Integrated Droneborne Geophysics Application as a Tool for Exploration Optimization. Case Studies
Authors: Grigoriev Gleb , Gulin Vladimir , Nikitin Alexei , Sivoy Nikita , Bondarev Eugene , Islamuratov Marat , Zakharova Oksana , Karpov Igor , Liubimov Evgenii , Votsalevskiy Vladislav 
Published: September 2021

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have a great potential for geological exploration optimization at all stages. This study considers UAV implementation at different exploration stage. Integrated approach using unmanned aerial systems shows great effectiveness based on the completed surveys. Low-depth electrical exploration using the shallow electrical exploration method is one of the possible UAVs technologies with great potential. In this study there are several cases describing main field data acquisition, models and cross-sections processing.

Unmanned aerial systems are applicable at all stages of the oil and gas value chain and are already an integral part of oil&gas production process. Now there are more than 70 unmanned aerial systems application scenarios.

The main advantages of drones are that the use of this operational data collection tool allows:

– to reduce the duration of collecting geospatial data by 70%, and the cost by 3 times; – make the best decisions quickly; – to realize additional potential for increasing efficiency (application at all stages of the production chain) – increase the production processes safety level

The most promising and actively developing areas of technology application are:

Geophysical surveys at different stages of geological exploration. Drones have great potential for application in non-seismic exploration methods in the early stages of geological exploration. In addition, UAV surveys are suitable for planning geological exploration and working out the conceptual arrangement of the terrain. The presence of an accurate digital elevation model at the start of work of the project team makes it possible to remove a number of uncertainties and questions about conducting field work on seismic exploration, the placement of infrastructure and corridor communications. Objective control of the capital construction progress. Another important area of drones application is aerial photography at all stages of capital construction. With the help of UAVs, it is possible to control such parameters as the status and quality of construction and installation works, equipment of contractors, compliance with safety and environmental standards, and others. To do this, the unmanned vehicle flies around the object with a given regularity, filming it from different angles. After aerial photography, special software stitches the results into photogrammetric products (digital terrain model, orthophotomaps, 3D models) with an accuracy of 4–6 centimeters. On the constructed models, you can calculate the dynamics by one or another parameter. Operational fieldwork and intrastructure monitoring. At the same time, one of the key goals of technology application is the creation of a network of autonomous stations with drones at all assets for remote control of the company's production processes. The first step in this direction was the joint pilot testing of an automated take-off and landing station with an unmanned aerial vehicle of a multi-rotor type. The use of the station will reduce the time and cost of collecting data on capital construction and infrastructure. Project teams will be able to react faster to changes. An automated take-off and landing station allows the use of unmanned aerial vehicles without human intervention. The drone can independently take off, perform the necessary operations, land and recharge. Thus, flight operations and data collection can be performed remotely without the constant presence of a specialist on site.