OIL MAJOR EQUINOR TRIALS DRONES FOR ON-DEMAND CRITICAL CARGO DELIVERIES
Trialling long range beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) offshore cargo delivery drones, Norwegian energy leader Equinor aims to optimise the uptime of its offshore oilfield assets, delivering mission critical parts faster, safer, cheaper and more sustainably than helicopters and supply ships.
Location: Norway & The North Sea
Industry: Oil & Gas
Drone used: Swoop Aero Kite
The challenge
Operating and maintaining uptime for 70+ oil rigs, up to 400km offshore
Equinor is a global energy leader known for its commitment to sustainable solutions and innovation across oil, gas, and renewables. The company operates 70+ rigs off the coast of Norway, sometimes up to 400km off the coastline.
Maintaining asset uptime is critical, with each hour offline carrying considerable financial implications.
Relying on helicopters or supply ships, offshore logistics for supplying and maintaining these platforms is complex, costly, people-intensive, and carbon emission-heavy. They are also restricted by adverse weather conditions and poor visibility.
The solution
On-demand shore to rig and intra-rig drone deliveries
Using Skyports’ Swoop Aero Kite aircraft, in 2023 and 2024 Equinor trialled flight programmes demonstrating the capabilities of on-demand automated drone services flown BVLOS.
Piloted from a Remote Operations Centre in Bergen, Norway, the drones serviced 8 installations, demonstrating their offshore capabilities and delivering cargo such as spare parts, equipment and care packages. Landing automatically, there was also no need for Skyports operatives to be present at the offshore installations, with trained Equinor staff being able to receive the cargo.
The drones were able to be airborne in a matter of hours – a vast improvement on helicopters, which can take up to 48 hours dependent on aircraft availability, weather and flight schedules. Flying unmanned, the drones also reduced the safety risks that come with operating helicopters offshore.
The result
Tackling asset downtime quicker, safer and more cost effectively
During the course of the trials in 2024 Skyports operated an extensive flight campaign, being on call 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and flying up to 125km in a single flight. Skyports also operated multiple flights simultaneously.
As a part of the wider programme, Skyports trained 122 of Equinor’s helideck officers to integrate with the operations, in order to load and unload cargo, switch and charge batteries, and safely interact with the drones – demonstrating how drones could be easily worked within Equinor’s regular operations.
Off the foundation of these trials, Skyports is working to implement drone deliveries into Equinor’s supply chain, complementing its existing helicopter delivery operations with long range off-shore drone delivery solutions that are cheaper, faster, safer and more sustainable.