The Korea Gas Corporation said Thursday that it had adopted information and communications technology to improve its workflow and ensure a safer gas supply.

Kogas is using a “smart mobile system” that enables tighter communication between the head office and its operation sites. The new system increases workflow efficiency by repackaging the on-site operation as data, which is then relayed and monitored in real time.

Furthermore, to provide a reliable public service and a continuous supply of liquefied natural gas, Kogas is newly leveraging big data to monitor the nationwide LNG supply level, preemptively determine how much demand for LNG a region will have and automatically distribute LNG accordingly.

For on-site safety checks, Kogas is considering whether to employ drones to examine gas pipes, saying this would minimize human error.

Preliminary tests of drones for gas leak surveillance are to be carried out on Korea’s southernmost resort island of Jeju. There are some 80 kilometers of gas pipes buried underground on the island. As demand for gas increases on Jeju, there has been a corresponding hike in workforce numbers, materials and time spent on maintenance. The new cutting-edge technology, if proven feasible through the tests, is expected to lessen the burden on the state agency.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)