Firms ink deal for unmanned aerial vehicle

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Lee (second left) witnesses the exchange of documents between Evo Sdn Bhd represented by its CEO Abdul Wahid Jantan (left) and executive chairman of Fatimah Bersatu Sdn Bhd Sazali Abdul Rahman (second right). Looking on is Evo director Dr Vladimir Lukoyanov.

Lee (second left) witnesses the exchange of documents between Evo Sdn Bhd represented by its CEO Abdul Wahid Jantan (left) and executive chairman of Fatimah Bersatu Sdn Bhd Sazali Abdul Rahman (second right). Looking on is Evo director Dr Vladimir Lukoyanov.

Vladimir presenting slides of UAV.

Vladimir presenting slides of UAV.

MIRI: The oil and gas industry here shall see yet another evolution in its offshore facility with the usage of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to monitor, observe and collect data.

During a UAV presentation and signing of an agreement between Fatimah Bersatu Sdn Bhd (FBSB) and Evo Sdn Bhd at a hotel here yesterday, FBSB executive chairman Sazali Abdul Rahman said the new technology was set to eliminate unnecessary trouble.

“The main objective of us here is to create awareness among local business community, government agencies, stakeholders and the like of the benefit of the need to rely on technology such as UAV to perform data collection in difficult to reach remote areas.

“Of course, the signing of agreement with Evo Sdn Bhd is intended for the purchase or lease of operation and maintenance support for the setting up a UAV hub in Miri,” Sazali said.

Being in the industry for over 15 years, he said FBSB’s move to establish the hub was timely for the purpose of remote observation of oil and gas pipeline and storage facility.

“Whether it is for the offshore facility, inspection and three-dimensional mending, the pilotless aircraft would, of course, offer an advantage of cheaper and easily maintained technology,” Sazali added. He pointed out that another feature of the UAV was its relatively low environment carbon footprint as it required less fuel.

Meanwhile, Communications Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin who was present to witness the signing ceremony urged Petronas to establish an oil and gas technology centre and a research and development centre here.

“For more than a century Miri has been the hub to the oil and gas industry, it is only right that such centre and an R&D centre be established here. Such centres not only produce better products, they are a great way to open more job opportunities to the locals. After all, with such centres here in Miri, they can easily obtain crude experimental material, and that is already a great advantage for Miri,” he said.

The UAV presentation was attended by Evo Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Abdul Wahid Jantan, its chairman Datuk Salim Ahmad and director Dr Vladimir Lukoyanov.

The unmanned aircraft system is designed for remote monitoring and surveillance of areas of the earth and water surface, real time operational monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic environment and structures during daylight and night hours in real weather conditions; mapping and land management; delivery of the required payloads to the designated points and for many other tasks.