Wednesday 23 March 2022

bp invests £3m in methane-detecting drone firm Flylogix

Energy giant bp has invested £3 million in unmanned aviation firm Flylogix following methane monitoring trials in the UK North Sea.

Flylogix combines its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with artificial intelligence (AI), satellite communications and methane sensor technology from partner SeekOps to monitor and measure methane in some of the most remote locations in the world.

The start-up has worked with bp since 2018 to monitor assets across the UK North Sea, with its drones taking measurements that verify methane emissions and helping to validate the accurate reporting of emissions data.

During the flight, the UAV manages itself autonomously with pilot oversight from shore and can fly as close as 250 metres away from installations.

The investment supports bp's ambition of installing methane measurement on all existing major oil and gas processing sites by 2023 and deliver a 50% reduction in methane intensity across its operations.

David Hayes, Managing Partner of bp ventures said: “We are investing in companies that can help us with our net zero ambition and aims. And Flylogix has been instrumental in how we undertake measurements of methane emissions in the North Sea.

“Accurate emissions measurements are the basis upon which mitigation plans are based – we look forward to continuing our partnership with Flylogix as it expands into new regions.”

The investment from bp Ventures is part of a funding round led by Amati Global Investors, totalling £6 million.

Charles Tavner, CEO of Flylogix said: "This latest investment will help Flylogix bring our proven UAV technology to new regions and develop applications to realise the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles. It is a significant moment for the business. We see endorsement from bp as a vote of confidence and are proud to build on our existing partnership, in pursuit of net zero.”