The Synergy of AI, ML, and Digital Inspections: Transforming Oil & Gas Operations

Our Perspective

In the energy sector, giants like Aramco, Chevron, BP, Shell, Exxon, Sabic, National oil Companies, and standalone companies are leading the charge by integrating digital technology into their operations. This broad adoption across different scales, from large multinational corporations to smaller independent entities, underscores the recognized value of digital inspections. It's a bold move reshaping the oil & gas landscape, where the fusion of unmanned aerial vehicles and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing traditional asset inspection routines. These industry leaders are optimizing their inspection processes through the correct and optimum adoption of technologies such as drones, sensors, and acoustic and thermal monitoring coupled with AI. This strategic transition from conventional to digital inspections is transforming the old ways—marked by inefficiency, high costs, and significant safety risks—and is establishing new industry benchmarks and redefining the potential of asset management.

Traditional Inspection Challenges

As the oil & gas sector evolves, reliance on traditional inspection methods is proving to be a bottleneck, slowing operations and compromising safety standards. Here's a closer look at the specific challenges that highlight the urgency for modernization:

• Data Acquisition Issues: Disconnected inspection planning and limited coverage, compounded by a non-standardized collection process, result in data being captured in multiple incompatible formats.
• Inefficient Data Analysis: The manual, time-consuming analysis is prone to inaccuracies and demands extensive training and resources.
• Limited Insights & Visualization: Reports generated from traditional inspections often provide disjointed and inadequate insights, lacking correlation with historical data lineage.
• Poor Data Management: The absence of comprehensive data digitalization limits the ability to view assets or anomalies fully, leading to insufficient reporting capabilities.
• Negative Impact on Performance Metrics: These inefficiencies culminate in lowered asset availability, increased repair times, higher operational risks, inflated operational expenses, and total cost of ownership (TCO).

Digital Inspections: A Technological Leap Forward

Adopting digital inspection technologies provides precise, innovative solutions to overcome the limitations of traditional methods. This shift involves several key technological enablers, such as:

• Drones and Advanced Sensors: Drones and robotic crawlers equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, etc., offer continuous, real-time monitoring of assets, vastly improving the scope and accuracy of inspections.
• AI-Driven Analytics: Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms analyze data collected by drones and sensors, delivering unprecedented accuracy and detailed insights.
• Edge Computing: By processing data directly at the source, edge computing reduces latency and accelerates decision-making, enabling real-time operational adjustments.
• Enhanced Safety Protocols: Digital technologies minimize the need for human presence in hazardous environments, significantly reducing safety risks and protecting personnel.

How Digital Inspection and AI Technology Are Changing the Game?

The blend of digital inspections and AI technologies offers precise solutions to the above-mentioned longstanding challenges in the oil & gas industry. This technological leap is not just enhancing operations; it's redefining the standards of safety, efficiency, and accuracy by making a difference in the following ways:

1. Improvements in Inspection Processes:

• Enhanced Safety and Efficiency: Digital inspections are becoming more prevalent, significantly reducing human inspectors’ need to enter hazardous areas. This change dramatically decreases safety risks, as inspecting large refineries requires specialized safety equipment, workers, and scaffolding.
• Increased Accuracy and Reliability: AI and ML's power comes into play here, analyzing data from drones, sensors, etc., to spot even the most minor defects with incredible precision. This level of detail supports early intervention and keeps assets in top condition.
• Expedited Inspection Processes: Gone are the days of prolonged inspection times. They are speeding things up and capable of conducting rapid asset evaluations that keep downtime to a minimum.
• Cost Reductions: The move towards digital inspections is cutting out the need for manual labor and pricey equipment (e.g., scaffolding Installation), translating into significant savings. It's a win-win, reducing costs while boosting efficiency.

2. New Capabilities Enabled by Digitization:

• Digitization of Knowledge and Experience: Critical knowledge and expertise are now preserved and accessible digitally, reducing dependency on aging, experienced inspectors and facilitating knowledge transfer.
• Optimizing Performance through Predictive Inspection: Advanced data analytics allow companies to gain predictive insights into asset conditions. This allows for optimized maintenance schedules and reduces the need for unnecessary turnarounds. These tools pave the way for proactive maintenance, which is all about staying ahead of the curve and optimizing operational efficiency.
• Automated System for Enhanced Continuous Monitoring: With developments like IoT-based inspection systems such as pipeline leakage detection, Digitalized Integrity Operating Windows, and Digital Corrosion Under Insulation coupled with 3D model reporting, etc. that help monitor pipeline corrosion dynamics, structural analysis, and metal loss in real-time, we're now able to keep an eye on oil & gas assets like never before. This offers a level of continuous surveillance that was previously unimaginable, enhancing the ability to manage and maintain critical infrastructure proactively.
• Overcoming Data Challenges via Digital Technologies: AI/ML models function effectively only when trained with sufficient and accurately captured data. Technologies such as IoT, automated workflows, Robotic Process Automation, Distributed Acoustic/Vibration Sensing, and Distributed Temperature Sensing enhance the quality and frequency of data collection, which is critical for training robust AI models. Additionally, the use of Generative AI to generate images for corrosion and defects and the implementation of Asset Twins further refine data inputs.

By integrating digital inspection and AI technology, the oil & gas industry is setting a new benchmark for inspections and maintenance. It's a bold step forward, embracing the potential of innovation to tackle old problems in new ways.

Potential Challenges in Implementing Digital Inspection and AI Technologies

While integrating digital inspection and AI technologies in the oil & gas sector promises significant improvements in efficiency and safety, several challenges could impede their successful deployment. Regulatory hurdles, high initial costs, data analysis, and technical reliability issues are primary concerns. Additionally, the potential for cybersecurity threats and data management difficulties requires robust security protocols and effective data handling strategies. Overcoming these obstacles will be crucial for companies aiming to leverage these advanced technologies without disrupting existing operations or compromising data integrity.

Leading the Charge Toward Smarter Asset Management

By embracing innovative methodologies such as drones, sensors, robotic crawlers, acoustic monitoring, thermography, AI-driven analytics, and edge computing, companies are significantly enhancing operational efficiency and safety while setting new standards in asset management. As these technologies evolve, the potential for further innovations remains vast, promising a future where digital inspections drive the industry toward greater profitability and sustainability. In this changing landscape, Wipro is a leader in digital inspections and consulting for the oil & gas industry. With its technology-agnostic approach focused on delivering real business value, Wipro's comprehensive digital transformation roadmap ensures that solutions are precisely tailored to meet client-specific needs and goals, positioning them at the forefront of industry advancements.

About the Authors

Arnab Sarkar
Global Practice Head, Downstream Energy Consulting

Arnab is an adept thought leader with over 30 years of experience across multiple industries. He has spent more than a decade in the energy industry, involved in the commissioning of greenfield refinery and petrochemical complexes, stabilizing plant operations and maintenance, and driving new capital projects. For the last 18 years, he has been helping energy customers unlock business value through new capabilities & unique solutions, driving business & technology transformation to improve plant operations excellence and asset resilience continuously.

Ankit Shah
Managing Consultant, Downstream Oil & Gas

Ankit has nearly 18 years of experience with static equipment maintenance and reliability in petroleum refining and corrosion analysis services. He is a professional corrosion and inspection specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the oil & gas downstream industry. Ankit is skilled in asset reliability, risk-based inspection, and turnaround inspection. He is a certified API 510, API 570, and API 580 inspector with practical experience in all the modules of APM-MERIDIUM, such as reliability, integrity, asset strategy, and asset health.

Shashank Mohapatra
Consultant, Energy

Shashank leverages his maintenance, procurement, and consulting expertise to help global energy clients enhance their operations and drive digital transformation projects. He is also a certified Project Management Professional.