Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) technology to recover and increase its oil exports following a war that reduced the country's oil exports to about 1.9 million barrels per day. Before this war, the United Arab Emirates' oil exports were around 5.1 million barrels per day, and this decrease significantly impacted the country's economy.
Increase in Oil Exports Using Artificial Intelligence
According to Kpler data, UAE's crude oil exports reached 3.236 million barrels per day by mid-September, up from 2.886 million barrels per day in August and 2.871 million barrels per day in July. ADNOC has managed to maintain oil flow outside the Strait of Hormuz by expanding tanker operations and utilizing ship-to-ship transfer systems in the Gulf of Oman. Additionally, the company has acted as a major buyer of discounted Iraqi crude oil, processing a significant portion of it at its Ruwais facilities.
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Innovative Technologies and Predictive Capabilities
AI technologies developed by AIQ provide ADNOC with real-time information on drilling, production, and facilities. Denis Joul, CEO of AIQ, highlighted the critical role of these systems in wartime conditions, stating that these technologies can automatically adjust wells, predict failures of critical equipment, and analyze reservoir conditions. Given the changed circumstances, this technology helps operators make quicker decisions regarding wells.
Since the onset of the war, AIQ has developed nearly 200 applications of artificial intelligence within ADNOC. These technologies include predictive maintenance, safety programs, and subsurface modeling. The RoboWell system, for example, continuously optimizes production wells using real-time data, leading to a 5% increase in production and a 50% reduction in well interventions.
Currently, the Neuron 5 system, designed for analyzing pressure, temperature, and vibration data, is operational on 1,200 critical equipment units and is expected to expand to all company equipment by the end of 2024. This system has managed to reduce unplanned shutdowns by 50% and increase scheduled maintenance time by 20%.
ADNOC is also leveraging artificial intelligence in subsurface operations. In a 90-day ENERGYai trial, one of the AI agents was able to interpret seismic data 10 times faster than conventional methods. ADNOC recently signed a three-year contract worth $340 million with AIQ to deploy the ENERGYai system in its upstream operations, which will ultimately include over 28 production fields and thousands of wells.
Prior to the war, ADNOC announced that over 30 artificial intelligence programs had generated more than $500 million in added value in 2023 through reduced capital and operational costs and improved production. Denis Joul stated at an event in June that artificial intelligence could help ADNOC make better decisions regarding wells and oil flow paths.
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