bp ventures has made a £3 million equity investment in Flylogix – a pioneering unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) business that uses drones to aid methane detection. bp ventures focuses on connecting and growing new energy business. It makes strategic equity investments across a portfolio of relevant technology businesses including advanced mobility, low carbon and digital.
The financial injection is part of a funding round led by Amati Global Investors, totalling £6 million.
Flylogix combines its UAV with artificial intelligence, satellite communications and methane sensor
technology, from partner SeekOps, to monitor and measure methane in some of the most remote and
relentless locations in the world.
Flylogix, which holds the UK record for the longest commercial drone flight, has worked with bp since
2018, to monitor assets across the UK North Sea. Its unmanned aircrafts take measurements that
verify emissions safely, reliably and consistently, helping to validate the accurate reporting of
emissions data.
The investment supports bp‘s Aim 4 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.”
During the flight, the aircraft manages itself autonomously with pilot oversight from shore. It can fly as
close as 250m away from installations. Flylogix then live streams data collected by a SeekOps sensor
on its wingtip to the onshore support crew – the sensor technology was originally designed by NASA
for the Mars Curiosity Rover.
This technique provides bp and other operators with accurate and quantifiable emission data which
can improve how that data is assessed and collated.
This method of methane monitoring supports bp and the wider industry in its efforts to monitor and
drive down emissions from its operations without the need for additional people offshore and the cost
and carbon emissions associated with that.
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.”
Flylogix will leverage the funding round to expand to new geographies, including the US, Norway and
Trinidad & Tobago. It will also crossover into the biodiversity and renewable energy industries,
conducting wind turbine blade inspections for offshore sites.
bp ventures plays a key role in helping bp reinvent itself as an integrated energy company. It invests in
a portfolio of high growth technology businesses that will benefit and extend bp’s core businesses, as
well as open up opportunities in digital adjacencies. It also invests in businesses that can help bp
reduce carbon in its operations and production.
Cover Image Courtesy of bp
