Drones up close Below the satellites, drones narrow the search to individual sites. Mai Alhammadi, a senior electrical maintenance engineer in Bab Operations, part of ADNOC Onshore’s oil and gas field operations in Abu Dhabi, has led the use of drones fitted with methane sensors. Surveys above tanks have searched for methane releases, measuring concentrations location by location. “The drones identified methane emissions at specific tank locations. Reports, including photographs and location references, were submitted to the operations and maintenance teams for corrective action,” she says. “Follow-up verification flights confirmed lower methane concentrations after the work was completed.” Building on this work, ADNOC’s Group HSE department has established an annual methane drone survey program covering material Upstream assets. The surveys provide site-level monitoring and help validate source-level data, building confidence in how emissions are quantified and reported. Fixed-wing aircraft cover pipeline corridors over longer flights, while multirotor drones can hover over tanks, wellheads, and flare tips. ADNOC is also strengthening its internal methane management capabilities, with 15 UAE National drone operators trained across two cohorts.