Released documents reveal Kpler's plan to survey oil tanks with drones

Documents released under Dutch freedom-of-information rules show that data company Kpler sought weekly drone surveys of oil storage tanks around Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, Dronewatch reports. The proposed proof of concept would have run for a year.

The aim was to estimate liquid levels from thermal and visible-light imagery. A Dutch drone operator declined the work after Kpler said it would not contact the tank owners, according to correspondence described by Dronewatch.

The Dutch aviation inspectorate raised legal and safety questions and notified the national counterterrorism and security coordinator in June 2025. The released material does not establish a final legal ruling or whether Kpler ultimately commissioned the surveys elsewhere.