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Project Overview
The oil and gas sector in Saudi Arabia operates extensive and critical infrastructure, including pipelines, refinery units, storage tanks, and processing facilities. Ensuring continuous monitoring of these assets is essential to prevent operational disruptions, maintain safety, and comply with stringent industry regulations. Traditional manual inspections are labor-intensive, costly, and expose personnel to potential hazards, particularly in hazardous or remote areas of a refinery.
To address these challenges, a leading Saudi oil and gas operator partnered with NineTenths to deploy a single DJI Dock 3 at a strategic refinery site. The objective was to demonstrate fully autonomous, continuous aerial surveillance capabilities with minimal human intervention, ensuring early detection of operational anomalies, enhanced safety, and actionable intelligence for maintenance and security teams.
This pilot deployment focused on a high-priority industrial area, showcasing how one Dock 3 unit could autonomously perform repeated inspections, collect high-resolution RGB and thermal data, and support regulatory compliance — all while reducing costs and personnel exposure.
Objectives & Scope
Key Objectives:
Implement continuous, automated monitoring of a refinery site using a single Dock 3.
Detect potential safety hazards, unauthorized access, and operational anomalies in real time.
Collect high-resolution RGB and thermal datasets for structural and operational assessment.
Reduce human exposure in hazardous areas while maintaining inspection frequency and quality.
Generate actionable reports for predictive maintenance and compliance reporting.
Scope of Work:
Deployment of one Dock 3 unit at a critical refinery site (~5 km²).
Conduct scheduled daily flights covering key assets, with the ability to perform on-demand missions.
Use dual payloads: RGB camera for structural assessment and thermal camera for heat signature and leak detection.
Deliverables included orthomosaics, thermal maps, anomaly reports, and automated alerts to operations teams.
Methodology
Dock 3 Deployment & Flight Planning
The Dock 3 was installed in a location that maximized coverage of critical refinery assets, including processing units, storage tanks, and internal pipelines. Its placement was carefully selected to ensure operational safety, efficient battery recharging, and optimal sensor coverage during autonomous flights.
Flight paths were pre-programmed to systematically cover the high-priority zones within the refinery. Automated missions were scheduled to run twice daily, during early morning and late afternoon, to optimize thermal contrast for leak detection and to avoid extreme heat and wind conditions. The Dock 3 system was configured to execute autonomous takeoff, navigation, data capture, and landing, enabling continuous surveillance without on-site operators.
Sensor Payloads
RGB Camera: Captured high-resolution imagery for structural inspection, identifying equipment damage, corrosion, misalignment, and other physical anomalies.
Thermal Camera: Detected abnormal heat signatures associated with equipment overheating, potential leaks, or pipeline faults.
The combination of RGB and thermal imaging allowed for comprehensive monitoring of the refinery’s operational integrity, providing both structural and thermal insights in a single mission.
Data Processing & Analysis
Data collected by the Dock 3 was processed using cloud-based AI-assisted workflows, including:
Georeferencing and stitching of RGB and thermal imagery to produce orthomosaics and heat maps.
Automated anomaly detection using AI to flag irregularities, prioritize critical issues, and reduce manual review time.
Generation of actionable reports with visual evidence and geospatial references for maintenance and security teams.
Ground verification was conducted for selected anomalies to ensure accuracy and validate the AI-assisted detection system. This step confirmed that the automated workflow provided reliable results suitable for operational decision-making.
Integration & Operational Monitoring
All processed data and alerts were integrated into the refinery’s centralized operations control system, allowing maintenance teams to respond immediately to detected issues. Operators monitored flight performance remotely and could trigger additional inspection flights if anomalies were observed. The Dock 3’s autonomy ensured consistent inspection schedules, even in challenging environmental conditions.
Technology Used
The DJI Dock 3’s features enabled significant advantages for the project:
Autonomous Operation: Enabled continuous BVLOS surveillance without manual drone piloting.
Integrated Sensors: Dual payload support (RGB + thermal) allowed simultaneous structural and heat signature inspections.
Remote Monitoring & Alerts: Centralized control facilitated real-time anomaly alerts and rapid response.
Reliability & Safety: Built-in obstacle avoidance, weather resistance, and emergency landing protocols ensured safe operation in complex industrial environments.
Scalability: Modular dock design allowed for deployment across multiple sites with minimal setup effort.
Results & Achievements
Autonomous Monitoring: The single Dock 3 provided reliable, daily automated inspection of the refinery site, covering all critical assets without manual piloting.
Early Detection: Within the first month, 4 minor thermal anomalies and 2 structural irregularities were identified, preventing potential safety incidents and operational downtime.
Operational Efficiency: Manual inspection labor was reduced by approximately 60–70%, allowing personnel to focus on corrective action instead of routine monitoring.
High-Resolution Data: RGB imagery achieved ≤2 cm GSD, providing clear visual inspection, while thermal data enabled precise identification of heat anomalies.
Regulatory Compliance: Automated inspection reports supported adherence to safety and operational regulations, facilitating audit readiness.
Cost Savings & Safety: Reduced personnel exposure in hazardous areas, minimized downtime, and decreased inspection-related labor costs.
Strategic Importance
This pilot deployment demonstrates that even a single DJI Dock 3 can significantly enhance operational safety, monitoring efficiency, and regulatory compliance in the oil and gas sector. Key strategic advantages include:
Predictive Maintenance: Early detection of leaks, overheating, or equipment misalignment allows for proactive intervention, reducing operational disruptions.
Safety Improvement: Autonomous monitoring eliminates the need for personnel to access potentially hazardous areas, reducing workplace risk.
Scalability: The successful pilot with one Dock 3 can serve as a model for deploying additional units along pipelines, storage terminals, or offshore platforms.
Operational Insight: Continuous high-resolution data supports informed decision-making and optimized asset management.
Alignment with Vision 2030: Demonstrates industrial innovation, adoption of cutting-edge UAV technology, and improved operational efficiency.
Challenges & Mitigation
Environmental Conditions: High temperatures, dust, and wind could affect autonomous flight. Mitigation: Dock 3’s robust weather-resistant design and flight scheduling during stable weather windows ensured safe operation.
Limited Coverage: A single unit required strategic flight path planning to prioritize high-risk assets while maximizing site coverage.
Data Management: Large volumes of RGB and thermal data were processed efficiently using AI-assisted cloud workflows, enabling timely reporting.
Operational Safety: Obstacle avoidance, geofencing, and emergency landing protocols minimized risk during autonomous flights.
Conclusion
The deployment of a single DJI Dock 3 at a critical refinery site demonstrated the transformative potential of autonomous, drone-in-a-box systems for industrial surveillance. Even with just one unit, continuous monitoring, high-resolution RGB and thermal imaging, and AI-assisted anomaly detection enabled early detection of operational risks, optimized maintenance planning, and enhanced workforce safety.
This pilot case study confirms that autonomous UAV solutions can deliver measurable improvements in operational efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance. The results provide a clear roadmap for scaling Dock 3 deployments across multiple sites, including pipelines, storage facilities, and offshore installations.
The project highlights how UAV technologies, when integrated with autonomous docking solutions like the DJI Dock 3, can redefine industrial surveillance and predictive maintenance in Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas sector.
📞 Ready to Transform Your Oil & Gas Asset Monitoring?
With NineTenths, you can harness the power of autonomous drone-in-a-box solutions to improve safety, reduce costs, and gain real-time operational insights.
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