GRTgaz and AIR MARINE (AMAE Group subs) initiate France’s first ever drone based gas pipeline surveillance program.
GRTgaz has chosen AIR MARINE to lead a monthly drone surveillance of an 80 km stretch of pipeline on its natural gas transport network.
AIR MARINE is a French company specializing in aerial data acquisition and processing. Thanks to its know-how gained through inspections by airplane and drone, AIR MARINE is able to operate a mission unprecedented in France.
The first missions were just completed the past few months in southwestern France on hilly terrain and confirmed the worth of this innovative solution.
For GRTgaz, aerial drone surveillance of its network is an efficient solution, especially in densely wooded and hard-to-reach areas. After many experiments, the drone surveillance is now operational and complements the current monitoring system which includes a remote monitoring center, ground based inspection, and flyovers.
Drones offer a better view of GRTgaz infrastructure. GRTgaz has chosen AIR MARINE due to its years of experience in the aerial surveillance sector using both airplanes and drones and because the company is one the few proficient in BVLOS flight.
This is the first time that such a program has been instituted since new French drone law came into effect in 2012. For each mission, two pilots on the ground handle both drone navigation and the data analysis. In order to facilitate acquisition, all the data is then integrated into an interface designed by AIR MARINE.
