Digital drillers
Automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence and other new technologies could transform the oil industry
The digital oilfield has been a buzzword bouncing around the industry for at least a decade but its time might finally be arriving in the oil patch. Technological advances are coinciding with one of the most severe disruptions the oil industry has seen in generations, which has left companies looking for new answers to a seminal question: how to cope with what may be years of lower prices. The renewed enthusiasm for all things tech was on display at this year's CERAWeek conference in Houston, the US' biggest industry confab. Views on prices and policies from executives and ministers drew the usual headlines, but the more lasting and transformational story may have been taking place in the ha
Also in this section
5 June 2025
The new government is talking and thinking big, and there are credible reasons to believe it is more than just grandstanding
5 June 2025
Russia has ample spare gas, and Iran needs it, but sanctions and pricing pose steep hurdles.
5 June 2025
EU half measures over storage regulation, geopolitical risks to ending Russian gas, power outage questions and China’s LNG resale leverage make for a challenging path ahead.
3 June 2025
China will play a huge role in driving gas demand, with its Qatar partnership crucial to this growth amid global structural challenges
