‘Largest’ drone quest puts emission monitoring into gear across 33 North Sea oil & gas assets

Two players, Cyberhawk and Explicit, have started the ball rolling on an offshore drone campaign for emissions measurement in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, which is being undertaken on 33 offshore platforms operated by Equinor, Norway’s energy giant.

This launch, described as the largest offshore drone-based emissions monitoring campaign in the Norwegian North Sea under the United Nation’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) 2.0 framework, is being conducted on Equinor’s assets, with Explicit, which uses unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology to monitor and quantify methane emissions, as prime contractor.

Furthermore, the multi-million euro campaign, which began on April 1, 2025, entails deploying eight teams to survey 33 offshore platforms in the Norwegian North Sea using advanced drone-based methane emissions sensing, all within a narrow operational window to complete by end of September 2025.

Philip Buchan, Cyberhawk’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “This landmark campaign is spearheaded internally by Cyberhawk’s Oil, Gas & Marine (OGM) team, which brings together industry experts with deep operational knowledge of the offshore sector.

“The campaign reflects a massive cross-functional effort, drawing on both Cyberhawk and Explicit’s commercial, technical, operations and planning teams alongside field specialists, including UAS pilots and engineers.”

Moreover, the entire scope of the campaign was awarded by Explicit to Cyberhawk due to its ability to quickly mobilize teams, and existing pilot experience with the DFM methodology, which represents a departure from conventional multi-vendor delivery models but allows for greater consistency, faster deployment, and reduced logistical complexity.

The operational benefits of this single-vendor model encompass curtailed risk through unified project management and methodology, accelerated execution by operating multiple drone teams in parallel, standardized data collection processes and quality assurance, and streamlined end-to-end communications and on-site adaptability.

Bettina Knudsen, COO and Commercial Director at Explicit, highlighted: “This contract is a milestone for us. Equinor is committed to mitigating the effects of methane emissions and the use of innovative technologies such as drones to document emissions.

“When they came to us with this project, it was natural for us to lean on Cyberhawk for UAV support. Their vast experience and capability in executing UAV campaigns offshore gave us comfort that together we could deliver on a monumental task.”

While fieldwork is being carried out by drone pilots and engineers, utilizing Explicit’s proprietary drone flux measurement (DFM) technique to quantify methane emissions, several specialized teams are running in parallel for this campaign, which is seen as a major logistical feat that underscores the two players’ ability to deliver high-performance and scalable drone solutions in complex offshore environments.

Cyberhawk was able to commit to full campaign coverage backed by ISO-certified systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001, to ensure that every measurement meets the highest technical, safety, quality, and environmental standards. The collected data will be processed by Explicit’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratory, specializing in emissions analysis using drone technology.

Callum Kottis, Senior Vice President of Oil, Gas & Marine Operations at Cyberhawk, emphasized: “This campaign represents a major step forward in both scale and technical execution for offshore emissions monitoring. It highlights the importance of integrated, data-driven approaches to environmental measurement in the energy sector.

“Our journey with Explicit has been both dynamic and rewarding, marked by shared achievements and continued growth. This latest milestone represents not just another step forward, but a testament to the strength and evolution of our partnership.”