Petrobras completes remote-controlled offshore mission trial

Brazilian energy giant Petrobras is currently conducting trials using a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 remotely piloted rotorcraft to deliver cargo to a platform about 180 kilometers offshore, marking the culmination of a project that began in 2018.

The company had previously used unmanned aircraft for a variety of tasks, such as conducting inspections and even painting platforms and vessels. This work led the company to investigate the feasibility of using larger aircraft to support offshore logistics.

“Innovation is in Petrobras' blood,” explains Thyago Silva Hermeto, Petrobras' aviation safety consultant. “As production moves to deeper waters, we wanted to see if there was a way to support these operations with remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs).”

The project involved over 50 people in 10 teams and resulted in partnerships in the Brazilian private and public sectors and abroad. Nordic Unmanned contributed the know-how it had acquired with the S-100 in Europe and operated under the Air Operator Certificate of OMNI Táxi Aéreo.

But in addition to the technical knowledge required to fly the aircraft, developing a regulatory framework to support operations was equally important. Collaboration with the Brazilian Airspace Control Authority (DECEA), the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) and the national air traffic control provider Nav Brazil was crucial.

“This trial was all about proving the concept and creating a regulatory environment,” Hermeto explained. “We believe this will stimulate the market for new capabilities.”

The key to this was the separation between normal manned passenger aircraft and the RPAs. Since NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) were ruled out as insufficient separation security, the Petrobras team decided to conduct the first tests at night in a separate airspace.

“Night operations were a good start,” said Hermeto. “Because it allowed us to reduce the overlap with regular passenger flights, which only operate during the day.”

Even with clear airspace, the distance posed a huge technical challenge. A ground control team had to be stationed at Petrobras' land base at the Imbetiba helipad and at the target site – the P-51 offshore platform. Control of the aircraft was handed over at about halfway, which was close to the maximum range for controlling the RPA.

“Our two objectives were to have zero fatalities and to build confidence that we can operate safely,” explained Thais de Araujo Ferraz, manager of aviation safety at Petrobras. “To achieve this, the entire Upstream Logistics team is committed to always bringing the truth to light, even when it is bad news; never shooting the bearer of bad news and leveraging expertise from outside Petrobras.”

The first flight took place on June 19, 2024. The S-100 flew at an altitude of 2,440 meters above sea level and brought a payload of 50 kilograms to the P-51 platform. Test flights are scheduled to continue until the end of the year as part of the first phase of the project – the proof of concept.

“In Phase 2, we will carry out operations in daylight, and then we want to consolidate our knowledge in longer projects,” said Araujo Ferraz. “We want to increase the total mass [of the cargo delivered]and develop regulation to support a different model for offshore aviation.”