U.S. Approves BP Drone Surveys of Alaskan Oilfields

BP has been authorized to use unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, to conduct aerial surveys of pipelines and other infrastructure on Alaska's North Slope, the first commercial drone flights over land, U.S. authorities said on Tuesday.

AeroVironment started flying its Puma AE drone to survey BP's pipelines, roads and equipment at Prudhoe Bay, the largest U.S. oilfield, on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

(Reporting by Ros Krasny; Editing by Doina Chiacu)