Percepto and Chevron have reached a six-month milestone to evaluate use of the drone company’s AI-powered remote inspection capabilities. The project has demonstrated promising improvements in operational efficiency and advancing workforce safety.
The test case launched near Midland, Texas, was designed to evaluate the impact of AI-driven autonomous monitoring on Chevron’s facility management. An important driver for the test was a reduction in time spent on the road for field teams, allowing personnel to focus on other valuable activities in the basin.
The test period also demonstrated the potential ability to detect issues more quickly and with higher resolution indication of point of origination, enhancing operational performance without increasing workload.
The Percepto technology leverages AI in a couple of ways. First, the drone itself flies on automated missions with logic built in from pre-programmed flights. Secondly, when the drone is on a mission, AI built into the software enables automated alerts when it detects any anomalies to normal operations.
By integrating Percepto’s remote inspections with other facility management technologies—such as remotely operated valves and sensors—the integrated system can optimize the need for personnel to physically travel to remote sites while improving response times to potential issues.
Over the first 90 days of deployment, Chevron has seen indications of:
- Work hour savings that allow personnel to prioritize activities.
- Cost-efficient, increased monitoring frequency at remote sites.
- Faster issue detection, allowing for quicker responses to operational concerns.
As regulatory requirements evolve and expectations for operational excellence increase, autonomous monitoring is emerging as a critical tool for companies managing large-scale assets. Deployments underscore a broader trend in the energy industry — scaling AI and automation to enable and enhance operations.
Chevron’s early success in leveraging autonomous monitoring reinforces its leadership in adopting cutting-edge technology to optimize operations.