ZALA successfully tested a VLS complex for pipeline monitoring in the Far North conditions

ZALA specialists conducted pilot tests of a new airborne laser scanning (ALS) complex designed for monitoring fuel and energy facilities. The tests took place at one of the northernmost oil fields in Russia.

In the tundra, all pipelines run above ground and are subject to annual deformation due to frost heave, and many sections through bogs and over water bodies are difficult to access by traditional survey methods. Over 180 kilometres of pipeline routes were surveyed during the trials to assess the effectiveness of the technology for pipeline condition monitoring in difficult climatic conditions.

An unmanned aircraft system ZALA was used for monitoring, equipped with a high-precision lidar and RGB camera for simultaneous collection of 3D data and aerial photographs. The scanning resulted in a point cloud with a density of over 1,500 points per square metre. As a result, an accurate 3D digital model of the pipeline was created to analyse its condition and plan maintenance works.

VLS technology, which ZALA has been applying since 2018, has proven to be a reliable tool for collecting high-precision geospatial data, as well as ensuring industrial and environmental safety of fuel and energy facilities in remote regions.