Drone inspecting energy infrastructure

Inspection Services

Aerial inspections that keep your crew on the ground.

Safer, faster, and more thorough inspections for oil and gas, utilities, infrastructure, renewables, and industrial facilities — with deliverables your engineers can act on.

  • 4K visual + thermal
  • Zero crew at height
  • Same-day deliverables
  • Part 107 certified

Practical, Decision-Ready Data

See What You Can't From the Ground

Mountain West Drone Services provides professional drone inspection and LiDAR-supported assessment services across Northwest Colorado, helping operators, owners, and engineers safely inspect assets that are difficult, dangerous, or expensive to reach. We deliver clear visual data, 3D information from LiDAR where needed, and repeatable inspection workflows.

How Drone Inspections Help You

Safety

Reduce or eliminate the need for ladders, manlifts, scaffolding, rope access, and other high-risk work at height.

Access

Reach tall, remote, or obstructed structures without extensive setup or shutdowns whenever possible.

Speed

Cover large facilities or long corridors in a fraction of the time of traditional inspection methods.

Cost Control

Minimize equipment rentals, scaffolding, and repeated site visits.

LiDAR-Enhanced Insight

When appropriate, use LiDAR point clouds and surfaces to understand 3D structure and terrain around your assets.

Documentation

Build a visual and spatial record over time to track change, prove due diligence, and support maintenance planning.

What We Inspect

Inspection Services

01

Oil & Gas Facility & Wellsite Inspections

Document critical infrastructure and surface conditions across your production sites — well pads, tank batteries, separators, access roads, laydown areas, containment features, site grading, and drainage.

Typical Uses

Baseline condition documentation, routine visual checks, supporting environmental, safety, and integrity programs.

02

Tank, Flare Stack & Elevated Structure Inspections

Reach tall and potentially hazardous structures safely from the air. Storage tanks, flare stacks, exhaust stacks, towers, chimneys, and tall support structures — high-resolution imagery from multiple angles.

Typical Uses

Reduced need for scaffolding and manlifts. Detailed documentation of visible defects, corrosion, or damage.

03

Power Line & Utility Corridor Inspections

Monitor linear infrastructure efficiently and safely. Distribution line overflights, pole and hardware checks, vegetation encroachment documentation, and right-of-way condition assessments.

Typical Uses

Prioritize maintenance, improve vegetation management, support storm and incident response.

04

Roof & Building Envelope Inspections

Inspect building exteriors and roofs without putting people at height. Commercial, industrial, and agricultural roofs, facades, gutters, parapets, flashing, and visible damage points.

Typical Uses

Leak investigations, post-storm assessments, pre-purchase or baseline condition documentation.

05

Solar & Wind (Renewables) Inspections

Monitor renewable assets and site conditions from above. Solar farm overviews, panel-level visual inspections, wind turbine exterior checks, and site access and drainage assessments.

Typical Uses

Spot issues early, verify construction, support ongoing O&M planning.

06

Agricultural & Crop Health Inspections

Gain a field-level view of crop conditions and agricultural infrastructure. Document crop vigor and stress patterns, inspect irrigation systems, and monitor field edges and problem areas.

Typical Uses

Focus scouting, verify treatment impact, document seasonal change.

Enhanced Capability

Where LiDAR Supports Inspections

In addition to standard visual inspections, LiDAR can add value when you need a 3D understanding of structures and surrounding terrain, when elevation changes affect access, drainage, or stability, and when repeated inspections require consistent, measurable comparison over time.

  • Visualize clearances, slopes, and relationships between assets and terrain
  • Track subtle changes in ground conditions around facilities, pads, and corridors
  • Integrate inspection results into your existing GIS or engineering workflows

What You Receive

Deliverables

We tailor the format and level of detail to your team — operations, maintenance, engineering, or environmental.

  • High-resolution still images (overview and detail shots)
  • Annotated images or maps highlighting findings and areas of concern
  • Short inspection videos for context and review
  • Georeferenced orthomosaics for larger sites and corridors
  • LiDAR-based point clouds and surfaces where 3D structure or precise elevation is important
  • Time-stamped visual and spatial records for comparison across inspections

Our Process

How an Inspection Works

1

Initial Discussion

You tell us what assets need inspecting, your main concerns, and any deadlines. We clarify whether you need overview conditions, specific components, 3D context, or a combination.

2

Scope & Safety Planning

We define flight areas, access points, and operational constraints. We review safety requirements, site orientations, and communication protocols.

3

On-Site Inspection Flights

We mobilize and conduct safe, controlled flight operations around your assets. We coordinate closely with on-site representatives and control rooms when needed.

4

Review & Delivery

We organize imagery, video, and any LiDAR outputs, flag visible issues, and deliver digital files for your internal review and records.

5

Ongoing Programs

Need recurring inspections? We establish a schedule so you build a consistent visual and spatial history of your assets over time.

Why MWDS

Safer

Keep crews on the ground while we capture what's above, below, or out of reach.

Faster

Cover more ground in less time than manual inspection methods.

Better Documentation

High-resolution visual records, organized and delivered in usable formats.

FAA Certified

Part 107 certified pilot with experience working around active industrial operations.

Local Knowledge

Based in Craig, CO — familiar with the oil and gas, mining, and utility landscape of NW Colorado.

Flexible Scheduling

One-time inspections or recurring programs to match your maintenance cycle.

Let's Take a Closer Look.