Kopterflug deploys the Flyability ELIOS 3 in oil & gas facilities for internal inspection of tanks, columns, separators and shafts – without scaffolding, without human entry into confined spaces, without extended downtime. The DJI M30T inspects flares, pipe racks and external tanks during live operation. Since 2017.
Oil & gas facilities face intense pressure: tight turnaround windows, strict safety requirements and costly confined space entry into tanks, columns, separators and shafts. Corrosion, wall thinning, deposits and hard-to-reach interior areas are a constant challenge – in refineries, offshore facilities and tank farms alike.
Conventional entry requires scaffolding, respiratory protection, a rescue chain and extensive DGUV permits. Every hour of downtime costs money – H&sub2;S hazards, oxygen deficiency and explosive atmospheres increase risk for inspection teams significantly. Without regular condition data, maintenance remains guesswork.
The Flyability ELIOS 3 flies into drained, cleaned and gas-free measured tanks, columns and shafts – without human entry, without scaffolding. 4K video, thermography and LiDAR 3D provide precise documentation. The optional UT payload enables additionally georeferenced wall thickness measurements on steel components. Flyability positions the ELIOS 3 exactly for these applications at flyability.com/oil-and-gas-drones.
Oil & gas facilities are extremely hazardous – H&sub2;S, explosion risk, oxygen deficiency. We inspect critical assets without human entry, within the agreed safety and permit framework:
The Flyability ELIOS 3 with its collision-safe carbon cage – built for confined industrial environments in oil & gas.
Our services:
The ELIOS 3 inspects tanks, columns and vessels from the inside. The DJI Matrice 30T complements for flares, pipe racks and external tanks during live operation.
We fly the ELIOS 3 into tanks, columns, separators and shafts, systematically documenting all safety-relevant structures. Technical assessment is performed by your maintenance planners and certified inspectors – we deliver the data:
4K footage of floors, walls, floating roofs, coatings and weld seams. Thermography for temperature anomalies and leak indications. LiDAR 3D for geometry documentation. UT payload for point wall thickness measurements on steel areas.
Why it matters: Corrosion and wall thinning in tanks are often invisible until failure. Regular condition data enables predictive maintenance. Your certified inspectors assess our documentation to determine whether repairs or coating renewals are required.
How we do it: The ELIOS 3 flies after draining, cleaning and gas-free measurement through the tank. GPS-independent SLAM navigation. 4K camera with 16,000 lumens, thermography and optional UT payload for georeferenced wall thickness measurements.
Condition of trays, packings, distribution systems and internals. Corrosion on walls and internals, blockages, structural anomalies. 4K for detail shots, thermography for thermal indications.
Why it matters: Blocked or corroded trays and packings significantly reduce process efficiency. Early detection enables targeted repairs in the planned turnaround instead of unplanned emergency shutdowns.
How we do it: The ELIOS 3 flies vertically through columns and navigates GPS-independently in narrow installation areas. 4K camera documents trays and packings, thermography shows temperature anomalies.
Internals, separator surfaces, deposits, corrosion. Structural integrity of walls, floors and connections. Visual inspection without human entry in H&sub2;S-laden or oxygen-deficient areas.
Why it matters: Separators and shafts are among the most hazardous confined spaces in oil & gas. No human entry significantly reduces risk for the inspection team – the pilot stays outside.
How we do it: Entry through standard openings or manholes. GPS-independent navigation, 16,000 lumen lighting for complete illumination. The optional Flammable Gas Sensor warns of gas concentrations as an additional safety layer.
At the end you receive a detailed inspection report – with 4K images, thermography evaluation, LiDAR point cloud and optional UT wall thickness values. Your maintenance planners and certified inspectors assess the findings and plan next steps.
Tanks, columns, shafts – explosive, toxic, hard to access. H&sub2;S gases, oxygen deficiency, Ex zones. Entry requires extensive safety measures. The ELIOS 3 inspects without human entry – safe, fast, precise.
Hydrocarbons, H&sub2;S, oxygen deficiency. Entry requires respiratory protection, Ex protection, rescue chain. ELIOS 3 flies into drained and cleaned assets – pilot stays outside.
Conventional entry requires scaffolding, respiratory protection, rescue chain, DGUV permit. Every hour of downtime = tens of thousands. Drone eliminates human entry.
Weld seam corrosion, pitting, structural weak points – often detected too late. 4K + LiDAR documents precisely, thermography reveals leaks.
Oil, paraffin, sludge, asphaltenes – tanks and columns are rarely "clean". These residues obscure critical areas and severely impede visual inspection. Drones deliver usable images even under difficult conditions.
Deposits in columns, heat exchangers and pipelines reduce efficiency and throughput. They often remain undetected for long periods. With the drone, problematic areas become visible early.
Trays, packings, demisters, tube bundles – many areas cannot be seen from scaffolding. Conventional inspection remains incomplete. ELIOS 3 reaches hidden areas and delivers complete data.
Damage is often discovered only during entry. Result: extended shutdowns, additional work, rising costs. Pre-inspection with drone creates planning certainty.
Tall tanks, narrow shafts, damaged internals – entry is technically and safety-wise demanding. Drone completely eliminates personnel risk.
Single images and subjective assessments are not enough for complex facilities. Unclear data leads to conservative (costly) decisions. 4K + LiDAR provides solid decision bases.
Changes over time are difficult to track. Corrosion and damage develop unnoticed. Datasets enable genuine trend analysis.
Scaffolding contractors, safety services, rope access, inspectors – many parties, high complexity. Drones reduce interfaces and significantly simplify the process.
Turnarounds are tightly scheduled – every delay costs significant money. Drones deliver fast results and relieve pressure on critical time windows.
Our team on the job – directly on site.
Drone inspection oil & gas – refinery aerial view
Drone inspection oil & gas – petrochemical plant
Corrosion and ageing damage on oil & gas storage tanks
Tank inspection by drone – storage tank from outside
Storage tanks in oil & gas refinery
ELIOS 3 drone inspection at external tank
High flare in refinery – inspection by drone
With the Flyability ELIOS 3 we inspect critical assets without human entry – safe, precise and with minimal downtime. Drastically reduced inspection times, targeted UT wall thickness measurements on steel components:
Targeted UT wall thickness measurements, corrosion documentation, visual mapping. Optional Flammable Gas Sensor as an additional safety layer (not an ATEX substitute). Without scaffolding, without human entry – after draining, cleaning and gas-free measurement.
Distillation columns, crackers, splitters, pipe racks and flare structures without scaffolding. Trays, packings, distribution systems, pipeline supports. Pipe racks: corrosion at flanges, weld seams, hangers and insulation damage – visual and by thermography.
Internal inspection of stacks and exhaust stacks after shutdown – wall condition, corrosion, deposits and structural anomalies. External inspection during live operation with DJI M30T.
Walls, floors, lids, internals and weld seams after shutdown. Thermography for hotspots and insulation defects, LiDAR for 3D geometry. Targeted UT wall thickness measurements in critical areas optionally combinable.
Inspection of internals, separator surfaces and deposits without human entry.
Ballast water tanks on FPSOs, water injection tanks, cooling and fire water vessels inspected without draining and without divers. Hull areas, floor and internals fully documented.
Inspection of radiant and convection sections after shutdown – tube bundles, burner zones and linings without scaffolding. Corrosion, deformations, thermal damage and deposits fully documented.
Inspection of columns, absorbers and regenerators – particularly corrosion-critical systems with aggressive media residues.
Inspection of reactors, combustion chambers and pipelines after shutdown and gas-free measurement.
Regenerators, reactors and cyclones after shutdown – condition of internals, catalyst structures and walls. Drone maps complex internal architecture GPS-independently and documents defects in 3D model.
Gas scrubbers and chemical separation systems – internal inspection of packings, trays and internals without human entry.
Internal inspection of large pipelines and collection channels. LiDAR quantifies deposits and cross-sectional narrowing.
Large liquid/gas separators – inspection of internals, floor and wall areas after draining and permit.
Inspection of roof underside and internal structures of fixed-roof and floating-roof tanks. Corrosion and seal system damage detected early.
Inspection of cable ducts, utility shafts and underground infrastructure in refineries. ELIOS 3 navigates through narrow areas without human entry.
Inspection of large walk-in pressure vessels after shutdown. UT wall thickness measurement targeted, combinable with 4K documentation.
Not just the flare tip, but the complete gas routing – internal and external inspection of flare gas lines and knock-out vessels after permit.
Christian Engelke and Dipl.-Ing. Karsten Lehrke – your direct contacts for oil & gas projects.
Long-standing experience in complex industrial environments. We understand the special requirements of the oil & gas industry – highest safety standards, minimal downtime, precise documentation.
From refineries in Hamburg, Karlsruhe (MiRO) and Ingolstadt via natural gas facilities in Oldenburg and Emden to tank farms in Bremen – we inspect oil & gas facilities nationwide.
No – this must be stated clearly: The ELIOS 3 is not ATEX-certified and is not designated as an intrinsically safe system. Flyability does offer an optional Flammable Gas Sensor that can warn of 14 common flammable gases with a resolution of 0.1% LEL. This sensor increases operational safety but does not replace an Ex assessment, any permit or standard safety procedures. Details are described by Flyability at flyability.com/flammable-gas-sensor.
Yes, in principle – but only within a properly agreed safety and permit framework. Flyability shows exactly such applications in tanks, FPSO tanks, separators and further oil & gas assets. The operational permit, gas-free measurement and safety concept are always prerequisites.
The greatest advantage: the inspection can take place without human entry. The pilot stays outside the asset – risk from oxygen deficiency, H&sub2;S or explosive atmospheres is significantly reduced for the team. In Flyability's FPSO case study, an oil tank was captured with only two people and four flights while the pilot remained safely outside. The optional Flammable Gas Sensor complements safety as a warning function – but does not replace gas-free measurement and standard safety measures.
Yes. Flyability offers a UT payload for the ELIOS 3 enabling targeted wall thickness measurements including A-scans. The system is designed as a flying UT device for hard-to-reach areas – tanks, steel structures, pipe racks. Georeferenced measurement points enable trend analysis across campaigns.
The drone can provide a very good data foundation – visual, 3D-geometric and with targeted UT measurements. Flyability describes the UT payload explicitly for spot thickness measurements in tanks and hard-to-access steel areas. Whether the data fully meets all requirements of a standard or a certified inspector in a specific project depends on the inspection objective and respective testing regime.
Flyability describes high-resolution A-scans and refers to a comparison test with manual measurement devices. The drone is well suited for location-referenced wall thickness measurements in hard-to-reach areas. The exact suitability depends on material, geometry and inspection objective – prior coordination with your certified inspector is recommended.
This depends on the tank, degree of contamination and inspection objective. In Flyability's FPSO case study, a complete inspection of an oil tank was described with only two people in a few flights – significantly faster than conventional methods. Flyability emphasises considerable time advantages in multiple examples.
Yes, this is exactly what the platform is designed for. Flyability lists distillation columns, tanks, pipe racks and further hard-to-access assets as typical application fields. GPS-independent SLAM navigation enables stable flights even in long, narrow column sections.
Yes, as a complementary method. Thermography can reveal temperature anomalies, insulation problems or conspicuous process areas. It does not replace further technical assessment but provides important indications for finding prioritisation. Flyability lists thermography as a component of the ELIOS 3 system for oil & gas applications.
LiDAR is particularly valuable for 3D mapping, orientation and geometry documentation. In Flyability's FPSO case study, a complete 3D point cloud of the tank was generated after four flights – allowing corrosion spots and anomalies to be located in spatial context and compared across campaigns.
This depends on the asset and safety concept. The drone and gas sensor do not replace operational permits, Ex assessments or standard safety procedures. Required gas-free measurement, draining and cleaning remain operator-side prerequisites.
Flyability cites considerable savings in concrete case studies: 96% cost reduction in an oil depot case, 40% cost reduction in an FPSO inspection and 600,000 USD savings in COT inspections. The actual effect is always project-dependent – but the elimination of scaffolding, rescue chains and long preparation times is considerable in many cases.
The ELIOS 3 is designed as collision-resilient. The carbon protective cage allows light contact with walls and internals – the drone remains stable. It additionally has return-to-signal functions for critical situations. Contacts should still be avoided; every deployment needs clear abort criteria.
Yes. Flyability explicitly positions the ELIOS 3 for 3D point clouds and repeatable documentation in hard-to-access interiors. For tanks and columns, this is particularly valuable when corrosion or wall thickness losses are to be tracked quantitatively across multiple campaigns.
Yes – primarily as a visual and geometric decision foundation. Flyability describes 4K video, LiDAR point clouds and UT data for exactly this purpose. Whether the data fully meets a specific compliance or inspection process depends on the project, standard and certified inspector.
Yes. Flyability shows exactly such applications in hard-to-access vessels, separators and shafts. The decisive advantage: no personnel entry required, the team stays outside the asset. Particularly relevant in H&sub2;S-laden or confined areas.
Indoor flights in industrial facilities (tanks, columns, shafts) do not fall under EU drone regulations – no aviation authority permit is required. The flight permit is issued by the facility operator, not the authority.
Outdoor flights (M30T for flares, external tanks, pipe racks) are subject to EU drone regulations: drone pilot licence (EU Remote Pilot Certificate, A2 licence or higher), registration and liability insurance are mandatory.
ATEX & Hot Work Permit: In oil & gas facilities, a site hot work permit is mandatory for work near Ex zones – including drone inspections. The ELIOS 3 is not ATEX-certified and flies exclusively after gas-free measurement, outside active Ex zones.
Yes. Flyability publishes concrete references from FPSO tanks, COT inspections, separators, pipe racks and further applications. An overview is available at casestudies/tag/oil-gas and flyability.com/oil-and-gas-drones.
The greatest economic benefit comes from less human entry, less preparation and shorter downtimes. Flyability cites depending on the case study: 40% cost reduction in FPSO inspections, 96% in an oil depot case and 600,000 USD savings in COT inspections. The actual effect is always project-dependent.
This depends on usage, medium, age and maintenance concept. The drone is particularly suitable for condition-based inspections between major overhauls: rapid visual and 3D data, supplemented by targeted UT measurements, without extended downtime.
We inspect storage tanks, columns, reactors, separators, shafts, pipe racks and chimneys in refineries, tank farms and offshore facilities. The ELIOS 3 fits through standard manholes and navigates GPS-independently in completely dark, enclosed areas.
Not necessarily – it depends on the asset and inspection area. Internal flights in tanks and columns require draining, cleaning and gas-free measurement. External flights with the DJI M30T (flares, external tanks, pipe racks) are possible during live operation. Drone deployment significantly reduces downtime compared to conventional entry.
4K camera, thermography and LiDAR cover different damage patterns: corrosion, pitting and wall thinning (visual + UT payload), hotspots, CUI and leak points (thermography), deformations and geometry deviations (LiDAR point cloud), deposits and fouling (visual + LiDAR) and coating damage and weld seam anomalies (4K). Technical assessment of findings is performed by your maintenance planners and certified inspectors.
You receive a detailed inspection report with: 4K video and high-resolution still images of all inspected areas, thermography evaluation with temperature anomalies and hotspot identification, LiDAR 3D point cloud for geometry documentation and trend analysis and optionally georeferenced UT wall thickness measurements. All data is systematically prepared and directly usable for your maintenance planning.
In many cases yes – for visual inspection, thermography and 3D geometry documentation, human entry is eliminated entirely. The pilot stays outside the asset. For mechanical repairs, sampling or certain inspection methods, entry is still required. However, the drone significantly reduces the scope of necessary entries and makes expensive scaffolding for inspection superfluous in most cases.
Yes. With the DJI Matrice 30T we inspect flares and high flares during live operation: burner tip, pilot burners, line routing and thermal anomalies – from safe distance, without shutdown, without rope access climbers. The 200x hybrid zoom enables detail shots even from great distances.
Yes. The DJI Matrice 30T documents external tank walls, coatings, pipe racks and pipeline crossings with 200x zoom and thermography – including CUI detection. During live operation, without scaffolding. The ELIOS 3 handles internal inspection of tanks and columns; the M30T the outer shell.
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