MODEC, Inc. (“MODEC”) announced that it has renewed its joint research and development (“R&D”) agreement with Terra Drone Corporation (“Terra Drone”) for the non-destructive internal inspection of crude oil storage tanks on Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading systems (FPSOs) using Terra UT drones.

This renewed agreement builds upon the joint R&D contract signed by both companies in 2024, following significant achievements in improving measurement accuracy, enhancing safety, and reducing inspection time. The renewed partnership aims to further advance the practical application and operational deployment of this technology.

On FPSOs, periodic structural inspections are indispensable, but must be performed in parallel with production operations by a limited number of crew members. The ability to safely perform inspections without increasing the number of personnel onboard offers a significant advantage. By innovating drone inspection techniques, MODEC and Terra Drone will continue to contribute to improved occupational safety, manpower reduction, and greater efficiency in FPSOs and other offshore platforms operations.

FPSOs require regular maintenance and inspections to ensure stable crude oil and gas production over operational lifespans exceeding 20 years. However, conventional manual inspections in elevated or confined spaces present significant occupational safety risks and remain a common challenge across the industry. To address this, MODEC and Terra Drone have been jointly developing drone-based solutions with the goal of fully replacing manual inspections inside FPSO crude oil storage tanks.

Through this collaboration, the two companies have successfully reduced inspection time and enhanced safety by developing the Terra UT drone for inspection operations on FPSOs operating offshore Brazil.

Building on these technological achievements, the renewed agreement will focus on the following new development items.