Keeping pace with the competition and wooing increasingly ESG-conscious capital are critical realities for the oil and gas sector. Operators need to cut costs and target efficiency gains but also lower their carbon and wider environmental footprints if they want to maintain strong revenues and attract potential investors. And this has only been emphasised by the past pandemic year.  

A data-centric, agile approach that allows firms to take a more proactive stance is the key for many companies. Digitalisation in oil and gas may have historically lagged other sectors, but this position is rapidly changing. Adoption and appetite for new technologies is growing across the entire value chain, and the looming energy transition and boom in ESG investing is only accelerating this trend.  

• The research survey highlighted that the industry expects ESG demands to prompt greater AI adoption. What would you say are some of the main factors for this confidence?    

• How can AI resources be used to showcase ESG risks and opportunities to investors?    

• Should we expect regional differences in ESG priorities to affect the growth of AI tools?   

• ESG may be changing the conversation around wider digitalisation. But has the sector been slow out the starting gates or are we now seeing greater deployment of AI?    

• How can AI be used to combat greenwashing?