In April, Bentley was invited to speak at the 10th annual AI in Oil & Gas Conference in Houston, Texas. This conference is quickly becoming the “go-to” event driving AI-led transformation in the oil and gas sector. Addressing an audience of over 400 attendees, Eli Maftoum, Bentley’s Asset Performance Services program manager, shared key insights on how AI is transforming the energy sector. He also outlined the infrastructure that is needed in the near future for AI to thrive. Eli shared the following highlights.
How AI Improves Efficiency and Safety in Oil & Gas Operations
With its ability to analyze massive datasets, predict outcomes, and automate complex processes, AI stands out as the top technology for challenging environments and fluctuating market dynamics. It is safe to say that AI has already achieved a significant milestone in a sector that relies heavily on physical labor for decision-making.
Key Areas Where AI Can Make a Difference
- Predictive maintenance: AI predicts equipment failures before they happen, preventing costly downtime and extending asset lifespans.
- Data governance: AI ensures data consistency and governance, providing a single source of truth for all operations.
- Historical analysis: AI can analyze vast datasets, identify trends, and generate insights, leading to more informed strategic decision-making.
- Diagnostic assistance: Generative AI can assist in diagnostics and troubleshooting of anomalies, enabling faster and more accurate solutions.
The Numbers
- According to the EY Future of Energy Report from March 2025, 71% of global oil and gas companies are already using AI within their organization.
- AI integration in predictive maintenance is already reducing operational costs by 20% on average.
- The use of AI in the oil and gas market is estimated at $3.54 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach $6.4 billion by 2030.
AI Transformation
Transformation in the offshore oil and gas sector, driven by AI, is a journey. During that process, several aspects need to be considered, including:
- Enhanced asset management: This type of management lays the foundation for connected data environments.
- Asset reliability: Teams can utilize Internet of Things (IoT) devices and mobile inspections to easily gather real-time data and trigger corrective actions.
- Data analytics: With analytics, teams can process, review, and analyze data to derive actionable insights.
- Digital twins: Virtual replicas of assets allow teams to integrate and converge all their information and provide quick access to it through visual navigation.
The Starting Point Is Data
To successfully integrate AI, it’s essential to build a robust digital data-driven culture. Bentley helps users navigate this journey by providing strong foundations, including:
- Connected data environments: Align the entire organization seamlessly by integrating all its systems.
- Digital workflows: Streamlines the full lifecycle of information for improved strategies.
Real-world Success Stories
This powerful combination of connected data and digital workflows brings great rewards. For instance, Shell’s Deepwater group realized that such technologies could be key to improving project cycle times and help advance their net-zero carbon ambitions. So, they established an end-to-end digital project delivery platform to manage data across their different project lifecycles. Their work resulted in a single source of truth, in the form of a digital twin, for collaboration and handover to operations. Information retrieval time has been cut by 50%, collaboration efficiencies improved by 10%, and streamlined design review sessions have enhanced workflow efficiency by 20%.
The Future Is Now
The journey towards AI-powered decision-making starts with establishing a single source of truth based on a solid digital asset management foundation. It’s an exciting time for oil and gas companies. The future of asset management is already here, and those that embrace AI innovations will drive sustainable growth and maintain a competitive edge.
To find out more, please visit Bentley for Energy Production.
