The plan applies only to fixed installations. Regardless of the outcome of the trials, standby vessels will continue to support mobile drilling rigs and floating production systems.
The company had planned to carry out trials with aircraft later this year, despite opposition from offshore unions.
After consultations with staff, the oil giant will wait until a specially modified search and rescue helicopter is available.
Trials will now not begin until 2002. If the go-ahead is ultimately given, the first helicopter would be unlikely to be in service until about 2003, with full implementation unlikely before the end of the following year.
The plan applies only to fixed installations. Regardless of the outcome of the trials, standby vessels will continue to support mobile drilling rigs and floating production systems.
BP's business unit leader for west of Shetland, Clive Fowler, said: "The first phase of consultation resulted in our staff requesting that we move forward to a second phase of consultation and trials.
"Initially we had envisaged carrying out these trials with a modified civilian aircraft later this year.
"However, as a result of staff feedback, we now accept that a specially-modified SAR (search and rescue) helicopter should carry out the trials over an extended period
Vote call rejected
In July, BP Amoco rejected a call to ballot all workers on the proposals after the unions said a vote was the only way to establish staff views.
A spokesman said the company was committed to the fullest possible consultation with staff and the results would be fed back to the workforce.
The plan has attracted wider criticism from MPs and the Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel Association (Errva).
Helicopters were "complementary" to the work of rescue vessels, which must remain the hub of the service to protect lives offshore, according to the association.
The decision to delay the plan has been welcomed by Errva chairman Jeremy Daniel.
He said he was delighted that BP was recognising some of the "flaws" in its programme which would become more obvious as it proceeded.
BP Amoco plans to locate four dedicated emergency response helicopters offshore, each with a 10-minute response time.
Two other helicopters based onshore would have a one-hour response time. The platforms would also have fast rescue craft launched by crane.
BP Amoco operates more than 50 fixed platforms in 38 fields throughout the North Sea.