Drone ops edging North Sea oil platform closer to autonomous offshore inspections

Norwegian oil and gas player Aker BP has made a new leap toward fully autonomous offshore inspections and maintenance, thanks to its recently completed first offshore beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operation at its platform in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.

While describing the operation as a “crucial milestone,” Aker BP explained that it was piloted from its onshore control center in Stavanger as part of the inspection flight carried out using an autonomous drone, which Aker Solutions installed on the firm’s Edvard Grieg platform in the North Sea to enable frequent, remote inspections from shore.

Anja Dyb, SVP Life Cycle Services of Aker Solutions, commented: “We believe autonomous drones will revolutionize how inspection and maintenance are performed in the energy industry. Permanently deploying a drone on an oil platform — combined with robotics, AI, and digital technologies takes offshore maintenance to a new level, improving safety, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency across offshore asset management.”

Equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities and advanced sensors, the drone is said to collect high-resolution imagery and data during its inspection rounds. While portraying the flight as “a major step” toward fully autonomous offshore inspections, the Norwegian oil and gas player emphasizes that the drone system includes a drone docking station offshore and supporting infrastructure.

Thomas Øvretveit, Director of Operations at Aker BP, highlighted: “Aker BP’s operational strategy is based on the assumption that robotics and drones will be an integral part of observation, inspection and task executions offshore.

“These technologies will operate autonomously or remotely, either on-site or from land. The successful remote-controlled offshore drone operation at the Edvard Grieg platform, executed by Aker Solutions, is an important milestone for Aker BP as well.”

In addition, Aker Solutions has developed software systems and set up an onshore control room, covering airspace and AIS monitoring, two-way communication with the Helicopter Landing Officer (HLO) aviation management, and platform leadership. 

According to the Norwegian operator, autonomous drones, combined with AI-powered analytics, unlock frequent and highly accurate inspections, with the drone taking consistent, precisely positioned images and videos, allowing for regular monitoring of equipment over time and enabling faster detection of wear, corrosion, and other issues to ensure maintenance can take place before problems grow.

Joachim Hovland, Head of Drones and Robotics, pointed out: “We estimate that autonomous drones can reduce inspection costs by up to 70% and deliver detailed insights within hours — a process that traditionally takes days with manual drone operations.”

Aker BP will use the Deepsea Nordkapp semi-submersible rig for drilling and completion of wells in the Utsirahøyden area of the North Sea, after the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) approved the development plans for Symra and Solveig Phase 2 in 2023.

The first field will be tied back to the Ivar Aasen platform, with production start-up scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. However, the development of Solveig Phase 2 will be connected via existing infrastructure at Solveig to the Edvard Grieg platform from the first quarter of 2026.

Following the first oil and gas production from the Edvard Grieg field in November 2015, the total P2 reserves, currently estimated at 379 million barrels of oil equivalent, have increased from the 186 million estimated when the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved, thanks to larger oil quantities than initially presumed.

Located about 10 kilometers from the Ivar Aasen field, Edvard Grieg, which receives oil and gas from Ivar Aasen for final processing and export, is the host platform for the Solveig field.

Aside from Phase 2 of the Solveig development, Troldhaugen will be a tie-in to this asset, which receives power from shore through the area solution for the Utsira High, producing hydrocarbons with very low CO2 emissions.