Europe’s O&G industry relying on AI to improve operations, new report says

Europe’s oil and gas industry is increasingly leveraging AI to optimize operations across its value chain as the region faces growing energy security concerns, according to a new research report published by Information Services Group (ISG), a global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ Oil and Gas Industry – Services and Solutions report for Europe finds AI is being used by major companies such as BP, Shell and TotalEnergies to enhance operational efficiency in exploration, production, refining, predictive maintenance and supply chain management.

The sector’s growing use of technology to improve operations comes at a pivotal moment for Europe’s oil and gas industry. Offshore production is gaining increased attention amid energy security concerns caused by the war in Ukraine, with the North Sea a focal point for exploration and production. At the same time, the European Union must be prepared to assist member states in moving away from fossil fuels, to avoid destabilizing the region. Europe’s oil and gas demand is projected to decline by 25 percent to 50 percent in the next five years, the report notes.

“Europe’s upstream oil and gas industry is at a turning point,” said Julien Escribe, partner and managing director, ISG SEMEA. “The industry must increase production in the short term to combat supply challenges while at the same time prepare for a lower-carbon future. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the transition.”

Being asset-intensive, the oil and gas industry has been slower than most at adopting digital technologies. However, with petroleum and natural gas prices likely to increase while demand decreases, amid the European Union’s continued push for net-zero emissions, producers are forced to find ways to improve efficiency while reducing costs.

“Geopolitics, geology and ecology are conspiring to shift the world’s energy trade patterns,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “The providers that emerge as leaders in the oil and gas sector will be the ones that guide producers through the maze of new, and sometimes conflicting, energy regulations; help them shift their capital allocations to invest in greener, more sustainable processes, and improve the security of their supply chains.”

The report also explores other trends, including increasing cyber security threats to the EU’s critical infrastructure. Providers in the oil and gas space are reacting to the new European Commission Cyber Resilience Act by bolstering their cybersecurity services, particularly related to their use of cloud-based storage, data and infrastructure.