Drone Tank Inspections: Enhancing Safety, Cost Efficiency, and Performance in Oil Storage Tank Assessments
Pertamina, Indonesia's leading energy company, partnered with Halo Robotics to conduct a major overhaul of a large crude oil storage tank. The project utilized the Elios 2 drone for internal inspections, delivering results that surpassed all expectations.
Key Advantages at a Glance
Safety: By using the Elios 2 to collect visual data inside the oil storage tank, the need for human entry through rope access or scaffolding was eliminated, significantly improving safety during the inspection process.
Return on Investment: The use of the Elios 2 reduced inconsistencies between asset owners and EPC contractors, cutting costs and time. Additionally, it minimized downtime and avoided the high cost of building scaffolding.
Efficiency: The Elios 2 made the inspection process much more efficient, enabling systematic and repeatable assessments of aging infrastructure for long-term monitoring and analysis.
Data Coverage: The Elios drone allowed teams to access previously unreachable areas, capturing critical data quickly. This approach provided more comprehensive insights than traditional methods relying on human entry into confined spaces.
Introduction
Pertamina, Indonesia’s national energy company, is continuously working to enhance its maintenance procedures. As part of this effort, they engaged Halo Robotics, a Jakarta-based drone technology firm, to assist with a major maintenance project at one of their refineries in Balongan, which has a capacity of 125 mbsd (Thousand Barrels per Stream Day).
The specific asset involved was a massive bulk crude oil storage tank. The design of this tank aligns with API 650 standards, making the project's outcomes potentially applicable to any refinery that uses similar tanks globally.
A photo of the oil storage tank at the Balongan refinery
Innovating Oil Storage Tank Inspections
Pertamina needed to conduct a comprehensive inspection of a large crude oil storage tank at its Balongan refinery. The tank had a capacity of 37,000 cubic meters and was over 50 years old, built in 1972.
The main objectives of the maintenance project were:
- Updating the original 1972 drawings with as-built schematics and blueprints.
- Systematically inspecting the interior to determine EPC requirements.
- Reducing risks for personnel by minimizing the need for rope access and manned entry into tanks.
- Improving the efficiency of EPC processes, including planning, evaluation, and execution.
A key requirement was that the data collected must be usable across all stages of the maintenance process—Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC).
To meet these goals, Pertamina divided the work into two outputs:
- Creating a Digital Twin through a 3D scan of the tank.
- Conducting a Confined Space Inspection for a complete Close Visual Inspection (CVI) of the tank’s interior.
The overall aim was to develop replicable processes that could be applied across Pertamina’s nationwide operations.
Note: This case study focuses only on the second output, the Confined Space Inspection. For details on the Digital Twin creation, refer to the full white paper on Halo Robotics’ website.
Inspectors working inside the oil storage tank
Implementing the Elios for Drone Tank Inspections
Halo Robotics was tasked with implementing new technologies to achieve both required outputs of the project. For the confined space inspection, they chose Flyability’s Elios drone, citing several key features:
- Collision-tolerant cage for safe indoor inspections.
- High-resolution 4K RGB and thermal cameras for detailed visual data capture.
- Professional lighting systems with 10,000 Lumen LEDs for clear visibility.
- Stabilization and Distance Lock systems for accurate, consistent flight control.
- Inspector software for efficient data review and report generation.
The Elios 2 in action during the drone tank inspection. The Elios 3 now offers LiDAR and close visual data collection capabilities.
Capturing Visual Data During Drone Tank Inspections
The Elios 2 exceeded expectations during the confined space inspection of the crude oil storage tank. Compared to traditional methods requiring manual entry via ropes and scaffolding, the drone improved safety, saved time and money, and increased operational efficiency.
"The results from this drone technology have far exceeded our expectations. These types of operations will greatly support preventive maintenance, helping us identify defects, plan the right maintenance, and ultimately improve speed and accuracy," said Almuayat Librata, Oil and Gas Transportation Manager at Pertamina EP.
Details of the Drone Tank Inspection Mission
Halo Robotics developed flight plans to inspect various parts of the tank, including the shell, welds, rafters, girders, joints, and roof. Over five days, 20–22 flights were conducted daily using the Elios 2, resulting in 760 GB of video footage, including 4K RGB and thermal video.
This data was processed offsite using Flyability’s Inspector software to create a formal inspection report. The software enabled the team to review, annotate, and generate reports efficiently, even with large volumes of data.
The final inspection report took 14 days to complete, including input from an API-certified inspector.
Examples of Point of Interest (POI) Reporting
Corrosion Identified – Tank Joint Left Side
Inspector comments:
- 2x bolts counted
- Shrinking thickness of steel plating and supports
- Significant corrosion observed from 0 mm to 67 mm from the joint
- Distance measurement: 67mm +/- 5mm
Flaking and Oil Material Build-Up Observed – Tank Joint Right Side
Inspector comments:
- 2x bolts counted
- Significant flaking or oil material deposit observed (67mm height)
- Homogeneous deep corrosion
- Deformation and exposure of raw metal to oxidation and galvanic reaction observed
- Distance measurement: 67mm +/- 5mm
Example report generated by Flyability’s Inspector software
Looking Ahead to Drone Tank Inspections
Pertamina found the use of the Elios drone for this large-scale maintenance project to be highly successful. The confined space inspection demonstrated that even the largest oil storage tanks can be systematically inspected by drone, meeting the standards of an API-certified inspector without the need for risky and costly human entry.
"We believe that implementing this type of drone technology will improve tank inspections by reducing high-risk and high-cost activities while making them safer and more efficient," said Erikson Nainggolan, Operation Planning Assistant Manager at Pertamina EP.
With the success of this project, Pertamina is now exploring how to expand the use of drone technology for other maintenance tasks across its refineries throughout Indonesia.
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