The oil and gas industry has entered a new era — one shaped by the accelerating influence of artificial intelligence and automation. These are no longer emerging tools but powerful forces reshaping how the sector operates. The global market for AI in oil and gas is expected to rise from £2.2 billion in 2023 to £4.0 billion by 2028. In fast-adopting regions such as the Middle East, AI could contribute up to £250 billion to the economy by 2030, with annual growth rates between 20% and 34%. But beyond the figures, the real question is what strategies companies can use to adapt and lead in this evolving landscape.
The Impact of AI and Automation
Across the value chain, digital tools are already transforming operations. In exploration, machine learning helps interpret seismic data with greater accuracy. On the operational side, predictive maintenance reduces downtime and prolongs equipment life. In logistics and safety, digital control systems and real-time monitoring streamline workflows and reduce risk. These technologies are becoming especially vital as companies face increasing costs. Natural gas finding costs more than doubled from £2.0/boe in 2022 to £4.1/boe in 2023, and oil finding costs rose from £2.7/boe to £6.8/boe in the same period. In the challenging market, AI and automation provide the adaptability needed to stay competitive and meet rising expectations around sustainability and regulation.
AUTOMA 2025: A Hub for Innovation
This shift toward smarter operations is exactly what AUTOMA 2025 supports. Held in the Netherlands, the Congress brings together over 350 industry professionals from leading companies such as Shell, TotalEnergies, Repsol, Fluor and others. It offers more than 55 case studies across upstream, midstream and downstream. These presentations provide practical insights and strategies for IT executives, digital transformation managers, data scientists and technology decision-makers driving innovation across the energy sector. The Congress’s closed-door format encourages focused, in-depth conversations around AI, digital twins, IoT and big data.
Congress Programme Highlights
One of the technical sessions at AUTOMA 2025 delves into how digital technologies are reshaping upstream operations, particularly the use of spatial data to support exploration, development and offshore planning. Within this session, Galvin Tan, Geo-Information Analyst at Shell Malaysia, shares how the company is applying AI and automation to streamline the processing of seabed survey data. By implementing a standardised data model, Shell has cut processing time by 60%, allowing geospatial teams to focus on higher-value analysis that supports well maturation and offshore operations. He also addresses the challenge of handling multilingual, unstructured documents for offshore activity updates, where AI solutions have automated data extraction and saved hundreds of man-hours. This case study demonstrates that automation not only accelerates data workflows but also boosts the accuracy and agility of decision-making in upstream environments.
Another key part of the programme is a roundtable session dedicated to exploring how big data and AI can drive strategic growth across global operations. In this session, Gianluca Di Lecce, Head of Subcontracting Department UKOC at Technip Energies, outlines the company’s initiative to unify construction cost estimation and subcontractor qualification. Through a centralised AI-powered database, Technip Energies has eliminated inefficiencies stemming from fragmented communication across international offices, improving predictability and streamlining workflows.
At the same roundtable, Andy Webster, Digital Director – Sustainable Technology Solutions at KBR, explains the use of AI to unlock the potential of heritage assets — aging infrastructure that often suffers from inconsistent data and maintenance gaps. KBR’s Intelligent Asset Management approach uses AI to fill in missing information, align asset hierarchies and enable predictive maintenance, resulting in extended asset life and reduced downtime. The platform is part of a broader digital ecosystem that also includes digital twins and advanced simulation tools, offering a comprehensive strategy for modernising legacy systems. The roundtable format allows participants to discuss possible applications of these tools within their own organisations, making the discussion both technical and actionable.
All of these sessions reflect a clear trend: AI and automation are being applied in increasingly sophisticated ways, tailored to specific industry challenges. Whether it’s speeding up data processing in offshore exploration, standardising global construction planning or revitalising ageing assets, the presentations at AUTOMA 2025 demonstrate how digital tools are becoming essential drivers of efficiency and resilience.
Driving the Industry Forward
Smart technologies aren’t just helping the oil and gas industry meet today’s challenges, they’re building a foundation for a more efficient, safer and sustainable future. AUTOMA 2025 is at the heart of this shift. Through hands-on case studies, open dialogue and expert insights, the Congress equips professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to lead the sector into its next chapter: https://sh.bgs.group/2xx
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