Terra Drone Corporation, (Terra Drone) and INPEX CORPORATION (INPEX) jointly announced today a capital tie-up and the launch of the INPEX-Terra Drone Intelligent Drone Plan(Plan).
Terra Drone is an air mobility startup with technical expertise in automated flight and operational management of air mobility solutions including drones and flying automobiles. Terra Drone aims to be Japan’s first leader in the global market by offering solutions to social issues across a variety of fields focusing on infrastructure inspection, disaster response, security and operational management including the link-up of manned and unmanned vehicles.
INPEX strives to be a leading energy company playing an essential role in global society by meeting the energy needs of Japan and countries around the world and contributing to the creation of a brighter future for society through developing, producing and delivering energy in a sustainable way. At the same time, the company is also proactively engaged in energy structure reforms towards the realization of a net zero carbon society by 2050 and is pursuing technical development through the cultivation of business in new fields and proactive partnerships with startups.
Terra Drone and INPEX have until now collaborated on various initiatives regarding the inspection equipment in the field of crude oil development and production.
The Plan envisages realizing the automated inspection of equipment using air mobility solutions such as drones, and promoting digital transformation in development, production and operation work. To realize the Plan, the companies are implementing a fundamental review of business operations including safety management, in addition to devising a platform system providing one-stop solutions encompassing automated flight, operational management and artificial intelligence analysis. In fiscal year 2022, the companies are targeting a transition from the current demonstration phase to an operational phase where INPEX will begin deploying solutions in-house.
Through the Plan, Terra Drone and INPEX will seek to promote the digital transformation and support the sustainable growth of the oil and natural gas industry in Japan and around the world and contribute to enhancing the presence of Japan.
About Terra Drone
Terra Drone, which was established in 2016, is the world’s largest industrial drone solutions provider. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with business locations across Japan and also carries out business activities overseas, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia. Terra Drone was recognized as the “No 1 global Remote Sensing Drone Service Provider” in the Drone Service Provider Ranking 2020 by Drone Industry Insights, a global drone market research & analytics company.
Terra Drone has a global industry-leading track record of conducting over 1,500 drone surveys and inspections mainly for major construction firms and architectural consultation firms. Currently, the company provides “Terra Lidar,” Japan’s most deployed drone solution in the surveillance field based on in-house technology that enables high accuracy and low-cost operations. In the inspection field, Terra Drone works closely with Terra Inspectioneering, a group company based overseas with a track record of conducting over 200 operations mainly for major oil and gas companies in Europe, and has introduced inspection technology utilizing a patented drone that measures ultrasonic testing (UT). In the operational management field, the company is working alongside JAL, KDDI and others on the development of “Terra UTM,” an operational management platform required for the realization of a drone society.
For more information, visit https://www.terra-drone.net/global/.
About INPEX
INPEX CORPORATION is Japan’s largest exploration and production (E&P) company, and is currently involved in projects across multiple continents, including the Ichthys LNG Project in Australia as Operator. Through building a cleaner upstream business and advancing hydrogen and renewables solutions, INPEX aims to become a leading energy company and continue providing a stable and efficient supply of energy to its customers while pioneering energy transformation towards a net zero carbon society by 2050. For more information, visit https://www.inpex.co.jp/english/index.html.
In 2021, INPEX announced the formulation of its “Business Development Strategy – Towards a Net Zero Carbon Society by 2050,” setting the goal of actively promoting five business pillars to proactively engage in energy structure reforms towards the realization of a net zero carbon society by 2050. The five business pillars consist of 1) reducing CO2 emissions from upstream operations; 2) developing a hydrogen business; 3) enhancing and emphasizing renewable energy initiatives; 4) promoting forest conservation; and 5) promoting carbon recycling and cultivating new business opportunities. The company seeks to stably supply the world with diverse energy solutions in a cleaner way.
