BP PLC signed a five-year contract to use drones at its oil operations in Alaska, the first large-scale, government-approved commercial use of unmanned aircraft in the U.S.

The U.K.-based energy company said it hired California drone maker AeroVironment Inc. to use its 13.5-pound aircraft to capture and analyze data on operations at BP's Prudhoe Bay oil field, one of the largest oil fields in North America. AeroVironment will produce three-dimensional maps of the field's roads, pipelines and well pads, among other tasks.

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