Authors: Chris Tonish, P.G., Consulting Project Manager, Oil & Gas Industry Professional Larry Tonish, UAS Regulations Consultant, Retired FAA Air Traffic Operations Support

• 2.5 Million Miles of Gas Pipelines

• 150,000 Miles of Oil Pipelines

• 45,000 Miles of Pipelines in Colorado

• 23,090 Miles of Pipeline Planned

or Under Construction in the U.S.

ALL STATES (1986-2014) • TOTAL INCIDENTS - 8,382 • FATALITIES - 532 • INJURIES - 2,475 • DAMAGE COST - $7.5 BILLION

COLORADO (1996-2015) • TOTAL INCIDENTS - 72 • FATALITIES - 1 • INJURIES - 24 • DAMAGE COST - $30.5 MILLION

Source Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

OIL PRICES ARE AT 11 YEAR LOWES

• FORCING BUDGET CUTS TO PIPELINE MAINTAINANCE

• DELAYING OR CANCELLING PIPELINE CONSTUCTION AND

EXPANSION PROJECTS, THEREBY FURTHER STRESSING

EXISTING INFRASTRCTURE

• ASSET SALES, MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS AND

BANKRUPTCIES ADVERSELY CONTRIBUTING TO PIPELINE

SAFETY

Above Ground Physical Inspections • External Visual Inspection for corrosion and anomalies • Ultrasonic Corrosion and Thickness tests • Soil and Vegetation Characteristics • Thermal Imaging Cameras

In-Line Inspection • Smart Pigs - Equipped with robotic cameras and sensors • Hydrostatic Testing • Camera Inspection • Acoustic Sensor Listening for leak • Integrity Digs • Advanced Software Program Models that create a profile, monitor

sensors and detect changes

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Fixed Wing vs Rotary

Electric vs Gas Powered

OPTIONS TO LAWFULLY EXACUTE A COMMERCIAL UAS OPERATION

NEW RULES PART 107 as of August 29, 2016 • Pass and Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA

Knowledge Testing Center • Obtain an Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate with an sUAS

rating • Comply with Operational Limitations • Register Aircraft with FAA

• Pilots must be 16 years of age or older and able to speak

English

THE 333 EXEMPTION

• Authorizes the FAA to grant exemptions • Required a minimum Sport Pilots License • Other factors include size, weight, speed, type of operation,

proximity to airports/people and line of sight

PART 107 OPERATIONAL LIMITATIONS EFFECTIVE August 29, 2016

• Operator must hold a remote pilot airman certificate or be under direct supervision

• Weigh less than 55 pounds, including instrumentation

• Must remain within visual line-of-sight of the remote pilot or visual observer • May not operate over any persons not directly participating in the operation • Daylight-only operations, or civil twilight with appropriate anti-collision lighting • Must yield right of way to other aircraft

• Maximum groundspeed of 100 mph

• Maximum altitude of 400 feet AGL

• Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from control station

• Operations near airports, and general controlled airspace are allowed with Air Traffic Control (ATC) permission

• Operations in uncontrolled airspace are allowed without ATC permission. • No operations from a moving vehicle unless over a sparsely populated area

• Report to the FAA within 10 days of any serious injury or property damage of at

least $500 • Conduct a preflight inspection to ensure the small UAS is in a condition for safe

operation Restrictions above are waivable. The certificate of waiver/authorization (COA) issued by the FAA will specify the operational limitations that are waived and state the procedures that must be used to provide an equivalent level of safety.

Regulations subject to waiver or airspace authorization

• Operation in certain airspace • Operations from a moving vehicle or aircraft • Daylight operation • Visual line of sight aircraft operation • Visual observer • Operation of multiple UAS’s • Yielding the right of way • Operation over people • Operation in certain airspace • Operating limitations: ground speed • Operating limitations: altitude • Operating limitations: minimum visibility • Operating limitations: minimum distance from clouds

• High Resolution Cameras

• FLIR Thermal Imaging Cameras

• Methane-Sniffer Sensors

• Magnetometers

• LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)

• Soil and Vegetation Characterization

For Pilots Heads Up Display • Image and Video Recording • A wide variety of high resolution

cameras on the market

• Weight < 1 lb.

• $400-1,000

Workswell WIRIS (Prague, Czech Republic) • Radiometric Thermal Imaging Camera • Image and Video Recording

• Resolution up to 640 x 512 pixels

• Temperature Range -40°C to + 550°C • Accuracy ±2°C

• 32 GB Flash Drive

• Weight 0.88 lbs.

• $10,660

FLIR VUE PRO R • Radiometric Thermal Imaging Camera

• Resolution image 640 x 512 pixels • Video – Analog Output

• Temperature Range -25°C + 350°C

• Accuracy ±5°C

• Weight 0.25 lbs.

• $4,500

• Colorado State University Ventures Real-time measurement of methane emissions • University of Colorado/Lasen Company

small scale methane detection • Ball Corp Leak Detector LiDAR system • A NASA Open Path Laser detect

methane by parts-per-billion • LMC Laser Methane Copter

Methane concentration over oil well

NASA Laser system

LMC Laser Copter

Quadcopter, battery operated drones

Quadcopter, battery operated drones

Yeair Quadcopter, • Combustion engines

• Payload Weight 12 lbs.

• Flight Time up to 60 minutes, range 34 miles

• Cost: Company is looking for funding …buy now for $1,520

Horizon Unmanned Systems, Singapore

• Hycopter stores 4.2 ounces of hydrogen gas at 5,076

psi inside the structural tubing of its hull

• Payload Weights 3.3 lbs. for 4 hours

• Hydrogen gas is converted into electricity by a lightweight lithium polymer hybrid fuel cell

• Delivery in 2017 • Cost ?

• Multiple Onboard Detection and Monitoring Systems • Pipelines and Oil Field Infrastructure • Thermal Imaging Steam Injection Wellsites • Methane Release Monitoring • Locating Abandon Wellsites • Air Quality Surveys • Generate Field Base Maps • Productivity and Safety • Access in Remote Areas • Emergency Response • Low Operating Cost

• A drone platform with onboard instrumentation can safely and efficiently inspect pipelines and detect leaks

• Drone technology and onboard instrumentation will continue to be innovative

• The government will continue to transfer drone technologies to industry

• Success will be based on how well we utilize the technology and manage field operations