People in North Dakota’s oil patch are looking to the eastern part of the state for help this flood season. Oil companies have expressed interest in the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems to monitor flooding.The Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Department was contacted on Monday by North Dakota Oil and Gas Division officials about the possibility of using UAS in the oil patch.
Recently flood waters have been causing trouble for oil wells out west. Officials out there are using boats to monitor flooded areas, and the process takes several hours. UAS would cut down on time and allow them to prioritize which wells need to be handled first. However, the proposal to use UAS in that area needs to come from the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s office, they need approval from the FAA because they are only allowed to fly UAS within the surrounding 16 counties.
Grand Forks County Sheriff Bob Rost said, “It helps enhance the training programme first and foremost for the UAS and it helps them out and I mean that’s what it’s all about.”
Flood waters in Williston have since receded, but officials out west say this isn’t something they’ll stop pushing for.
Source: WDAZ 8