ADNOC's AI Transformation for the Energy Transition
Fossil fuels must be scaled down to achieve net zero in time, but major oil and gas players cannot be left behind.
Decarbonisation, energy security and affordability – these are elements at the core of the global energy transition.
Transitioning to a more sustainable and responsible energy industry introduces a myriad of intricate challenges.
Energy companies are tasked with optimising infrastructure for renewables, overcoming supply chain obstacles, expediting materials discovery, improving energy forecasting and refining carbon footprint assessments.
Beyond these challenges, global stakeholders must deal with issues such as grid robustness, elevating operational efficiency, incorporating superior maintenance, real-time monitoring and ameliorating strategic decision-making processes.
The role of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and advanced data analytics is growing, particularly for The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
This major energy producer has developed the groundbreaking AI-powered solution, ENERGYai, touted as the pioneering agentic AI initiative in the global energy landscape.
Collaborative efforts between ADNOC, AIQ and tech giants like Microsoft and G42 have borne ENERGYai, integrating expansive language models with agentic AI tailored for specific tasks within the oil company's operations, propelling efficiency and supporting a sustainable energy shift.
AI for energy innovation
Launched in late 2024, ENERGYai outlines a three-year endeavour to harness real-world data by starting trials and analysis.
At the time of the launch His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO, said ENERGYai is a major milestone in the company’s journey to be the world’s most AI-enabled energy business and a key enabler of the global energy transformation.
He said: “It will be a powerhouse for value creation and sustainable energy production, and will leverage petabytes of data to better empower our people and unlock innovative solutions across our value chain.
"As AI accelerates the pace of progress and transforms industries, ENERGYai will help future-proof ADNOC, reinforce our position at the forefront of AI deployment and ensure we continue to provide secure and sustainable energy to the world.”
ENERGYai's intricately designed AI agents enhance operational autonomy and precision in vital areas like seismic analysis, reservoir modelling and real-time monitoring.
Such advancements not only make exploration and production more efficient but also yield cost reductions, less downtime and optimised resource use.
“Across the full value chain of traditional and renewable energy sectors, AI technologies can optimise energy usage, improve safety, reliability and efficiency, reduce emissions and accelerate low- and no-carbon energy solutions,” said Darryl Willis, Corporate Vice President, Energy and Resources Industry at Microsoft at ENERGYai’s launch.
“We are pleased to be collaborating with ADNOC and AIQ in the development of AI-powered solutions that can drive economic growth, address energy security and equity, and advance a net-zero future for all.”
Central to ENERGYai's capabilities is a rich 80-year data set from ADNOC's operational history.
The AI is trained on this voluminous repository, providing precise and applicable insights for complex simulations and supporting significant CO2 storage projects planning and implementation.
Proof of concept for ENERGYai
In January 2025, ADNOC and its partners initiated a 90-day proof-of-concept trial for ENERGYai, aimed at assessing the AI's impact on improving upstream exploration accuracy and overall production efficiency at ADNOC’s sites.
The trial demonstrated a 70% enhancement in key seismic interpretation accuracy, along with notable advancements in reservoir monitoring and anomaly detection capabilities.
The initiative has also improved data quality and error identification, reaffirming ENERGYai's potential as a transformative force in sustainable energy production.
Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Upstream CEO, said: "The successful completion of this proof of concept for ENERGYai has shown extremely promising results, and has confirmed the potential of the solution to be a powerhouse for value creation and sustainable energy production. Building on this initial achievement, ENERGYai will leverage petabytes of data to better empower our people and future-proof ADNOC, as we work to become the world’s most AI-enabled energy company."
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