Small drones are watching over Houston's oil and gas industry with the help of DataWing, a consulting firm that assists other businesses with their drone departments. The firm trains pilots and helps companies write their safety manuals. DataWing also has its own pilots across the country.

The company has been in business two years, and has a client list that spans industries from insurance to construction to emergency management.

DataWing will send a drone wherever it can be dangerous to send a human.

One of DataWing's biggest clients is in oil and gas: The Woodlands' Anadarko Petroleum.

"We don't have to put a person up in a flare tower in order to inspect that tower," said John Christiansen, with Anadarko.

"We will have the capability of being able to equip infrared cameras and FLIR cameras on drones," Christiansen said. "That will help us inspect pipelines and inspect facilities and that way, we can find leaks and we can immediately address them."

Source: Click 2 Houston www.click2houston.com