North Sea giants look to space for technology to boost oil and gas profits
Articicial intelligence used in Mars missions could transform the sector, writes Alison Campsie
Artificial intelligence used in space exploration could help the North Sea oil and gas industry boost profits and productivity, say experts.
AJ Abdallat, the CEO of Beyond Limits, which developed artificial intelligence systems that helped Nasa operate the Curiosity Rover on Mars, is due to address oil and gas industry leaders in Aberdeen next week. He will be among those leading discussions on the potential benefits of using radical technology in the offshore environment at the Engenious conference, which opens on Tuesday.
Last year, BP invested $20million in the California-based start-up that was launched to adapt space technology for commercial uses.
BP is now preparing to use the firm’s AI solutions to improve how it drills for oil and operates upstream rigs with a pilot from the two companies due to follow.
Mr Abdallat said: “Most large operators are exploring the powers of AI, and I think the message at the Engenious conference will be ‘if you’re not, you should be’. Everyday, advanced digital technologies are becoming more important for the future of the entire energy industry.”
Engenious has been set up to focus on emerging products, services and techniques that could potentially transform the efficiency of exploration and production in the UK continental shelf.
As fields and installations approach the end of their life, finding new solutions to extract the final, hard to reach reserves are a key challenge for the industry.
Earlier this month, a new alternative to the traditional oil production platform was revealed in Aberdeen. Crondall Energy and the Oil and Gas Technology Centre announced further tests of a largely unmanned moveable buoy which can extract oil from hard to reach small pools, which could hold reserves worth up to £135bn to the UK economy.
Ahmed Hashmi, BP’S global head of upstream technology and cochair of the conference, said radical digital technology had a major role in the future of North Sea oil and gas.
“Cognitive computing has the potential to drive new levels of operational insight in our sector.
“Technologies like these could unleash a fresh wave of productivity and profitability improvements.”