The umbrellas can be traced using the innovative Tile smartphone and tablet app, and will be offered as prizes in a unique competition at next week's APPEA conference.

Visitors to the pair's stand will have the opportunity to win by estimating how many cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are detected over 72 hours across 10 regions in Australia.

Lightning is the most dangerous and frequently encountered weather hazard right across Australia, accounting for 5-10 deaths and over 100 injuries annually and causing $6-10 million in damage every year in Australia.

Some scientists predict global warming will increase the number of severe storms, meaning up to three times the current number of lightning strikes may occur.

"Mitigating the hazards of lightning strikes is a major consideration for all offshore and oil and gas companies due to the very nature of their operations," MetraWeather business development manager Peter Fisher said.

"Managing lightning risks is also increasingly part and parcel of zero-harm health and safety policies.

"MetraWeather works with leading oil and gas and offshore operations to implement lightning management plans that help mitigate lightning hazards and risk.

"We hope our APPEA lightning competition for BLUNT umbrellas will highlight how important it is that oil and gas operations receive highly-accurate, real-time forecast guidance and lightning detection alerts."