AI in Oil and Gas
Shell – Predictive Maintenance on Rigs
Why Shell Needed Change
Shell’s offshore rigs and refineries operate in harsh environments where downtime is costly and dangerous. The company faced:
Safety risks. Equipment failures could trigger accidents.
High costs. Unplanned maintenance stalled production.
Data overload. Thousands of sensors produced signals engineers couldn’t process in real time.
Shell needed to move from reactive to predictive maintenance.
The Birth of Predictive Maintenance AI
Shell deployed AI platforms that:
Analyzed real-time data from rig sensors
Flagged anomalies suggesting wear or impending failure
Predicted equipment issues weeks in advance
Scheduled repairs at optimal times to minimize disruption
Convincing the Institution
Operators feared false positives or missed alerts. Shell built trust by:
Running AI alongside human inspections in pilots
Validating predictions against historical maintenance logs
Training crews on interpreting AI alerts as decision-support
The Results
Lower costs, thanks to optimized repairs
Improved safety, with earlier warnings of high-risk issues
Reduced downtime, with fewer unplanned shutdowns
The Road Ahead
Shell is expanding predictive maintenance across global assets, with digital twins integrating rig data, supply chains, and workforce planning.
The Road Ahead
Shell proved AI in energy isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about resilience. Predictive maintenance safeguarded people, profits, and production.
