Digital oilfield vendors provide new toolsets, and whereas roughnecks were once valued for making and breaking pipe, the next-generation oilfield worker is valued for his or her ability to program and debug artificial intelligence solutions.

Artificial intelligence, digital twins and emerging IIoT technologies are doing more than penetrating the oil and gas market — they are proving their weight in gold. A collection of distributed sensors including lidar, hyperspectral imaging sensors and accelerometers doesn’t amount to much mass, but the outcome of implementing these solutions is astonishing.

One start-up, Kelvin Inc., is showcasing just how powerful AI can be, as they have partnered with BP to optimize production by outfitting of wells in Wamsutter, Wyoming, with an array of sensors.

BP estimates a 74 percent reduction in vented methane, a 20 percent boost in production volumes while overall costs dropping 22 percent over a six-month time frame. To accomplish these feats, Kelvin’s AI solution runs endless simulations and regressions. They are able to monitor production across a well pad, optimize field operations and prioritize preventative maintenance.

As automation, wireless sensor networks and remote diagnostics sweep across developing oilfield, workers are now getting trained in Linux and Python. Labor-intensive operations, including the making and braking of pipe connections, can be accomplished by a catwalk. As more and more rig operations are replaced by robotics, the value of a roughneck is now a measure of his or her ability to set-up, troubleshoot and program a digital oilfield.