Refinery Stack Inspections Enhanced by Voliro’s Advanced Drone Tech

Acuren, a leader in industrial inspection services, has successfully deployed Voliro’s advanced drone platform, the Voliro T, to perform 26 heater and flare stack inspections at a major oil and gas refinery in Kansas.

This cutting-edge approach helped the refinery avoid excessive costs, lengthy downtimes, and safety risks traditionally associated with manual inspections using cranes and scaffolding.

The Voliro T drone, equipped with non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities including high-temperature ultrasonic testing (UT), enabled Acuren to complete the full inspection scope in just 14 days, less than half the time of conventional methods. By inspecting up to three stacks per day and eliminating the need for costly crane rentals, the project yielded immediate savings of over $500,000.

More significantly, the drone’s ability to gather comprehensive wall thickness data revealed serious corrosion in four stacks. Early detection helped the refinery avoid emergency shutdowns and expensive reactive maintenance, translating into millions in long-term savings.

Voliro T operates on surfaces up to 260°C (500°F), providing unprecedented access to high-temperature assets that were previously unreachable or cost-prohibitive to inspect. This enabled a full-scale integrity assessment, improved inspection frequency, and safer operations by keeping personnel out of hazardous environments.

Acuren’s deployment of Voliro T represents a major shift toward proactive, data-driven asset management in the energy sector. By combining drone mobility with precision UT measurements, Voliro is setting a new standard for refinery inspections, where safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness converge.