Drone Inspection and NDT in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industry

History of NDT

Non Destructive Testing (NDT) is an effective inspection practice used across a variety of industries to ensure efficient, safe and cost effective operations of industrial equipment and assets, especially in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical industries. It also helps ensure compliance with international standards like ISO, API, or CSA, and regulatory requirements like EPA and OSHA. In today’s modern world, NDT means a process or technique used to inspect, test or evaluate various materials, components or complete assemblies for existing discontinuities or variations from required characteristics without damaging components or the entire asset.   Any methodology used to carry out NDT is necessarily dependent on periodic INSPECTION of the asset.

Today, NDT has become a trusted inspection approach with numerous innovative methods. For inspections that require travelling long distances, climbing difficult terrains, reaching elevated structures or piping installations, drones or UAVs (Unmanned Air Vehicles) in conjunction with appropriate NDT technologies offer a safe and cost effective alternative to human, arm’s length inspection.