Oil & Gas Terminal，Hungarian

Project Background

As the oil and gas industry continues to prioritize operational safety, digitalized maintenance, and autonomous inspection, traditional manual inspection methods are increasingly challenged by efficiency limitations and operational safety risks in large-scale oil and gas terminal environments.

For oil and gas terminals, gas safety inspections require not only rapid anomaly detection, but also a stable, continuous, and traceable inspection system capable of operating under complex industrial conditions and around-the-clock operational requirements. Conventional manual inspection methods often face limitations in inspection frequency, nighttime coverage, accessibility to hazardous areas, and standardized data management.

To improve methane safety management capabilities, an oil and gas terminal in Hungary deployed an autonomous UAV methane inspection solution provided by BLV Technology. The solution integrates the DJI Dock 3 with the BL-CH4 Mini 3 Pro to enable autonomous gas safety inspections across critical operational areas.

Solution Overview

The project adopted an integrated inspection system combining a drone docking station, autonomous UAV operations, and laser methane detection technology.

Autonomous Docking Platform

The project utilized the DJI Dock 3 autonomous docking platform for:

• Automated drone storage

• Intelligent charging

• Automatic takeoff and landing

• Mission scheduling

• Remote operation and maintenance

The system supports continuous scheduled inspection operations.

Automated Flight Inspection System

The UAV automatically performed inspections along predefined routes covering:

• Storage tank areas

• Loading and unloading zones

• Valve group areas

• Pipeline corridors

• Facility perimeter areas

Routine autonomous missions enabled continuous terminal safety monitoring.

Methane Detection Payload

The UAV carried the BL-CH4 Mini 3 Pro laser methane detector based on TDLAS (Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy) technology.

Key capabilities include:

• Non-contact methane detection

• Real-time concentration monitoring and recording

• Dynamic gas scanning during flight

• Leak identification and alarm generation

• Integration with automated inspection systems

Project Implementation

During deployment, the system executed automated inspection missions across critical operational zones within the terminal.

After automatic takeoff from the docking station, the UAV followed predefined flight routes while continuously collecting methane concentration data. Inspection time, flight path, detection results, and abnormal points were automatically recorded throughout the mission.

Upon completion, the UAV automatically returned to the docking station for landing and charging, preparing for the next scheduled inspection task.

The system also supports:

• Nighttime inspection operations

• Scheduled recurring missions

• Rapid supplementary inspections after special operational events

• Data traceability and historical record management

• Remote monitoring of mission status and alarm notifications

Project Results

Improved Inspection Timeliness

Autonomous Inspection Capability

The system supported fully autonomous around-the-clock operations, including bot h daytime and nighttime inspections.

Reduced Personnel Exposure to Hazardous Areas

Non-contact UAV inspections minimized the need for personnel to frequently enter hazardous operational zones, improving site safety.

Standardized Inspection Workflow

All inspection missions were automatically recorded and centrally managed, improving process standardization and traceability.

Enhanced Digitalized Safety Management

The system continuously accumulated inspection data to support trend analysis, risk assessment, and terminal safety management optimization.

Project Value

This oil and gas terminal deployment in Hungary demonstrated the practical value of integrating autonomous drone docking systems with laser methane detection technology for industrial safety inspection applications.

By combining the DJI Dock 3 with the BL-CH4 Mini 3 Pro, BLV Technology provides the oil and gas industry with a smarter, safer, and more efficient autonomous methane inspection solution.

The solution is suitable for broader deployment across storage terminals, chemical plants, and large industrial infrastructure projects, supporting the transition toward automated and digitalized industrial safety management.

Video：https://youtu.be/FfpP9VneDXk