A Conversation with Bridger Field Services Manager Bobby Melton
Offshore methane measurement requires more than simply adapting onshore workflows. Limited access, complex logistics, dynamic environmental conditions, and strict safety requirements demand technologies that can collect reliable emissions data efficiently while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations. In this interview, Bridger Field Services Manager Bobby Melton shares his experience leading offshore UAV deployments, discusses what makes offshore measurement different, and explains how combining source- and site-level intelligence is helping operators better understand and manage emissions across complex facilities.
Q1. Offshore emissions measurement presents unique challenges. Tell us a bit about what makes offshore facilities different from onshore operations?
Offshore emissions measurement presents a unique set of logistical and operational challenges that are far more demanding than most onshore work. The first challenge is simply getting to the facility. Personnel and equipment, particularly batteries and other regulated items, often need to be transported to the platform well in advance, so every aspect of the campaign must be carefully planned and executed on a strict schedule.
Offshore platforms operate on tightly coordinated rotations, where every available bed is allocated to personnel performing critical work. Delays don't just affect the measurement campaign, they can disrupt crew changes and other scheduled operations. As a result, there is significant pressure to complete work efficiently while maintaining the highest safety standards.
Another major consideration is simultaneous operations (SIMOPS). Emissions measurement activities must be coordinated alongside helicopter arrivals and departures, supply vessel and crane operations, maintenance work, and sometimes other drone activities. These competing priorities require constant communication with the platform crew and the flexibility to adjust plans without compromising safety or data quality.
Weather is another factor that can significantly impact offshore operations. Depending on the region, teams may encounter heavy rain, high winds, freezing temperatures, or extreme heat that requires mandatory work-rest cycles. While weather and scheduling challenges also exist onshore, offshore facilities offer far less flexibility because access is limited to helicopters or boats. Missing a weather window or scheduled transport can delay work by hours or even days, making planning, coordination, and execution especially critical.
Q2. Why are UAVs such an effective platform for methane measurement offshore and at other complex facilities?
One of the biggest advantages of UAVs is that they combine safety, efficiency, and high-quality data collection. If you look at the evolution of aviation, it's clear that many applications are moving toward unmanned systems because they reduce risk to personnel while also making inspections more automated and repeatable.
Offshore facilities are exactly the type of environment where UAVs excel. They can safely access areas around complex infrastructure where a smaller, highly maneuverable aircraft is the most practical tool. Modern UAVs are equipped with redundant flight systems, multiple safety failsafes, and the ability to carry a variety of sensor payloads while flying automated, preplanned routes. This makes them well suited for operating safely and reliably in demanding offshore conditions.
Rather than replacing crewed aircraft, UAVs complement them by providing a platform that is particularly well suited to the operational constraints and inspection requirements of offshore facilities. Combined with their ruggedized hardware designed for harsh marine environments, UAVs have become an ideal tool for offshore emissions measurement.
Q3. With your experience across multiple offshore emissions detection methods, what differentiates Bridger's technology from other approaches you've seen?
Having worked with several offshore emissions measurement technologies, I see three key differentiators in Bridger's approach:
The first is operational flexibility. Bridger's source-level measurement capabilities give operators greater flexibility in when and how surveys can be conducted. That translates into fewer weather-related delays and more efficient operations offshore.
The second is actionability. Bridger's technology provides customers with a precise visual indication of the emission source, in the form of plume imagery maps, making it much easier for maintenance teams to locate the specific leak source and take corrective action.
The third key differentiator is speed. Bridger's technology enables rapid data collection, allowing facilities to be surveyed more quickly and more frequently. Faster surveys reduce the opportunity for changing operational conditions or environmental factors to influence results, while also making it practical to inspect more assets within the same operational window. For offshore operators, where vessel and helicopter time is limited and expensive, that efficiency is a significant advantage.
Q4. Take us behind the scenes. What does a typical day look like when you're running an offshore measurement campaign?
The days are long, and a significant amount of time is spent preparing equipment, charging batteries, moving gear, processing data, and adapting to the platform's operations.
Another thing worth mentioning about working offshore is that the moment you step onto the platform, there’s a tremendous amount of camaraderie. Everyone watches each other's back and pitches in wherever they can to keep the platform running safely and efficiently. Our team participates in the daily platform meetings as needed, and works closely with everyone on board to make sure our activities fit safely and efficiently within the platform's broader operations.
It's a demanding environment, but that's also what makes it rewarding. Every successful survey is the result of careful planning, teamwork, and a shared commitment to collecting reliable data safely in one of the most challenging operating environments there is.
Q5. You've now gone through several rounds of collecting, reviewing, and presenting Bridger's data to our customers. What aspects of the data or analysis process tend to surprise people the most?
The biggest surprise is usually seeing both the individual emission sources and the complete site-level measurement together. Customers are used to seeing one or the other, but having both provides a much more complete picture of facility performance, including equipment that needs maintenance.
The OGMP 2.0 Level 4 source measurement allows customers to see pinpoint leak locations and the associated gas plumes. This is something the offshore methane measurement space hadn’t yet seen until we launched our UAV GML data product. With our new product, customers get an actual visual of the asset showing the emission locations and plumes.
The OGMP 2.0 Level 5 measurement complements Level 4 by providing a complete facility methane emission total based on a large number of individual surveys. A typical Level 5 flight could include as many as 15 passes over a facility, allowing those measurements to be averaged into a highly reliable site-level emission estimate. Combining source-level attribution with a statistically robust site-level measurement is something many offshore operators haven't experienced before, and it gives them much greater confidence in the data.
Q6. Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Offshore methane measurement is still evolving, and we're only beginning to see what's possible. What's exciting to me is that we're moving beyond simply detecting emissions toward giving operators information they can actually use to make better maintenance decisions, improve efficiency, and better understand how their facilities are performing. That's where I think the industry is headed, and it's exciting to be part of that transition.
As offshore emissions management continues to evolve, operators need measurement technologies that do more than quantify emissions; they need decision-grade data that can support faster maintenance decisions and improve operational efficiency in addition to providing confidence in reporting. By combining UAV-based source-level attribution with site-level facility measurements, Bridger is helping deliver a more complete understanding of offshore emissions, giving operators better emissions intelligence for some of the industry's most challenging environments.
Bobby Melton is a Field Service Manager at Bridger Photonics, where he leads global offshore UAV methane measurement operations and supports complex field deployments around the world. With more than eight years of commercial UAS experience, Bobby has managed emissions measurement campaigns across offshore and onshore energy assets throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His work focuses on delivering safe, accurate, and actionable methane emissions data that helps operators reduce emissions, improve operational decision-making, and advance their environmental performance. Combining expertise in international project management, aviation, and offshore operations, Bobby works closely with customers and global drone service providers to execute complex measurement campaigns in some of the industry's most challenging environments.