Ondas Holdings Inc., a leading provider of private wireless data, drone and automated data solutions through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Ondas Networks Inc. and American Robotics Inc., said on Jan. 26 that American Robotics received a new purchase order from Chevron for its fully autonomous, FAA-approved Scout Systems. This will be American Robotics’ second Fortune 100 customer in the oil and gas space.

“The oil and gas industry is primed to benefit from recent advancements in autonomous drone technology,” Reese Mozer, CEO and co-founder of American Robotics, said. “Prior to our game-changing FAA approvals, asset managers that used drones to monitor their oil and gas fields needed to employ pilots and visual observers to fly the systems manually, and then manually convert the data into actionable insights. With Scout System, we are providing the oil and gas industry with a dramatically more efficient and effective way to manage, monitor, and inspect their assets. Analytics that were previously unattainable due to high costs of operation are now available through the Scout System, allowing users to make informed decisions in real-time that will drive their business forward.”

Working in and maintaining oil and gas infrastructure is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and can often put people in danger. Millions of acres of assets must be continually monitored to check for oil leaks, methane emissions, and damaged equipment. American Robotics’ fully-automated drone systems each conduct up to 20 autonomous missions per day without having a pilot or visual observer on the ground. The adoption of this technology in the space will allow for automated inspections, regular site monitoring, and enhanced safety for employees, all at a lower cost with increased accuracy.

The use of autonomous drones in the oil and gas industry is expected to continue and expand significantly in the coming years, as they are a crucial component when it comes to ensuring site safety and conducting regular facility inspections. Automating high-frequency inspections is critical for oil and gas companies to comply with global climate change mitigation commitments and regulations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new Clean Air Act rule, intended to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Overall, the industry is projected to spend $15.6 billion on digital transformations by the end of the decade.

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