bp invests in methane-detecting drone company that uses Mars rover technology

bp ventures said on Tuesday it has made a US $3.9 million equity investment in Flylogix, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) business that uses drones to aid methane detection.

The financial injection is part of a funding round led by Amati Global Investors, worth approximately $8 million, the company said in a statement.

Combining UAV with artificial intelligence, satellite communications and methane sensor technology, Flylogix seeks to monitor and measure methane in some of the most remote and relentless locations in the world.

The unmanned aircraft manages itself autonomously with pilot oversight from shore, and can fly as close as 250m away from installations. Flylogix live streams the data collected by a sensor on its wingtip to the onshore support crew. The sensor technology was originally designed by NASA for the Mars Curiosity Rover.

“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,” David Hayes, managing partner, bp ventures, said in a statement. 

“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,” he added in the statement.

According to the company, the investment will support bp‘s aim of installing methane measurement on all existing major oil and gas processing sites by 2023 and deliver a 50 percent reduction in methane intensity across its operations.