CASE C27 · US ·
Shell: tethered UT drone inspections of offshore piping and vessels by retrained rope-access technicians
Shell USA uses a tethered UT drone to inspect piping and vessels on offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Rope-access technicians were retrained as pilots, and Shell says jobs that took a full day now take minutes. Few figures are given, and rope access remains for hands-on work.
| Owner | Shell USA |
| Provider | CAN-USA |
| Location | US Gulf of Mexico (e.g. Olympus platform, about 130 miles south of New Orleans) |
| Aircraft | Flyability Elios 3 UT with Tether Power Unit |
| Sensors | ultrasonic thickness (UT) probe, visual camera, LiDAR |
Before
Skilled rope-access technicians, often with scaffolding, inspected piping, tanks, vessels and cranes.
With drones
Rope-access technicians were retrained as pilots and use a tethered UT drone on piping, tanks, cranes and dropped-object surveys.
Outcomes
| Metric | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| inspection time | tasks that could take a full day by rope access done 'in minutes' (Shell quote) | Reported |
| production | no shutdown needed in some instances (not quantified) | Reported |
| hazardous-area batteries | tether removes the need to carry lithium batteries into hazardous areas | Reported |
Caveats & limits
- Manufacturer case study; no counts, percentages or cost figures.
- Tether reach is limited; rope access is still kept for tasks needing a human hand.
- Year not stated.
Sources
- CAN-USA and Shell Redefine Offshore Inspections with the Elios 3 UT DroneFlyability Full text read
Sources checked: 2026-10-22