Drones to monitor methane leaks from UK oil and gas facilities

Flylogix

OIL AND GAS giants Shell, Ithaca Energy and Equinor will use drones to measure methane emissions from leaks at 16 offshore platforms and onshore terminals in the UK.

Drone manufacturer Flylogix will launch their long-distance drones from sites in Aberdeenshire in northeast Scotland and Fareham on the south coast of England to provide measurements of atmospheric methane close to the facilities, including at the Cygnus gas field in the North Sea operated by Ithaca Energy – one of the country’s biggest gas fields.

Known across the sector as “gas fugitives”, methane leaks are a significant source of emissions from oil and gas facilities. Currently, most emissions data is captured using “bottom-up” calculations, rather than “top-down” atmospheric measurements which Flylogix says will provide a far more complete picture. They also believe the drones will help pinpoint the exact source of the emissions, such as a corroding valve or leaking pipeline.

Flylogix has been monitoring fugitives from other Shell facilities in the UK since 2020, as well as platforms and terminals operated by bp, Taqa, TotalEnergies and Harbour Energy. The drones have collected more than 2.5m atmospheric methane data points from distances as close as 250 m to the facility – much closer than would be possible with a crewed aircraft.

The total value of the most recent contracts has not been disclosed, although Flylogix confirmed it was in the region of seven figures. Flylogix CEO Charles Tavner said: “These awards are testament to the industry’s commitment to tackle offshore emissions on the path to net zero, while meeting the UK’s vital energy needs.

“Flylogix’s solution allows operators to receive timely data without the cost, emissions, or safety implications of sending crews offshore.”

Methane maths

Methane is 84 times more potent than CO2 in terms of its greenhouse effect over the first 20 years after emission. This decreases to 28 over a 100-year period owing to methane’s relatively short atmospheric lifetime of 12 years. Methane is thought to have been responsible for 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution.

According to the International Energy Agency’s global methane tracker, the oil and gas sector was responsible for around 13% of the 610m t of methane emitted around the world in 2024, 2m t of which were caused by leaks from end-use equipment. It is estimated that methane accounts for around half the oil and gas sector’s total greenhouse gas emissions, although most of the industry’s emissions come from flaring and venting.

UK assets contribute a small amount to the oil and gas industry’s global emissions. Shell’s UK emissions in 2024, for instance, were 2m tCO2e compared to 10m tCO2e in the US and 8m tCO2e across the Middle East. The company’s global methane emissions that year were 0.9m tCO2e, with approximately 12% attributed to fugitives.

The latest drone contracts were signed as part of the companies’ ongoing targets to reduce methane emissions. Both Shell and Equinor are targeting “near-zero” methane emissions by 2030, with Ithaca aiming to maintain emissions intensity lower than 0.2%. Globally, the oil and gas sector has pledged to cut methane emissions by 50% as part of an agreement signed in 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow.