Few trends have been bigger or more exciting to watch in the last decade than the rise of drones. From serious applications like warfare to more quirky ones like pizza delivery, the world is still clearly just starting to figure out how drones can profitably be used. That background makes the recent chatter about the opportunity for drone use in commercial oil and gas applications an extremely interesting trend to watch. There appears to be traction for drone use in the energy sector both in the United States and abroad. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the regulatory agency governing U.S. airspace, appears willing to allow drones to be used in the energy sector, likely in part because energy applications tend to be in low population density areas, which makes public safety less of an issue. Further, the FAA is likely to release a complete set of rules regarding drones in the next 12 months that could act as a catalyst for stocks across the sector.
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