Norwegian oil and gas player Aker BP has made a new leap toward fully autonomous offshore inspections and maintenance, thanks to its recently completed first offshore beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operation at its platform in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.

While describing the operation as a “crucial milestone,” Aker BP explained that it was piloted from its onshore control center in Stavanger as part of the inspection flight carried out using an autonomous drone, which Aker Solutions installed on the firm’s Edvard Grieg platform in the North Sea to enable frequent, remote inspections from shore.