Using Drones for Pipeline Patrol

It is obvious to anyone who keeps up with current events that Drones are definitely the wave of the future. Drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), have primarily been used in areas of war for Military intelligence and product delivery in the past, but drones have proven to improve other industries as well. I would like to be the first to offer drones that have the ability to assist Pipeline Patrol, worldwide, for the Oil and Gas Industry.

My target customers include all large-scale oil and gas manufacturing companies both in the United States and abroad. I would market to them with the vision of saving millions of dollars in expenses and offer much more accurate information with the use of unmanned drones.

Our new business offers these same services as manned planes surveying the pipeline, but with a considerable comparative advantage. With the use of a drone, this task would relay almost instantaneous visuals of the area to the company, minimizing the amount of time of data feedback. Drones will also have the ability to reach places that are currently inaccessible and get much closer to the pipelines, unlike large planes. Not only will our drones offer a more time efficient and more detailed process, company expenses can be cut by millions of dollars.

My beginning capital would need to approximately $50 million to purchase and design necessary equipment to manufacture my own specific drone with the most advanced technology there is today. Our efficient product would allow my business to continuously expand due to the high demand of the massive oil industry. A team of experts in drone construction and technology, along with a team of oil and gas industry leaders to determine exactly what is needed for my business to become profitable. These teams would also be able establish the production needed to meet the current industries demands, as well as future innovations needed to advance my business.

The benefits of Drones in Pipeline Patrol is immense, however there are some drawbacks. One of the major problems with the commercial use of drones is the interference of drones with commercial aircraft and more recently, with terrorist attacks. Therefore regulations are a must. The Federal Aviation is in the process of developing a Rules and Regulation Plan for the use of commercialized drones, so my plan would have to allow for changes and advancements in the industry as rules change. Drones currently run on battery power and have only the capability to fly within a limited range, so length of flight to remote areas would be difficult. The FAA regulations currently make it difficult to fly unrestricted to the areas of concern for proper evaluation. Some industry leaders feel that Pipeline Patrol really needs to have actual sights on some situations that require human intervention and drones just don’t meet that need, at least not yet.

With the many advances into Drone activity, the future of Drone use continues to expand with many new ideas and companies coming into play every day. With this new and upcoming technology, I feel that this is the prime market time to enter into this field and initiate this company.