Drone Companies Team up to Service North Dakota Oil Patch
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A Norway-based manufacturer and a Scandinavian technology company have been teaming up with a North Dakota drone operation to service the region’s utility and oil and gas customers.
Robot Aviation, a manufacturing company based in Poland, and eSmart, a software company founded in Norway, are partnering with SkySkopes, a Grand Forks drone-piloting company that recently opened an office in Minot. The three businesses are aiming to provide customers with the hardware, software and operators to deliver unmanned aerial technology, the Minot Daily News reported.
ESmart has developed software to analyze data collection from unmanned aerial systems. The company joined forces with SkySkopes after Hurricane Irma in Florida to do damage assessments in the Jacksonville area for JEA, the eighth largest municipal electric company in the country and largest in the state of Florida.
JEA spokeswoman Gerri Boyce said the drones were able to assess the damage in 24 hours when it normally takes many days.
“It has been invaluable,” Boyce said. “We can’t wait, No. 1, to get through this, and No. 2, to see the significant impact using drones has made in the assessment and recovery for our area.”
ESmart used its new mobile command vehicle, Thundercloud, to help the SkySkopes pilots get into position to fly the drones. The high-tech pickup truck features a mobile launching pad that allows drones to take off from a moving vehicle.
“It is great to bring these capabilities to Florida in the wake of such terrible tragedy in the form of Hurricane Irma,” said Matt Dunlevy, SkySkopes president and CEO.
Dunlevy said the drones will be used to inspect oil facilities and power lines in the North Dakota oil patch.
Robot Aviation spokesman Bjorn Forsdal said North Dakota is an important market.
Related News
From Archive
- OSHA investigates fatal trench collapse at Conroe construction site
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Texas811 launches real-time excavation detection to prevent utility strikes
- Oil pipeline struck during fiber optic construction spills into L.A. storm drains
- Fiber drilling strike triggers major sewer failure, lawsuits in Florida
- Fatal trench collapse in Mass. leads to $4.6 million OSHA penalty, dozens of violations
- Texas811 launches real-time excavation detection to prevent utility strikes
- Race Communications breaks ground on Bakersfield fiber network
- Final Lake Erie sewer tunnel project set to begin after decades-long $3 billion effort
- Inside Infrastructure: Utility locators warn of systemic failures in damage prevention process
Comments