OQGN and ESBAAR Complete Long-Range Drone Inspection Project
On 7th July, OQGN officially announced, in a launch ceremony, its collaboration with ESBAAR on a long-range drone inspection project. The event marks a significant milestone in advancing the use of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone technology for pipeline and asset inspection in Oman. This initiative reflects the industry’s growing shift toward automation, enhanced operational safety, and data-driven infrastructure monitoring.
Project Achievements
The Proof of Concept (POC) with OQGN demonstrates how ESBAAR’s advanced drone solutions enhance operations by providing accurate, real-time aerial data for safer, faster, and more efficient inspections and monitoring. ESBAAR tests its full capabilities to help OQGN reduce manual labor and proposes scopes that prove highly beneficial.
How does this help OQGN enhance its operations?
The POC covers the inspection of OQGN’s Right of Way (ROW), specifically the 16" underground pipeline spanning 200 km from Al Murayrat to Wadi Al Jizzi. This path crosses diverse terrains, and the use of ESBAAR’s engine proves remarkable in covering significantly more distance compared to OQGN’s daily manual inspections.
Project completion and impact
The successful completion on the 24th of August 2025 demonstrates how automated drone inspections can reduce manual fieldwork, accelerate reporting, and enhance monitoring reliability across challenging terrains. This collaboration not only sets a new benchmark for BVLOS operations in the region but also lays the groundwork for future advancements in predictive maintenance and AI-driven asset management for OQGN’s pipeline network.
