Storage Terminals

Terra Inspectioneering increases efficiency and safety, while reducing downtime.

Tanks are the heart of your facility. They are crucial for storage, production, or processing — but also risky to inspect. Traditionally, a tank inspection means: draining, ventilating, building scaffolding, tightening safety protocols, and sending people inside. That costs time, money, and brings risks.

Every step in that process adds up: draining and cleaning a tank can take days before an inspection can even begin, and the facility is completely shut down in the meantime. Confined spaces then require additional safety measures — gas measurements, supervisors, rescue plans — even before an inspector has performed a single measurement. The result is a process where the actual inspection time is often just a fraction of the total lead time, while costs and risks accumulate.

With drone and robot inspections, we turn that around. Where possible, we inspect tanks without having to take them completely out of service, and where that is not possible, we significantly reduce the required time because there is no need to build scaffolding and fewer people need to physically enter the tank. This way, you maintain control over your asset integrity, without the operational and financial burden of a traditional approach.

Storage Tanks   Tank Terminal on River

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Corrosion and coating inspections

Weld inspection and structural assessment

Leak detection and maintenance planning

Periodic or pre-turnaround inspections

The benefits

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non-entry 

Our drones can safely fly in confined spaces and provide detailed images of walls, welds, coatings, and internal structures.

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Minimal downtime

Tanks often do not need to be completely emptied or dismantled, allowing inspections to be carried out much more quickly.

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Crystal-clear data

With 4K cameras, powerful lighting, and optional 3D mapping, we capture every detail. The footage is instantly stored and analyzed.

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Lower costs and risks

No scaffolding, fewer safety measures, and shorter downtime. You save on man-hours and insurance costs.

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Direct reporting

Afterwards, you will receive a complete report with photos, videos, and — if desired — 3D models of the interior.

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Real-time viewing everywhere

Through our secure connection, engineers, safety coordinators, or suppliers can follow the live footage and provide immediate feedback or request additional measurement points.

Intake & risk analysis

We discuss the location, contents, and accessibility of the tank.

Inspection planning

Our engineers determine the optimal flight strategy and safety measures.

Drone inspection

Our certified pilots carry out the inspection with real-time monitoring.

Data analysis & reporting

You will receive a complete inspection report with all findings and images.

Safety as a matter of course

Terra Inspectioneering is one of the most experienced companies in Europe in the field of indoor drone inspections. We combine years of experience in industrial environments with proprietary technology and a strong focus on safety and quality.

Our pilots are fully ROV and drone certified (EASA),

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We operate according to international safety standards such as ISO 9001, VCA, and ATEX guidelines.

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Crew

Thanks to Terra's indoor drone inspection, we were able to check our tank safety without any downtime — impressively efficient and completely risk-free.

Maintenance Manager, Rotterdam Refinery

Frequently Asked Questions

Is your question not listed? Then please contact us.

Frequently asked question 2

ATEX Drones do not exist, but we do have other systems that can safely operate in ATEX-classified environments. We always carry out a risk analysis and safety check in advance according to the applicable guidelines.

Frequently asked question 2

That depends on the construction, but generally we can inspect spaces starting from 1 meter in diameter. For very small or complex spaces, we adjust our flight strategy or sensor technology.

Frequently asked question 3

Our cameras deliver 4K high-definition footage with high light sensitivity. This allows us to capture every detail even in dark, dusty, or reflective environments.

Frequently asked question 3

Depending on the size and complexity, an inspection usually takes between 1 and 4 hours, including setup and safety check.

Frequently asked question 3

Yes, through our secure connection you can watch in real-time — from the office, the control room, or even from another location.

Frequently asked question 3

The data is securely stored, analyzed, and processed into an inspection report with images, findings, and recommendations. Upon request, we also provide 3D models or integration with your maintenance systems.

Reviews

Previously, we helped these companies inspect more safely

"Our storage tanks require regular inspection, but every shutdown costs money. Terra performed the wall thickness measurements with their UT drone while the facility remained operational — no scaffolding, no production stop. The 3D reporting was clear enough to base immediate maintenance decisions on."

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Mark de Ruiter, Terminal Manager, Vopak

 March 2024

"For a flare stack that was virtually inaccessible without a full shutdown, Terra provided a customized solution with high-altitude drone inspection. Safe, fast, and with imagery that gave our integrity engineers exactly what they needed."

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James Whitfield, Asset Integrity Engineer, Shell

November 2023

"The inspection of a confined space in our facility used to be a risky and time-consuming task. With Terra's confined space drone, no one had to go inside anymore. The combination of visual and thermal data gave us a complete picture of the condition."

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Peter Vermeulen, Maintenance Manager, Shin-Etsu

January 2024

"Terra performed a 3D laser scan for the deformation analysis of one of our tanks, in accordance with EEMUA-159. The approach was not only accurate but above all safer than traditional methods — a clear added value for our HSE policy."

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Sofie Jansen, HSE Manager, VTTI 

May 2024

The sky is the limit

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