As offshore oil production and maritime management become increasingly complex, offshore production safety has received close attention from authorities at all levels. Existing offshore safety patrols and emergency rescue operations are mostly carried out by vessels. However, vessel-based patrols are slow, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need to build an efficient and rapid patrol system that meets the requirements of offshore safety and clean production, while supporting rapid emergency response.

In August 2023, Huimingjie completed the construction of the Jidong Oilfield UAV System Project. The project includes a firefighting UAV system, a search-and-rescue UAV system, and a reconnaissance UAV system. Connected to the offshore emergency command information system, the UAV system enables real-time monitoring of offshore oil areas, supports rapid emergency command decision-making, and enhances comprehensive emergency response capabilities.

As a new type of monitoring method, UAVs make up for the limitations of existing on-site monitoring technologies. They are flexible and mobile, quick to respond, capable of covering wide patrol areas, highly real-time, easy to operate, low-risk, and adaptable to different missions through flexible payload configurations. The imagery collected by the UAV system can reach a resolution of 0.1 m, far higher than that of satellite imagery, making it an important information source for dynamic maritime monitoring and management systems.

Technologies such as UAV-mounted electro-optical pods and real-time digital image transmission can be used for rapid emergency rescue across offshore oilfield areas, real-time image transmission from oilfield zones, oil spill monitoring, and routine sea condition patrols, delivering strong operational results.

In terms of emergency communication support, UAVs can use onboard gimbal cameras to conduct continuous image capture, supporting zoom, thermal imaging photography, and video recording, while transmitting the acquired information and images back to video terminals. UAVs can also be equipped with payload release devices, supporting the simultaneous carrying and sequential release of four payload items. In emergency situations, an onboard loudspeaker can be used for aerial broadcasting to communicate instructions and reassure personnel. By carrying a searchlight, UAVs can also provide illumination in low-light or no-light emergency environments.

With advantages such as fast cruising speed, wide coverage, and low patrol cost, UAVs play an important role in emergency rescue operations for offshore oilfields.