ADNOC deploys AI across 120 rigs to cut downtime, speed up drilling decisions

Engineers can oversee up to three times more rigs and avoid two days of downtime

Last updated: August 04, 2026 | 12:18

Nivetha Dayanand, Assistant Business Editor

2 MIN READ

ADNOC deploys AI across 120 rigs to cut downtime, speed up drilling decisions

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Dubai: ADNOC has deployed an artificial intelligence platform across more than 120 drilling rigs, helping engineers identify operational problems earlier and avoid up to two days of downtime.

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Developed with energy technology company SLB, the AI-enabled Real-Time Operations Center connects ADNOC’s onshore and offshore rigs through a single platform, giving engineers a live view of drilling activity across the fleet.

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The system reduces engineering effort by between 30% and 40%, allowing engineers to oversee two to three times more rigs while maintaining operational oversight.

Reports completed within hours

Automated dashboards and AI-powered performance insights convert large volumes of drilling data into operational information, reducing reporting cycles that previously took several days to a matter of hours.

Tasks that required a full day of analysis can now be completed within minutes, according to ADNOC.

Analysis of real-time rig data also allows teams to identify potential issues before they develop, helping reduce incident response times by between four and 12 hours and avoid one to two days of rig downtime.

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One platform connects rig operations

The platform uses SLB’s DrillOps intelligent well delivery and insights solutions to bring live data from drilling operations into a single environment.

Business, asset and drilling teams can use the system to monitor activity across the rig fleet, identify risks earlier and coordinate operational decisions.

“DrillOps transforms real-time drilling data into operational intelligence that helps teams make faster, more informed decisions,” said Rakesh Jaggi, President, Digital, SLB.

“Deployed within ADNOC’s sovereign cloud environment, the technology provides the scalable digital foundation for AI-enabled workflows across one of the industry’s largest rig fleets and supports the continued progression toward more autonomous operations.”

Operational data remains in the UAE

The platform has been deployed across ADNOC Drilling’s rig fleet to support ADNOC Onshore and ADNOC Offshore.

Developed in the UAE and hosted within ADNOC’s cloud environment, the system keeps critical operational information and workflows within the country.

Nivetha DayanandAssistant Business Editor

Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series. Her reporting has taken her from breaking spot news to long-form features and high-profile interviews. Nivetha has interviewed Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Al Saud, Indian ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and N. Chandrababu Naidu, IMF’s Jihad Azour, and a long list of CEOs, regulators, and founders who are reshaping the region’s economy. An Erasmus Mundus journalism alum, Nivetha has shared classrooms and newsrooms with journalists from more than 40 countries, which probably explains her weakness for data, context, and a good follow-up question. When she is away from her keyboard (AFK), you are most likely to find her at the gym with an Eminem playlist, bingeing One Piece, or exploring games on her PS5.

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