Mobile Mapping Solutions for Oil & Gas
By combining aerial and mobile lidar data, Caltech offers affordable and effective data options for oil and gas clients working on as-built facilities.
The key to a useful as-built survey is to ensure the data accurately reflects the structure as it was actually built, not how it was planned. In a recent project, Caltech’s geospatial experts were tasked with creating a 3D viewing interface that had more accuracy than traditional survey methods could produce.
CHALLENGE
The 160-acre oil and gas facility site was sprawling and complicated, but the as-built survey was a necessity for the client’s handoff documentation. The facility site had a multitude of pipes, buildings, and equipment that made the task more challenging.
SOLUTION
To give the client the level of detail and accuracy the project required, Caltech’s geospatial experts set out to generate a digital twin of the existing structure. To start the process, Caltech’s Mobile Mapping System (MMS) was mounted on a truck that was then driven across the site, collecting high-density lidar and spherical imagery of the entire facility.
Once the mobile mapping work was complete, the Caltech team took to the skies with an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to quickly collect aerial high-density lidar and imagery to complement the terrestrial data.
Armed with these two data sources, Caltech’s geospatial experts merged the data and shared it in ArcGIS Online 3D web scenes that were digital twins of the site, giving the clients the best possible viewing experience. This was accomplished by combining lidar and imagery, 3D textured meshes, CAD linework, extracted 3D polylines, georeferenced PDFs, and additional GIS data.
THE CALTECH ADVANTAGE
By combining aerial and mobile lidar technologies to create a digital twin, the Caltech team was able to reduce both the costs and manpower required for the project while at the same time producing highly accurate results that surpassed traditional methods and exceeded the client’s expectations. This approach also allows clients to visit their facilities digitally, make informed decisions at a distance, and enjoy more productive collaborations with a broad range of team members.
Key Advantages:
+ Extremely high accuracy
+ Saves time
+ Reduces costs
+ Requires less manpower
+ Reduces project risks
+ Supports more effective collaboration
+ Reduces site visits
+ Increases project understanding from client team members of all experience levels
