Drones help onshore and offshore energy firms drill for data

New York

WHEN Chris Blackford started pitching Sky-Futures, the drone company he had co-founded, to oil and natural gas companies, there was not much interest.

The London-based startup flies unmanned aircraft around offshore platforms, oil rigs and other sites, collecting high-resolution videos and images that can spot potential infrastructure problems and, according to Blackford, cost roughly 80 per cent less than traditional inspections.