Oil & Gas Drone Surveys & UAV Inspections Onshore & Offshore
Oil & Gas Drone Surveys and UAV Inspections
Global Drone Surveys provides CAA-compliant drone surveys and UAV inspections for the oil and gas sector, with the majority of our work supporting onshore assets—terminals, COMAH facilities, pipelines, industrial plants and energy infrastructure. We also support offshore requirements where access and operating constraints allow (scope dependent). Our service is designed to deliver reliable aerial data, repeatable capture and clear documentation while aligning with strict site controls.
Typical Oil & Gas UAV applications
We support inspection, maintenance and project teams with:
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Storage tanks and bunds (roof condition, shell, penetrations, drainage paths, access-limited areas)
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Pipework, manifolds and gantries (interfaces, supports, access constraints, visual condition evidence)
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Flare stack context imagery for planning and condition visibility (site rules observed)
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Terminal and plant overviews for planning, stakeholder reporting and project documentation
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Pipeline and corridor imagery (route access, ground condition, third-party activity, change detection)
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Shutdown and construction progress monitoring with repeatable viewpoints
Safety-led delivery on controlled sites (including COMAH)
We have experience operating within UK COMAH environments, where disciplined planning, documentation and coordination are essential. Each job is delivered using a structured, auditable process aligned to site requirements.
Operational controls and safety documentation typically include:
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RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) aligned to the task and site conditions
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Pre-flight planning, airspace checks and constraints review
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Site liaison, inductions and access arrangements as required
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Controlled take-off/landing procedures, exclusion zones and safe working areas
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Task-specific hazard controls and dynamic decision-making on live sites
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Consistent operating discipline to support safe, predictable capture and traceable deliverables
Offshore support
Where appropriate, we can assist with offshore imagery for:
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Topside structures and interfaces
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Marine-side assets and hard-to-access areas
All offshore work is subject to permissions, platform/vessel rules, weather limits and agreed working arrangements.
What You Receive (Deliverables & Outputs)
Our deliverables are organised and project-ready:
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High-resolution inspection imagery labelled by asset/area
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Optional 4K video clips for technical review and stakeholder updates
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Date-stamped, structured folders for clear traceability
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Optional inspection summary format agreed up front
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Optional mapping/photogrammetry outputs where appropriate
Controlled Sites and COMAH Operations Safety-Led Delivery
Oil and gas environments require a higher standard of planning, coordination and operational discipline—especially on UK COMAH sites, where safety systems, access controls and documentation are fundamental to daily operations. Global Drone Surveys is experienced in working within these controlled settings and aligning our UAV activity to site rules, interface requirements and live operational constraints.
Our team also brings real-world experience linked to emergency service management and incident response environments, where clear decision-making, structured communication and calm delivery under pressure are essential. That mindset translates directly into how we operate on COMAH facilities: methodical planning, tight control measures, and professional liaison with the people responsible for site safety and continuity.
Operational controls and documentation typically include:
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RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) tailored to the asset, location and task
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Pre-flight planning including airspace checks, constraints review and defined flight profiles
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Site liaison with HSE/permit teams to agree working areas, timings and interface controls
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Controlled take-off/landing procedures, exclusion zones and safe access arrangements
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Clear escalation routes and incident management alignment (site procedures, stop-work triggers)
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Consistent operating discipline to deliver precise flying and predictable capture outcomes
This safety-first approach helps clients gain the inspection evidence they need—while maintaining robust control around people, plant, and operational risk.
Environmental impact assessments with drones
Oil and fuel releases can have serious environmental and operational consequences, which is why many oil and gas operators prioritise early detection, rapid assessment and clear documentation.
Drone (UAV) deployments can support this by providing fast, high-level visibility of an incident area—helping teams understand the location, scale and movement of surface contamination and identify the most appropriate access points for response crews.
This aerial overview supports incident management, reduces time spent on initial reconnaissance, and helps direct engineers and clean-up teams to the areas that matter most, while minimising unnecessary exposure on the ground or near water.
Our Equipment
Our multi rotor drones are equipped with highly sensitive optical sensors to detect leakages over dangerous sites and large sections of land that are invisible to the naked eyes. With drones, inspecting, identifying and correcting spillages are easy and manageable undertakings. Drones help cut inspection costs in half while ensuring safe 3D mapping of exploration sites, exploration fields, gas pipelines as well as other municipal operations.
