US EPA

8802357 

Book/Book Chapter 

Drones unlocked: The social horizon for oil and gas 

Brusset, E; Griffin, P; Holland, C 

2020 

Society of Petroleum Engineers 

SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Environment, and Sustainability 2020, HSE and Sustainability 2020 

English 

In the current uncertainty, people are losing trust in dialogue, and increasingly turning to hard bargaining and protests. The increasing use of drone technology can contribute to this negative shift in attitudes around oil and gas installations. At the same time the technology offers a unique opportunity for engagement. The Social Impact Asset Management (SIAM) project is a concession area drone and human data collection platform. It is a way to present easily understood evidence for joint decision making. By also facilitating the management of regulatory requirements and planning, it creates much needed scalability in drone use. The angle taken in this presentation taps into work done for safety and rescue services in the UK, and impact assessment for the United Nations. It revolves around how to deal with the two challenges to the use of drones in sustainability: scaling up, and social acceptance. It maps the way in which stakeholder engagement will benefit, and how drones can be unleashed for the benefit of local populations and industry. It confirms that today's digital revolution has led to a decisive moment. Innovative solutions can make this a positive one. SIAM is the result of a strategic alliance between Social Terrain Ventures and the Thales Soarizon project, a civilian application of advanced aerospace technology. It has not yet been applied in oil and gas, but the case for the application is clear. © 2020, Society of Petroleum Engineers