Page 17 - Alabama 811 Magazine 2019 Issue 1

ctwnwuen mom was 9

vege«ation m:mag2ment— discovering whether it's been

cut back along «he R-O-W and if it's been done properly

And Paul says this technology is being used in more g_ I

industries than luol oil and gas Electric companies are is B

beginning to use Uixvs to inspect high «ension lines J ‘ . e

and wind turbines. Paul said «hat in the pas«, fixed . .

wing aircraft and helicopters were used, which is very ’- '

expensive and dangerous, especially when it involves

«echrucians hanging from a helicopter. "There are lust so ’ .

many things that make drones cheaper and safer." It .

safety, as always, is a key factor when adopting new ‘ P O e
Iechnolagyandwmethlnglllalnlwaysonlhemlnds l J I’ I’ IV
of drone operators is the safety and legality of pilo«ing .\ ‘ PARTNER|NG
«hem in various areas. Paul said tha« a lot of what they .\\ ,

do is rural, but when «hey enter more urban areas, they

have to be aware of the differen« regula«ions «hey may

encounter Federal Avlatlon Administration (FAA) and

state regulations are changing quickly, bu« no« qulle

as quickly as UAV technology is advancing. For the . , ,

most part, hnwever, can feels that rule maker. keep ggers Hotll ne, Inc. (W lsconsln)
«he interests of pipeline and utility companies (which ‘»'-.~. -

affec« all stakeholders) in mind. There are various drone

associa«ions that l-leath belongs to, including one specific

n
K .
, “ . 3 :11 v A V it-.-Mary 9, 2019
/k ;- ._. ., .. -x‘ popm, Ianuary 9, 2019, Diggers Hotline, Inc.
I , ; o _, ,:V gggsfplly deployed Geocall, their new software
It dorm provided by Progressive Partnering, lnc. (P2,
/j 5.-:"l'ho Diggers Hotline staff did an excellent job of
y ' , ‘ ’}icing for the deployment; it was as if the agents
‘ ‘ i , the ;;een using the system for years," stated Bill Turner,
' " ’ e ' d_enf of P2, lne. The Iiansishcln was extremely
' _: with a few notilicanons coming in before
/ ' “ght. §y morning, the contact center was operating
, 7 ‘ -, _y with a moderate call volume for this time of
llm re tn ,e I’ -‘~**=" ZW°“e1t exemfive dim’! °f Diggers H0!“-"I
‘ ‘ P“ in. r ;.a'e__layed that "Progressive Partnering and their

«o the energy sector, so «hey can stay informed of any V1:'>.‘3,J ,‘e_-rs {mi-n Alabama and Tennessee were both helpful
new rcgula«ions or legislation as it is being considered. accommodating to make sure our deployment was
Later this year, Hea«h is looking to expand their line ‘flfil, 555- The °“1“‘=“$1e5 and Slabmfy 0‘ “*9 5900111
locating services to offer a con«ract service using drone 5"°“1d 5° 19311295 by 50*‘ SW“ and Customers-
«echnology to inspect pipes. But they're also develnplng 1:4 ‘cl is exdted to have Wisconsin's D1589“ "01""?
UAvs to sell to contractors. "If there's a service provider it '- jgux pannership," stated Bill Turner. Progressive
«hat wan«s to do leak detection, «hey could buy one [oi-ing, Inc. was established in 1997 and includes
from us and ge« into tha« business. A transmission state one call programs and Gulfsafe. For more
company «hat wants «o do their own inspections could ( f‘ atiorg go to mu/w,yrogr2s5[1)L-p/111111'r111X_com

buy one from us or hire us «o do it as contractor " Paul

said ano«her option is «o purchase jus« the detection

equipment and software and add it «o their own drone.

As exciting as these developmen«s are, Heath |.~.n't dune.

Paul wehnen expects Heath consultants to con«inue

«o lead in the developmen« and adapta«ion of new

«echnologies «o make all aspects of the energy industry

safer and more efficient for years to come. . 2015 [W 1 mm m . 15