ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)

ADNOC has awarded an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to Jereh Oil & Gas Engineering Corporation, worth up to $920 million (Dh3.38 billion), to install remote sensing and well operating equipment at its onshore Bab, Bu Hasa and Southeast fields, extending its AI-powered well digitalisation programme to cover the fields.

The contract was awarded by ADNOC Onshore and will see more than 80 percent of the value flow back into the UAE’s economy under ADNOC’s In-Country Value (ICV) programme, supporting economic growth and diversification.

ADNOC’s well digitalisation programme, due for completion in 2027, will enable the remote monitoring and control of over 2,000 wells, enhancing operational efficiency and improving safety by reducing downtime and optimising well performance.

The AI-powered programme builds on ADNOC’s strategy to accelerate the deployment of advanced technologies and AI solutions across its operations.  

ADNOC Upstream Executive Director, Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, said, "This award will accelerate our well digitalisation programme and the automation of our operations, supporting our goal to become the world’s most AI-enabled energy company. As we harness the power of industry-leading technologies to further optimise our operations, we are ensuring that we continue to drive significant value back into the UAE economy and the substantial In-Country Value generated by this award will further catalyse industrial growth opportunities for the private sector.”

The well digitalisation programme is already deployed at the onshore Mender and Qusahwira fields, as well as the Northeast Bab (NEB) field, ADNOC’s first smart field since 2006.

The programme includes digitalised control valves, instrumentation, and other hardware that will relay real-time operational data from sensors embedded in the wells and pipelines.

This information will be sent to the control rooms via the energy industry’s largest private 5G network, which is being built by ADNOC and e&, providing an instant overview of critical variables like temperature and pressure.

This, in turn, will enable AI-powered tools, such as AIQ’s industry-leading RoboWell solution, to control the wells autonomously in real-time.