Bluestream, Skeye enter offshore drone inspection pact

Inspection service provider Bluestream and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) operator Skeye BV have announced a partnership for visual inspection services and geographic data acquisition for offshore assets using UAVs.

According to a statement by both companies, this move is an example of embracing innovations in the inspection market.

As a result of this partnership, Bluestream can now provide clients with a total inspection solution utilizing Skeye’s advanced small unmanned drones, capable of reaching places that are difficult, expensive, dangerous, or even impossible to approach by manned inspection teams, the statement said.

The drones are particularly suitable for live flare and vent stack, topside, splash zone, and under deck inspections.

Anton Janssens, Bluestream commercial manager, said: “Our professional rope access, diving, and ROV inspection, repair and maintenance services combined with the Skeye UAV-based inspection services will provide a unique advantage for customer’s maintenance campaigns and projects.

“We are now tailored to meet the most challenging of customer needs. Not only does this high-grade inspection service allow a fast and efficient collection of extensive footage in a short amount of time, while the asset is still in production, it also improves the targeted delivery of rope access work. This cooperation enables both subsea and topside inspections to be done by a single party, resulting in integrated reports of inspections done.”

Skeye operations director, Jan van Liebergen, added: “Through this partnership we are able to offer full UAV inspections, complete with the report, and including recommendations if requested. This new service will position both companies as more complete and efficient service providers within the offshore industry.”

Apart from oil and gas, both Bluestream and Skeye are well introduced in the offshore and windfarm work practices. The new business partners have already executed inspection scopes together, including an inspection program for a client in the North Sea wind sector.