, following significant achievements in improving measurement accuracy, enhancing safety, and reducing inspection time.
The renewed partnership aims to further advance the practical application and operational deployment of this technology.
On FPSOs, periodic structural inspections are indispensable, but must be performed in parallel with production operations by a limited number of crew members.
“The ability to safely perform inspections without increasing the number of personnel onboard offers a significant advantage.
By innovating drone inspection techniques, MODEC and Terra Drone will continue to contribute to improved occupational safety, manpower reduction, and greater efficiency in FPSOs and other offshore platforms operations,” MODEC said.
So far, the two companies have successfully reduced inspection time and enhanced safety by developing the Terra UT drone for inspection operations on FPSOs operating offshore Brazil.
The reported achievements include improved measurement accuracy through the enhancement of ultrasonic sensors, enhanced safety during inspection operations by equipping the drone with a gas detector, as well as increased cleaning efficiency.
Building on these technological achievements, the renewed agreement will focus on the following new development items optimization of airframe structure and design, with the aim of enhancing robustness and operational stability for global deployment.
Also, the companies will work on the integration of high-resolution cameras to improve visual inspection capabilities and redesigning airframe for improved maintainability.