From Ropes to Drones: Innovating Offshore Inspections
Once a manual operation, drones are providing a safer, more time efficient option to inspect offshore platforms, helping keep the lights on at home.
When Tori Gibson starts her commute to work, she texts her mom. She texts her mom again when she arrives at her place of work. As she jumps off the helicopter that serves as her ride, she is continually in awe of the vastness of being dropped off in the middle of the ocean. She even sometimes travels by boat from oil platform to oil platform, a daily commute unlike many others.
Tori was a communication specialist in the Army National Guard, became a head cake decorator, and then ventured into oil and gas. Some might call her a jack of all trades, and she is a self-professed adrenaline seeker. Tori was trained to conduct rope access inspections on offshore platforms, and loved the mental challenge that rope access created, especially over open waters. As her role has progressed, so have the technological advancements of the work Tori does.
Read the transcript
Read the transcript
Duration: 3:18 minutes
Description:
This video follows Tori’s journey from cake artist to drone inspector for Shell, helping to advance safer, more efficient offshore platform inspections through cutting-edge aerial technology.
EF24 - RDRONES - Picture Lock Transcript
[Background music plays]
The background instrumentals shift fluidly between folk, country, rock and electronic, creating a distinctive yet cohesive soundscape. Rhythms range from upbeat and energetic to smooth and balanced, with nods to The Sound of Shell throughout.
Video footage
The scene opens with a white car passing through the foreground as a suburban house comes into view. In the driveway, two cars are parked, completing the quiet residential setting.
Tori
I'm Tori.
Tori
Good boy!
Video footage
Low-angle footage shows Tori performing tricks with her dog in the backyard, surrounded by tall trees that frame the scene.
Tori
I was a communication specialist in the Army National Guard, transitioned to making cakes, and then went straight from there into oil and gas. I've been in oil and gas for nine years. Four of that, I've been doing rope access inspection.
Video footage
A series of shots shows Tori at home, interacting with her family, first standing at the kitchen counter, then packing her bag. A close-up highlights her green helmet, adorned with her name, the Shell Pecten, and various stickers. She picks it up and places it in the bag.
Tori
When I am wearing this, I'll be hanging around 200-250 ft over water sometimes. I won't be needing my rope access gear for this one. We’ll be flying drones.
Video footage
Tori holds up her rope harness as she speaks to the off-camera interviewer, then packs it into a separate bag. The next shot shows her securing the clasps on a hard black plastic case with firm clicks.
[Text displays]
Rope access inspectors are retraining to use new cutting-edge drone technology on Shell-operated offshore platforms.
Video footage
A wide shot, taken through a doorway, shows Tori packing her gear in the lounge. The footage transitions into a soft blur as text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Tori
Not very many people take a helicopter to work.
Video footage
Tori, wearing a dark jacket and full safety gear, strides purposefully beneath a yellow helicopter hovering against a partly cloudy sky. In the next shot, an extreme wide view reveals a field of yellow helicopters, with one in flight against the backdrop of blue sky.
Tori
It's pretty awe-inspiring to see the platforms out here in the middle of the ocean, in 3,000 ft of water. The sheer size is pretty insane.
Video footage
A close-up captures Tori gazing thoughtfully out of the helicopter window, her expression calm and reflective. The scene transitions to an aerial shot of the Olympus platform rising from the ocean, with additional platforms visible in the distance beneath a pale blue sky.
[Text displays]
Olympus is positioned 130 miles south of New Orleans.
It’s providing a reliable supply of oil and gas for the US.
Video footage
A drone shot offers a closer view of the Olympus platform, rising from the surrounding expanse of deep blue ocean. The footage transitions into a soft blur as text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Tori
And then you land here, and it’s just gorgeous. I love it.
Video footage
A series of drone shots showcases the platform and its helipad. The team is seen disembarking on the helipad, stepping out with purpose as they arrive on site.
Tori
I really enjoy working in Mississippi Canyon, Mars, Ursa, Vito, Olympus.
Video footage
Tori stands at the railing, wearing her green helmet and full safety gear, gazing out over the Gulf. She points toward the other platforms visible in the distance.
Tori
They're floating cities with hundreds of people on them working diligently to keep the lights on back home. It's my job to help keep it that way.
Video footage
Low-angle footage captures Tori striding confidently across the platform, its towering structures rising against a cloudy blue sky. Aerial shots reveal the scale of operations, with a large number of workers active across the platform. A series of dynamic shots follow: a crane operator at work, a team member sampling a substance, and a control room where operators monitor and analyze data across multiple screens.
Tori
These platforms see hurricanes.
Tori
Test, test.
Tori
They see a lot of sunlight, high waves.
Tori
Watching.
Video footage
Another sweeping drone shot of the platform sets the scene, followed by a sequence of Tori preparing and launching an inspection drone. Focused and efficient, she checks its settings before sending it into the air to begin its survey of the platform.
Tori
Inspections really help to keep this platform running safely and efficiently.
Tori
Awesome.
Video footage
The drone captures an overhead view of Tori standing on the helipad of the platform. Overlaid on the interface are various flight data - altitude, speed, and coordinates - alongside an inset live drone feed of the platform and a small navigation map tracking the drone's position. The scene transitions to an extreme wide shot of Tori standing on the helipad, surrounded by the vast expanse of deep blue ocean, with another platform visible on the horizon in the background.
Tori
There's a lot of really hard-to-access areas. My job is to find damage, diagnose any issues, and mitigate the risks to personnel and to the process. You're going to have some corrosion, but knowing when that's a problem comes with experience.
Video footage
The drone captures another overhead view of the platform, with the interface overlay displaying flight data alongside reading indicators targeting a distant platform. The screen also features an inset live drone feed and a small navigation map tracking the drone’s position. Close-up shots follow, revealing detailed views of the topside and structural legs of the platform. The drone is shown closely inspecting one of the legs. Over this footage, the interface reappears, with the live feed inset now showing a slow pan across the surface of the leg, highlighting its texture and condition.
[Text displays]
Shell Robotics and Shell Air Transport Assurance work closely with the inspection team to develop new technologies to spot maintenance issues.
Video footage
A tilting close-up captures Tori intently watching the drone monitor. The footage transitions into a soft blur as text transitions in to display at frame-center.
Tori
We've got high-powered cameras, thermal cameras, gas detectors.
Video footage
A wide shot shows Tori on the helipad, skillfully maneuvering the drone’s camera. This transitions to an aerial view of an industrial facility, briefly shifting to the purple and orange tones of thermal imaging. Tracking footage follows a hand holding a gas detection device while traversing the offshore platform.
Tori
We even have drones that can fly in confined spaces, build 3D models, and take ultrasonic readings. I'm looking for defects that are as small as a 32nd of an inch. That's submillimeter.
Video footage
Multiple angles capture Tori piloting the drone within an enclosed area of the platform, and the drone hovering steadily over a piece of equipment as Tori watches it. A close-up of the monitor shows her fingers pinching to zoom in on screen graphics. Additional shots from various perspectives follow the drone navigating between pipes and infrastructure. Close-ups capture Tori’s steady hands on the controls, the drone’s swiveling camera in action, and detailed footage of pipes and fittings displayed on the monitor.
Tori
Previously, we would’ve been doing this via rope access, would have taken about a whole day. Now we're able to do it in seven minutes.
Video footage
A close-up captures Tori speaking into her headset microphone, her gaze focused off-camera as she pilots the drone with concentration.
Tori
Drone inspections tend to be faster and don't put people in harm's way.
Video footage
General coverage shows Tori on the platform alongside a colleague, both looking down at the drone monitor. Additional shots capture her actively piloting the drone, which appears in close-up in the foreground as it hovers in flight. An aerial shot shows the platform, with a supply vessel docked alongside, set against the backdrop of the deep blue sea.
Tori
I look back on my younger self making cakes, and I never thought that I would be here today, doing what I do.
Video footage
A series of shots shows Tori in the breakout room, laughing and playing a game with colleagues. The atmosphere is light-hearted and relaxed. This transitions into interview footage of Tori speaking to the off-camera interviewer, with a drone subtly visible in the dim background.
Tori
I'm really excited to use all my expertise and my experience and put it towards this new technology. It's good for inspection, it's good for Shell, and it's good for the future.
Video footage
A wide shot captures Tori in silhouette on the platform, the vibrant hues of the sunset casting a warm glow. A series of angles follows, showing her focused on the drone’s controls as she pilots it. The sequence culminates with a final shot of Tori looking out over the ocean, her gaze contemplative as the sun sets on the horizon.
Video footage and animated sequence
We end on a yellow background montage, where we see various people, ending with Tori, successively posing against the yellow background, and smiling into the camera. An animated Pecten shape displays at frame-center over the flashing images, yellow neon light appearing to move around the outline in a chasing effect. Successively larger Pecten shapes briefly pulsate out from the original shape.
[Audio]
Shell brand mnemonic played on keys.
[Text displays]
Powering Progress Together
© Shell International Limited 2025
[Animated sequence]
The prior scene transitions with a contraction effect, closing in the shape of the Pecten and disappearing at the center of the frame, leaving a white background. The small classic red and yellow Pecten transitions in to display at frame-center against the white background. Text displays below the Pecten and along lower frame.
[Text displays]
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this content “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, ‘‘Shell subsidiaries’’ and ‘‘Shell companies’’ as used in this content refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
[Graphic]
A paragraph of text displays at the center of a white background.
Tori GibsonAs much as I love being 250ft above water, it’s been such a great challenge to learn new technology, learn a new skillset, and ultimately become a better drone pilot.
During Tori’s nine years in the oil and gas industry, she spent four of those conducting manual rope access inspections, more recently transitioning to conducting offshore platform inspections with drones.
Making the out of reach, reachable
Offshore platforms are subjected to the elements of mother nature, be that from sunlight, waves, or inclement weather. As an inspector, Tori is trained to identify and mitigate corrosion risks to keep offshore platforms running smoothly.
Inspections, once done manually, are to help keep these platforms continuing to produce safe and reliable energy today and into the future. Due to the size of some of these offshore platforms, there are areas that may be difficult or dangerous to reach with manual rope access. Drones have helped alleviate these issues.
Most recently, Tori has been working on Olympus, a Shell-operated offshore platform positioned 130 miles south of New Orleans. Shell Robotics and Shell Air Transport Assurance work closely with CAN, an inspection services business, to develop new technologies to spot potential maintenance issues. As more ways to use drones for inspections become more sophisticated, new technologies like underwater drones or confined spaces drones that can take ultrasonic readings are creating unlimited opportunities for drone pilots.
Tori’s background in rope access and transition to drone pilot allows her to streamline inspections because she’s familiar with the area and knows exactly what to look for.
Tori GibsonWith the conditions these platforms sit in, with the water, the salt, and the high winds, you're going to have some corrosion. But knowing when that's a problem comes with experience.
Not only are drones safer, but they are also time efficient. Previous rope access inspections could have taken an entire day, and now inspections can be accomplished in minutes. In some instances, because they allow easier remote access, drone inspections alleviate the need to stop production on the platform.
Life on a floating city
The thrill of commuting via helicopter can sometimes be offset by the challenges of being offshore for weeks at a time. Tori misses her family but takes pride in knowing what she is doing is necessary work. Keeping these platforms running safely and efficiently helps provide secure energy for America. These offshore platforms, or floating cities as they are called, sometimes house hundreds of people, working diligently to keep the lights on back home.
Tori has been on every Shell-operated platform in the Gulf of America; she knows the ingenuity behind these platforms is no small feat and requires equal ingenuity to continuously improve how they are run and maintained. The natural evolution of technology on the platforms inspires innovation in operations too, including finding increasingly smart ways to use drone technology to improve inspections.
Tori GibsonI'm excited to use all my expertise and my experience and put it towards this new technology. It's good for inspection, it's good for Shell, and it's good for the future.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it important to inspect for corrosion?
Why is it important to inspect for corrosion?
The extraction of oil and gas on offshore platforms is an important process to help meet the growing global energy demand. These structures operate in highly corrosive marine environments; therefore, regular inspection and ongoing preventive maintenance are important to detect and address corrosion risks in its early stages. Advanced inspection technologies help with accurate assessments of asset conditions.
Why are drones a desirable choice for inspections?
Why are drones a desirable choice for inspections?
Drones help reduce human risks of falls and potential exposure to dangerous conditions during manual inspections, reduce the need for heavy equipment and labor leading to cost savings for businesses, create more detailed visual data, and increase versatility in inspecting various structures.
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The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this content “Shell”, “Shell Group” and “Group” are sometimes used for convenience to reference Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this content refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. The terms “joint venture”, “joint operations”, “joint arrangements”, and “associates” may also be used to refer to a commercial arrangement in which Shell has a direct or indirect ownership interest with one or more parties. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
