Equinor signs Danish drone company to look for methane emissions

Danish “greentech scaleup” Explicit ApS says it has secured a multi-million EUR contract to survey methane emissions from all Norwegian assets on behalf of Equinor Energy ASA in 2025.

The contract includes survey of 39 offshore platforms located on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and three onshore facilities.

This year’s survey is part of Equinor’s commitment to methane reporting under the UN Oil Gas Methane Partnership 2.0. The project will deploy Explicit's ISO accredited Drone Flux Measurement (DFM) Method, a technique patented by Explicit that uses ‘sniffer drones’ to quantify fugitive methane from whole sites.

The scope includes both site level measurements of methane emissions as well as measurement of Destruction Removal Efficiency (DRE) of the flares.

Drone pilot operations will be done in collaboration with UK-based Cyberhawk Innovations Ltd.

With the demand for aerial methane surveys on the rise globally, Explicit says that it is ramping up to meet client needs. In support of the new contract and other projects, Explicit is opening new offices in Norway in addition to its presence in Denmark, Germany, and Australia.