OSRL strengthens oil spill response with Sky-Futures’ UAV service

Oil Spill Response Ltd (OSRL), the world’s largest international spill response organisation has recently teamed up with Sky-Futures, a global provider of drone-based inspection services to strengthen its spill response services using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drone) as a surveillance/reconnaissance tool for oil spill.

The initiative will bring OSRL’s spill response expertise together with Sky-Futures’ industry-leading UAV-flying skills to deliver better response capabilities and shorten mobilisation time. The partnership will focus on the provision of UAV cutting-edge technology and good practice approaches when dealing with oil spills.

The partnership with Sky-Futures will offer a cost-effective and reactive solution in the event of a spill for our members. We have already identified a range of scenarios where UAVs would provide a notable advantage over existing approaches, including providing support for containment and recovery operations, shoreline surveys, post-treatment inspections or site security, to name just a few. One of the major benefits of UAVs relates to creating HSE advantages and cost efficiencies within almost every area of operation. For example, if you are conducting a shoreline survey, it would typically take a team up to an hour to survey one kilometre. The UAV can scan that same area in minutes and, through its unique sensors and availability to reach difficult to access areas, provide additional information that a physical team would struggle to detect from land.James Pringle

Senior Response Specialist, Oil Spill Response Limited

The two partners have taken part in an oil spill response exercise led by OSRL in Southampton last year to demonstrate the capability of UAVs to perform preliminary survey assessments in the event of an oil spill. During the exercise, the team also tested the capacity to launch, recover, and operate an UAV from an offshore vessel.

We are delighted to offer OSRL members a significant reduction in incident response times. UAVs have proved advantageous in many areas that are logistically challenging, offering a cost-effective alternative to conventional manned and satellite platforms. We can provide a comprehensive overview of the extent of the oil spill, reduce human risks, increase operational flexibility and improve the efficiency of collecting crucial data during an emergency response situationJames Harrison

CEO, Sky-Futures

About Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL)

Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) is the largest international industry-funded cooperative. It exists to respond to oil spills wherever in the world they may occur, providing preparedness, response and intervention services. OSRL is wholly owned by most of the environmentally responsible oil and gas companies around the globe, and its membership represents the majority of the world’s oil production. It currently employs 275 people across nine locations around the world.

For more information visit the Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) website

About Sky-Futures

Since 2009, Sky-Futures has established itself as the world’s leading provider of drone-based inspection services to the global industrial markets. This expertise, operational knowledge and experience have been employed to develop ground-breaking software, sensor and technology solutions for the drone-based industrial inspection market. This leading-edge technology is being used today by clients looking to harness the power of drone-driven data collection and analysis.

Sky-Futures’ end-to-end enterprise solutions including training packages, services and software solutions enable enterprises to perform safe and cost-effective drone inspections of a variety of vertical infrastructures, including but not limited to the following industries: Oil and Gas; Renewables; Utilities; Power and Civil Engineering.
Sky-Futures is operating in 27 countries with customers in the UK, Europe, South East Asia, Middle East, North America, and Africa. The business is headquartered in London with offices in Houston, TX in the USA, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Abu Dhabi in UAE and Aberdeen in Scotland.

For more information visit the Sky-Futures website