In The Spotlight
Pelco's heavy-duty ruggedised security cameras are designed to meet the evolving demands of modern oil and gas operations. (Image source: Pelco)
Polina Mamont, technical evangelist for Pelco, provides a comprehensive overview of Pelco’s evolution under the stewardship of Motorola Solutions and how oil and gas operators in the Middle East can benefit from the brand’s new strategic direction
For over 65 years, Pelco has built a legacy of reliability and service, especially in environments where the deployment of trusted devices is essential. But the demands on oil and gas infrastructure have changed. Harsh environments, increasing cyber risk and stricter compliance pressures are reshaping how companies approach safety and security.
The old playbook of hitting ‘record’ and hoping for the best is no longer enough to keep pace with the evolving security challenges. Security teams need security technology that supports faster decision-making, remote diagnostics and real-time insights across sprawling, often hazardous facilities. That’s why Pelco has made a focused shift, building out our portfolio with heavy-duty ruggedised security cameras, designed to meet the evolving demands of modern oil and gas operations.
A legacy of innovation reinvented
Pelco’s renewed strategic direction centres on delivering high-performance cameras and intelligent edge devices that integrate easily with your existing ONVIF-conformant VMS, without requiring a complete system replacement. Since joining Motorola Solutions in 2020, Pelco has redesigned and re-engineered most of its camera lineup, introducing new capabilities through targeted acquisitions:
● Videotec – ruggedised cameras and housings built for hazardous and corrosive conditions
● IPVideo – smart sensors delivering visibility to privacy-sensitive areas
● Silent Sentinel – long-range visible and thermal imaging for perimeter and infrastructure protection
● Calipsa – cloud-based analytics to support AI-driven detection and false alarm filtering
This expanded portfolio reflects a broader shift toward intelligent, flexible security. By combining durable hardware with edge analytics and cloud integrations, Pelco devices can help improve visibility across critical zones, identify abnormal behaviours and support compliance with safety regulations.
The missing ingredient for a safer and more secure facility
The Middle East plays a critical role in the global energy supply, producing approximately 30% of the world's oil and around 17% of the world's natural gas. But the region’s environmental and geopolitical realities present unique security challenges. From extreme heat and corrosive sea air to long-range perimeter requirements and cyber-physical threats, operators are under pressure to secure infrastructure without interrupting operations.
The expanded Pelco portfolio range meets these challenges head-on.
Engineered for hazardous and corrosive environments
From desert facilities to offshore platforms, Middle East oil and gas sites require video security built to withstand extreme heat, corrosion and hazardous conditions. Pelco’s specialty camera lineup offers a wide range of configurations, including PTZ, thermal, bispectral PTZ, fixed, compact and IR PTZ, engineered for the region’s most demanding environments.
With models constructed from heavy-duty 316L stainless steel, these cameras are designed to resist the corrosive effects of coastal sea spray and operate reliably in the region's extreme temperatures. They comply with key international standards, such as ATEX and IECEx, ensuring they meet the stringent requirements of your sites. With high-resolution imaging, environmental hardening and advanced detection capabilities, they provide the situational awareness needed to help protect people, assets and operations in any conditions.
Long-range Silent Sentinel cameras help protect boundaries across large distances
For the unique challenge of securing offshore platforms, pipeline corridors and coastal terminals, Silent Sentinel camera systems provide critical long-range situational awareness. These ruggedised camera systems are engineered to detect and classify threats like vehicles, vessels and drones from kilometres away, providing your team with advanced warning to act proactively.
With modular camera systems like Jaegar and Aeron, available in a wide variety of thermal, optical and multispectral lens combinations, operators can observe wide areas day and night, even in fog or complete darkness. These systems integrate seamlessly with radar, range finders and other sensors to support long-range threat detection.
Smart Analytics provides proactive intelligence to protect people and assets
The true power of a modern video system lies in its ability to understand what it sees. Our cameras are equipped with Pelco Smart Analytics, transforming them from passive recorders into proactive detection devices. These AI-driven analytics can classify people and vehicles, and identify behaviours such as loitering near restricted areas, unauthorised entry or absence from zones that require constant human oversight, like control stations on offshore platforms or pump rooms in refineries.
This intelligence extends beyond security to help protect your operations and workforce. Thermal models with radiometric analytics can identify abnormal temperature spikes in critical equipment, like gas compressors or switchgear panels, sending an alert that allows for proactive maintenance before a failure leads to costly downtime. For an additional layer of intelligence, Elevate-enabled cameras streamline maintenance and unlock advanced analytics, such as PPE detection, helping workers stay compliant with safety gear requirements in hazardous zones.
Halo Smart Sensors for protection in privacy zones
In oil and gas environments, areas like restrooms, locker rooms and enclosed break areas still present potential safety and compliance risks. Halo Smart Sensor is an all-in-one device that ensures privacy by operating without any visual or audio recording, instead utilising a suite of advanced sensors to detect a wide range of risks in real-time.
Its air quality sensors can identify dangerous changes that might signal a chemical leak, such as rising VOC levels, or detect prohibited smoking and vaping in hazardous zones. The Halo sensor’s audio analytics can recognise acoustic signatures, such as aggression or a call for help, providing an immediate alert to potential security incidents. In an emergency, Halo’s built-in, colour-coded lights can provide way-finding illumination to help guide your workers to safety and comprehensive protection across every part of your facility.
Upgrade your security without disrupting operations
A complete overhaul of a security system in an active oil and gas facility is a monumental task. The risk of production delays and the logistical complexity of working in hazardous zones often make a full "rip-and-replace" project unrealistic, especially when many facilities rely on legacy operational technology.
This is why Pelco is committed to open platform technology. Our cameras are designed to integrate seamlessly with all leading ONVIF-conformant VMS platforms, including Genetec, Milestone and Avigilon Unity, allowing you to enhance your security capabilities without discarding your current infrastructure.
This approach provides a practical path to modernisation. You can begin upgrading your security posture today by adding intelligent Pelco cameras into your existing infrastructure, allowing you to introduce advanced analytics and enhance operational visibility without the massive cost and disruption of starting from scratch.
Coming soon: Live webinar
We’re hosting an exclusive online event for oil and gas leaders on 16 September at 2:00 pm GST. In the session, we’ll discuss three of the main challenges faced by oil and gas operators: safety, security and productivity, and how advanced video security technology can help to address them.
Interested?
Register for the webinar here.
Amin H. Nasser, CEO Aramco. (Image source: Aramco)
Aramco reported healthy profits of US$22.7bn in Q2 2025 in its latest financial results, albeit down from the US$26bn recorded in Q1, and maintained high levels of capex to pursue its strategic objectives
Half-year profits stood at US$48.7bn compared with US$56.3bn in the first half of 2024. The decrease was mainly due to the impact of lower revenues (due to lower crude oil prices and lower refined and chemical products prices) as well as higher operating costs, according to the company.
Aramco declared a Q2 2025 base dividend of US$21.1bn and a performance-linked dividend of US$0.2bn to be paid in the third quarter.
“Aramco’s resilience was proven once again in the first half of 2025 with robust profitability, consistent shareholder distributions and disciplined capital allocation,” said Amin H. Nasser, Aramco CEO.
“Market fundamentals remain strong, and we anticipate oil demand in the second half of 2025 to be more than two million barrels per day higher than the first half. Our long-term strategy is consistent with our belief that hydrocarbons will continue to play a vital role in global energy and chemicals markets, and we are ready to play our part in meeting customer demand over the short and the long term.”
Upstream capital expenditure stood at US$19.2bn for the first half of 2025, relatively consistent with the first half of 2024 due to continuing development activity on multiple strategic gas projects to expand its gas business and advancement of crude oil increments designed to maintain crude oil MSC at 12.0mn bpd.
Aramco reported progress in its Berri, Marjan and Zuluf crude oil increments and brought Phase One of the Dammam development project onstream.
Aramco’s strategy to increase sales gas production capacity by more than 60% was advanced with multiple gas projects, including the Tanajib Gas Plant, Fadhili gas plant expansion and Jafurah Gas Plant, part of the Jafurah unconventional gas field development, with phase one on track for completion in 2025.
Downstream, capital expenditures for the first half of 2025 were US$5.1bn, an increase of 33.1% compared to the same period in 2024, predominantly due to the steady progress of capital projects such as the construction of the refinery-integrated petrochemical steam cracker being developed by S-OIL, the Amiral expansion at the SATORP refinery, and other projects. Global retail momentum continued with the introduction of premium fuel lines in Chile and Pakistan.
“We continue to invest in various initiatives, such as new energies and digital innovation with a focus on AI – aiming to leverage our scale, low cost, and technological advancements for long-term success,” added Nasser. The company significantly boosted its AI computing capacity to reach over 500 PetaFLOPS, a 20-fold increase from the previous year, while power purchase agreements were signed to develop new renewables projects, capitalising on the Kingdom’s advantaged solar and wind resources.
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging is a unique approach to seismic processing and imaging. (Image source: DUG Technology)
Supercharge legacy data with DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging by using the entire wavefield, including all free-surface multiples and converted waves, as high-octane signal.
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging is a unique approach to seismic processing and imaging which turns the traditional paradigm on its head. It replaces not only traditional processing and imaging workflows, but also the subsequent inversion workflow for elastic rock properties.
The traditional processing workflow involves the testing and application of dozens of steps such as deghosting, designature, demultiple and regularisation, which are all designed to overcome the limitations of conventional imaging. These workflows are complex, subjective, and very time-consuming due to their serial nature and they rely on many assumptions and simplifications. All of these issues impact the output data quality. The resulting, primary-only data then undergoes a similarly complex model-building workflow to derive an estimate of the subsurface velocity, which is used for depth imaging. Post-migration processing is performed before the pre-stack reflectivity undergoes another workflow to derive rock properties that feed into quantitative interpretation, also relying on simplifications of the actual physics. As a result of these workflows, projects can take many months to years to complete.
Multiples are normally considered as problematic noise, however they illuminate the subsurface in complementary ways to primary reflections. When imaging with primaries and multiples the subsurface is sampled far more completely, and with a wider range of angles — constraining the inverted reflectivity, rock properties and attenuation.
Elastic MP-FWI Imaging accounts for both compressional and shear waves, handling variations in seismic wave dynamics as a function of incidence angle, including in the presence of high impedance contrasts and onshore near-surface geological complexity. Multiples and converted waves are now treated as valuable additional signal, increasing sampling, resolution and constraining the inverted parameters.
The figure above shows a comparison of the reflectivity derived with DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging using raw field data, versus a conventional LS-RTM workflow using extensively pre-processed input. This legacy dataset was acquired in 2006 on the Australian North West Shelf. This region contains rapidly changing shallow velocity variations due to localised channel features and carbonates. The MP-FWI imaging results demonstrate an increase in spatial resolution — the channel features, reservoir flat spot, and complex faulting are sharper and more clearly delineated.
A complete replacement for traditional processing and imaging workflows is no longer a stretch of the imagination. Visit dug.com to see more outstanding DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging results.
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DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging leaps entire workflows in a single bound, delivering unsurpassed imaging and high-resolution rock properties from field-data input. Superior outputs, in a flash!
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The webinar will transform confined space inspections. (Image source: Flyability)
Despite advances in digital technology, many oil and gas sites across the Middle East still rely on manual entry for tank and vessel inspections, resulting in days of downtime, high scaffolding costs and risk to human life
What if you could change all that with drone technology?
Inspections drones such as the Elios 3 are revolutionising the world of confined space inspections, improving safety, reducing downtime and enhancing operational efficiency.
Join us for an exclusive live webinar hosted by Flyability in association with Oil Review Middle East on ‘Transforming oil and gas operations with the Elios 3 drone’ on Tuesday 2 September at 2pm GST. Industrial experts will explain how drones such as the Elios 3 are transforming confined space inspections, and how you can integrate this technology into your operations seamlessly.
Key highlights:
Drone integration: learn how to safety and effectively implement drones in confined space
Safety and training: understand essential safety protocols and training strategies for your team
ROI: discover how to measure and achieve a strong return on investment with drone technology
Real world use cases: hear from the engineers using drone tech in the field on the impact Elios 3 is having on in oil and gas inspections.
Speakers and host:
Fabio Fata – senior sales manager, Flyability (moderator)
Eralp Koltuk – inspection lead engineer, Tüpraş
Danijel Jovanovic – director of operations, ZainTECH
Take your operations to the next level! Don’t miss out on gaining valuable insights into how drones can make inspections safer, faster and smarter .
From making inspections in hazardous confined spaces much safer to streamlining the whole process and providing valuable real-time data, you will get to see exactly how the Elios 3 is changing the game.
ANRPC personnel. (Image source: ANRPC)
Mitsubishi Power has completed a groundbreaking hydrogen fuel conversion project at the Alexandria National Refining and Petrochemicals Company (ANRPC) refinery in Egypt, the first industrial application of hydrogen use as fuel in an industrial boiler in Egypt and the MENA region, according to the company
Mitsubishi Power carried out the design, engineering, supply and installation of the equipment and control systems to rehabilitate and upgrade a 100-ton-per-hour main boiler, converting it from heavy fuel oil and natural gas to a 100% hydrogen fuel. The project also contributed to the utilisation of 14,000 tons per year of hydrogen-rich gases available in the production units, reducing natural gas consumption by around 24,000 tons and contributing to a reduction of carbon emissions by approximately 65,000 tons per year.
This project marks a significant step forward in Egypt's energy transition and decarbonisation goals, as well as its aim to become a leader in the global hydrogen economy, while highlighting the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy source in Egypt’s industrial sector.
Mitsubishi Power's expertise in providing cutting-edge hydrogen technology solutions, combined with ANRPC's operational leadership, contributed to the project's success, in a model that it is hoped can be replicated to drive forward further hydrogen adoption across Egypt and the MENA region.
Sayed Al-Rawi, chairman and managing director of ANRPC, said, "We are proud to be part of Egypt's journey towards a clean energy future and to contribute to achieving Egypt Vision 2030 with this pioneering milestone to using hydrogen as a fuel. This project represents an unprecedented achievement for ANRPC, Egypt, and the entire region. By integrating hydrogen into refining processes, we are contributing to reduce Egypt's carbon footprint and set a new standard for the country's industrial sector.”
Javier Cavada, president and CEO, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Mitsubishi Power, added, "The success of this first-of-a-kind hydrogen conversion project marks a milestone in Egypt's transition to clean energy and reflects Mitsubishi Power's global leadership in developing advanced, low-carbon power generation technologies. This project will lay down the foundation to a commercial path for decarbonizing Egypt's industrial facilities with minimal downtime, in addition to demonstrating the tangible and positive impact of hydrogen in reducing emissions and developing sustainable energy solutions."
The industry must continue to take a proactive and agile approach to talent readiness. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Alex Spencer, chief operating officer, OPITO, looks at how we can ensure the creation of a workforce that is skilled and prepared for the energy transition
2030 is the year Saudi Arabia is aiming for 50% of its electricity to come from renewable sources, and by when the UAE plans to triple its share of renewable energy, while increasing installed clean energy capacity in the total energy mix to 30% – to name only a few ambitions in the region. In this process of transitioning to more sustainable forms of energy, tens, even hundreds, of thousands, of energy jobs are to be created and adapted. In just a few months, we’ll need to have secured the fresh talent pipeline that will play a large part in making 2030 possible.
As university degrees take roughly 34 months and most courses only enrol every September, we have just a few months to attract students to a career in energy infrastructure, so that they can apply for the September 2026 intake. For those interested in an apprenticeship, we have a little more time.
The need for a STEM degree, and for specialist qualifications or certifications, was highlighted as a key barrier to working in the energy industry, according to OPITO’s report: My Energy Future. However, respondents were equally encouraged by the industry’s potential to offer good pay, career development opportunities, and job security. Over the coming months, these are the factors that we should highlight with enthusiasm to secure that fresh influx of talent.
Once we get this right, we will have solved one of two pressing workforce challenges. However, not only do we need this increase in people, but these people need to be readily up to the task ahead. Here lies the industry’s next challenge – the readiness gap.
Is the workforce ready?
Fast forward to 2030, let’s imagine we’ve succeeded in creating a workforce with the right foundational skills. How prepared are they to step into these emerging energy roles? Whether it’s the need for more on-the-job experience or for the right set of qualifications to step onto the job site safely to begin with, this is the energy industry’s readiness gap.
Of course, we expect that many of the new jobs that are to be created will be filled by oil and gas workers. Often their skills could meet up to 80% of the new brief whatever part of the energy industry they step into. But it’s that final 20% – that final push to readiness – that is so often overlooked when we talk about the skills gap.
Part of the challenge is that the diversification of industry means there are many different and new job roles to consider – and this differs for every country in the Middle East region at different stages in their energy transition journey. From solar and green hydrogen scale up to the new demands of data centres and the intersection of AI across industry, how do we build a workforce that is ready and mobile across the region with the capability to flex their expertise to meet evolving needs?
Enhancing workforce readiness
One relatively straightforward answer to this conundrum is to establish industry standards that ensure employees and contractors can always work safely and competently, regardless of the type of energy infrastructure they are assigned to.
Whether you’re maintaining a motor on an offshore oil platform or at the top of an offshore wind turbine, many of the safety requirements and electromechanical skills are the same if not similar. Products that were first developed for oil and gas – helideck operation, emergency response, confined spaces, rigging and lifting, working at height, safety induction etc. – are all transferable to emerging technologies such as green hydrogen, carbon capture, and many more.
One of the ways we’re addressing the readiness gap at OPITO is by developing introductory courses on business sustainability, carbon capture, and hydrogen aimed at technical apprentices. Learners gain an understanding in the role of hydrogen and carbon capture in supporting the transition to clean energy, the technology’s characteristics and categories, and the required health, safety, and regulatory frameworks for working with them.
Increasing the fidelity and flexibility of training
With little time left on the clock, we are working closely with industry stakeholders including developers, operators, regulators, and contractors to establish training and assessment frameworks for emerging energy transition technologies. This is complimented by a global network of industry forums where we regularly receive feedback on how the skills and readiness gap is evolving.
For instance, one interesting development that has come out of those conversations is how core safety training like the International Minimum Industry Safety Training (IMIST) standard can be delivered in a way that better reflects regional needs in the Middle East. IMIST introduces new entrants to key safety concepts and encourages a strong sense of personal responsibility, something increasingly important as diverse mixes of project teams come together for complex operations. Because the programme has been designed to be flexible, employers are exploring how to tailor it to local operating conditions by embedding it into their own in-house training, helping ensure teams are equipped to manage risks specific to their environments.
As with the skills gap, the readiness gap looks different in each region, so while global standards are necessary, so too is the need for flexibility to meet individual country and company needs. In the Middle East, the development focus is on ensuring the workforce is trained to the minimum safety standard, while investigating region specific requirements such as safe driving on the worksite.
For example, OPITO advanced on its safe driving at work standard to develop desert-specific standards for both light and heavy vehicles.
Safe, skilled and ready for the task ahead
Addressing the workforce skills gap is a major energy industry priority to 2030, but we only have a few months left to influence the size and shape of the talent pipeline. To ensure that the pipeline is ready to make an impact from day one, the industry must continue to take a proactive and agile approach to talent readiness. While there are still many unknowns, global standards that can be adapted to address regional priorities will ensure that our future workforce not only has the knowledge and expertise – but are also competent, confident, and safe in its real-life application.
technology enables more efficient and reliablThe technology enables the acquisition of formation evaluation measurements in any well condition. (Image source: SLB)
SLB has introduced the OnWave autonomous logging platform, which has already been deployed successfully in the Middle East and could potentially revolutionise formation evaluation
The first-of-its-kind technology enables more efficient and reliable acquisition of formation evaluation measurements in any well condition — even in historically challenging tight gas and unconventional reservoirs — autonomously acquiring multiple, high-fidelity measurements downhole, without the need of a wireline unit, and wireline cable. Its cable-free design takes less than half the time to deploy compared with conventional wireline platforms, while enabling drill pipe rotation and mud circulation during logging operations, to enhance well safety and minimise stuck pipe events.
The OnWave platform executes tasks downhole that would typically be performed manually by engineers at surface, including borehole measurement acquisition and data quality checks. It also verifies the tool’s position and functionality downhole through constant communication with surface, assuring confidence in the data acquisition quality and avoiding remedial logging runs.
The acquired data is streamed to the SLB collaborative cloud, where it undergoes intelligent processing and interpretation. This data can be viewed on demand, for real-time insights and informed decision making.
OnWave has been deployed successfully across different regions, including in the USA and Middle East, demonstrating significant efficiency gains in complex well trajectories. In South Texas, the platform reduced the landing time to total depth of the well from hours to just 27 minutes — a 70% reduction compared with conventional deployment techniques. Processing of the measurements at surface provided high‑quality integrated petrophysics and acoustic insights, enabling the E&P operator to improve the stimulation and completion designs and derisk asset field development.
“The OnWave platform marks the beginning of a new era in formation evaluation,” said Frederik Majkut, president of Reservoir Performance, SLB. “By streamlining how we gather high-fidelity measurements downhole, we are opening up key opportunities for our customers to integrate data-driven decision making into their workflows across the well life cycle — from exploration through to production and recovery.”
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Richard Hall, CEO of Dana Gas. (Image source: Dana Gas)
Dana Gas has reported success in the initial stages of its US$100mn investment programme to increase Egypt’s gas production
The US$100mn investment programme, which involves the drilling of 11 new wells, is expected to significantly increase Dana Gas’s long-term production in Egypt and add approximately 80 bcf in recoverable gas reserves over the course of the two-year plan.
The company has received encouraging initial results from the ‘Begonia-2’ appraisal well, the first appraisal well within the Begonia development area in Egypt’s onshore Nile delta and the first of eleven appraisal and exploration wells planned under the investment programme. The well is estimated to contain nine billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas as an initial estimate, which is subject to increase. Begonia-2 will produce an additional five million cubic feet per day. The well is located in the "New El-Manzala" concession and is operated by the El-Wastani Petroleum Company (Wasco).
The company has also begun to re-complete several wells in other geological layers, which are expected to add more reserves and enhance production. Work is currently underway on the Balsam-3 well, where estimated reserves are 4 bcf, with an anticipated additional production of 3 million cubic feet of gas per day. The successful recompletion of Balsam-3 is expected to reduce the risk associated with drilling exploration wells in the area and further enhance output.
Richard Hall, CEO, Dana Gas, said, “We have been developing and producing gas in Egypt for over a decade, and the signing of the concession area consolidation agreement with the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) late last year has allowed us to acquire additional areas under improved financial terms, enabling us to launch this new phase.
“The success of drilling this well opens vast prospects for gas production in the 'Begonia' area and presents promising future opportunities for expansion and growth. It will also extend the operational life of our assets in Egypt. We are fully committed to making every effort to ensure the success of the programme and its efficient and timely execution. Dana Gas reaffirms its strong commitment to reinvesting the payments it receives from the Egyptian government into executing this ambitious programme and supporting future development projects in the country.”
SONATRACH and Sinopec are looking to expand their co-operation through this agreement.
Global gas production by region. (Image source: Rystad Energy)
Amin H. Nasser, CEO Aramco. (Image source: Aramco)
Aramco reported healthy profits of US$22.7bn in Q2 2025 in its latest financial results, albeit down from the US$26bn recorded in Q1, and maintained high levels of capex to pursue its strategic objectives
Half-year profits stood at US$48.7bn compared with US$56.3bn in the first half of 2024. The decrease was mainly due to the impact of lower revenues (due to lower crude oil prices and lower refined and chemical products prices) as well as higher operating costs, according to the company.
Aramco declared a Q2 2025 base dividend of US$21.1bn and a performance-linked dividend of US$0.2bn to be paid in the third quarter.
“Aramco’s resilience was proven once again in the first half of 2025 with robust profitability, consistent shareholder distributions and disciplined capital allocation,” said Amin H. Nasser, Aramco CEO.
“Market fundamentals remain strong, and we anticipate oil demand in the second half of 2025 to be more than two million barrels per day higher than the first half. Our long-term strategy is consistent with our belief that hydrocarbons will continue to play a vital role in global energy and chemicals markets, and we are ready to play our part in meeting customer demand over the short and the long term.”
Upstream capital expenditure stood at US$19.2bn for the first half of 2025, relatively consistent with the first half of 2024 due to continuing development activity on multiple strategic gas projects to expand its gas business and advancement of crude oil increments designed to maintain crude oil MSC at 12.0mn bpd.
Aramco reported progress in its Berri, Marjan and Zuluf crude oil increments and brought Phase One of the Dammam development project onstream.
Aramco’s strategy to increase sales gas production capacity by more than 60% was advanced with multiple gas projects, including the Tanajib Gas Plant, Fadhili gas plant expansion and Jafurah Gas Plant, part of the Jafurah unconventional gas field development, with phase one on track for completion in 2025.
Downstream, capital expenditures for the first half of 2025 were US$5.1bn, an increase of 33.1% compared to the same period in 2024, predominantly due to the steady progress of capital projects such as the construction of the refinery-integrated petrochemical steam cracker being developed by S-OIL, the Amiral expansion at the SATORP refinery, and other projects. Global retail momentum continued with the introduction of premium fuel lines in Chile and Pakistan.
“We continue to invest in various initiatives, such as new energies and digital innovation with a focus on AI – aiming to leverage our scale, low cost, and technological advancements for long-term success,” added Nasser. The company significantly boosted its AI computing capacity to reach over 500 PetaFLOPS, a 20-fold increase from the previous year, while power purchase agreements were signed to develop new renewables projects, capitalising on the Kingdom’s advantaged solar and wind resources.
The current completion rate of the project has reached 46%. (Image source: WAM)
The collaboration AD Ports Group’s commitment to expanding its integrated ports, maritime, logistics, and industrial footprint in Egypt. (Image source: AD Ports)
The two companies will collaborate on AI-powere autonomous operations. (Image source: Borouge)
Abu Dhabi-based petrochemicals company Borouge is collaborating with Honeywell to conduct a proof of concept for AI-powered autonomous operations, which is set to deliver the petrochemical industry’s first AI-driven control room designed for full-scale, real-time operation
The initiative aims to deploy the proof-of-concept technologies to enhance Borouge’s operations across its Ruwais facilities in the UAE. Autonomous operations will enable Borouge to optimise production, reduce energy use, and enhance safety while reducing costs at what will be the single largest petrochemical site in the world. Both companies will leverage their expertise in process technology and autonomous control capabilities to identify new opportunities to deploy Agentic AI solutions and advanced machine learning algorithms.
The project is a key component of Borouge's companywide AIDT programme, which is projected to generate US$575mn in value this year. In 2024, Borouge’s portfolio of over 200 AIDT initiatives—spanning operations, health and safety, sales, sustainability, and product innovation—generated $573mn in value
Borouge has already installed the world’s largest Real-Time Optimisation (RTO) system across three large-scale ethane crackers and 20 furnaces. The initiative analyses over 2,500 parameters per minute, enabling instant data-driven decisions, significantly enhancing productivity, optimising energy consumption and reducing emissions. The unique system minimises ethane dumping and optimises resource use, in line with Borouge's commitment to sustainable growth and operational excellence.
Borouge has invested in its state-of-the-art Innovation Centre located in Abu Dhabi and is now using advanced AI-powered tools to accelerate innovation, enabling the company to bring new grades of advanced polymers to market quicker. In collaboration with ADNOC AI Lab, Borouge has completed its first “Polymer Optimisation” programme, achieving a 97% accuracy, enabling Borouge to reduce its development timeline from months to weeks.
Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, chief executive officer of Borouge, said, “Borouge's AI, Digitalisation, and Technology (AIDT) transformation programme is setting new standards in operations, innovation and business performance. By collaborating with global AI leaders such as Honeywell, we are accelerating growth, driving efficiency, and enhancing shareholder value. This project further strengthens Borouge’s competitive edge as we continue to deliver on our ambitious AIDT roadmap.”
George Bou Mitri, president of Honeywell Industrial Automation, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Central Asia, said, “By integrating AI and automation technologies into core operations, we are helping unlock new levels of efficiency, safety, and performance. This agreement shows how advanced technologies, applied with purpose, can reshape industrial operations at scale.”
ADNOC L&S will manage the transportation of up to 70% of Borouge's annual production. (Image source: ADNOC L&S)
The petrochemical industry is increasingly turning its attention to chemical recycling. (Image source: Synergy)
The agentic AI solution will be deployed across ADNOC's subsurface operations. (Image source: SLB)
SLB and AIQ, the Abu Dhabi-based AI company focusing on the energy sector, will collaborate to advance AIQ’s deployment of its ENERGYai agentic AI solution across ADNOC’s subsurface operations
ENERGYai combines large language model (LLM) technology with cutting-edge agentic AI, which is trained for specific workflows across ADNOC’s upstream value chain. ENERGYai will power agentic AI to automate complex, high-impact tasks, increasing efficiency, enhancing decision-making and optimising production across ADNOC’s operations and thereby accelerating the impact of AI-driven energy transformation. AIQ and SLB will jointly design and deploy new agentic AI workflows across ADNOC’s subsurface operations, including for geology, seismic exploration, and reservoir modelling, supported by SLB’s Lumi data and AI platform, and other digital technologies.
A scalable version of ENERGYai is under development, which will include AI agents covering tasks within subsurface operations, with deployment commencing in Q4 2025.
“The collaboration between AIQ and SLB enables the development of sophisticated AI workflows that integrate seamlessly with ADNOC’s infrastructure, driving efficiency, scalability, and innovation at every stage of the energy lifecycle,” said Dennis Jol, CEO of AIQ. “Our ENERGYai agentic AI solution is pioneering in its sheer scale and impact, and we are proud to involve other significant industry technology players in its development and evolution.”
“Our collaborations with AIQ have already delivered innovative solutions, and now we are supporting the building of the foundation for the next era of intelligent energy operations together with AIQ’s ENERGYai . This agentic AI solution is set to drive long-term value and operational resilience across ADNOC’s energy value chain,” said Rakesh Jaggi, president, Digital & Integration, SLB.
See also: https://oilreviewmiddleeast.com/technical-focus/aiq-win-us-360mn-adnoc-for-agentic-ai-deployment
https://oilreviewmiddleeast.com/technical-focus/adnoc-aiq-launch-proof-of-concept-trial-of-energyai
https://oilreviewmiddleeast.com/technical-focus/slb-launches-lumi-data-and-ai-platform
Pelco's heavy-duty ruggedised security cameras are designed to meet the evolving demands of modern oil and gas operations. (Image source: Pelco)
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging is a unique approach to seismic processing and imaging. (Image source: DUG Technology)
The webinar will transform confined space inspections. (Image source: Flyability)
Despite advances in digital technology, many oil and gas sites across the Middle East still rely on manual entry for tank and vessel inspections, resulting in days of downtime, high scaffolding costs and risk to human life
What if you could change all that with drone technology?
Inspections drones such as the Elios 3 are revolutionising the world of confined space inspections, improving safety, reducing downtime and enhancing operational efficiency.
Join us for an exclusive live webinar hosted by Flyability in association with Oil Review Middle East on ‘Transforming oil and gas operations with the Elios 3 drone’ on Tuesday 2 September at 2pm GST. Industrial experts will explain how drones such as the Elios 3 are transforming confined space inspections, and how you can integrate this technology into your operations seamlessly.
Key highlights:
Drone integration: learn how to safety and effectively implement drones in confined space
Safety and training: understand essential safety protocols and training strategies for your team
ROI: discover how to measure and achieve a strong return on investment with drone technology
Real world use cases: hear from the engineers using drone tech in the field on the impact Elios 3 is having on in oil and gas inspections.
Speakers and host:
Fabio Fata – senior sales manager, Flyability (moderator)
Eralp Koltuk – inspection lead engineer, Tüpraş
Danijel Jovanovic – director of operations, ZainTECH
Take your operations to the next level! Don’t miss out on gaining valuable insights into how drones can make inspections safer, faster and smarter .
From making inspections in hazardous confined spaces much safer to streamlining the whole process and providing valuable real-time data, you will get to see exactly how the Elios 3 is changing the game.
The webinar highlighted SAFEEN Green - a revolutionary new USV. (Image source: AD Ports Group)
The webinar explored how AI surveillance applications can enhance operational efficiency and improve standards in onshore and offshore operations. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Steel remains one of the most carbon-intensive industries
Sustainable technologies are attracting unprecedented attention across sectors, particularly as the global shift toward net zero intensifies.
From the increasing use of low-carbon hydrogen in industries like green steel to the development of alternative fuels and renewable energy solutions, companies are actively seeking viable pathways to decarbonise.
IDTechEx’s Energy & Decarbonisation and Sustainability Research Reports provide in-depth coverage of these trends, exploring cutting-edge technologies and their impact on various markets.
The steel industry’s role in emissions
Steel remains one of the most carbon-intensive industries, and demand continues to rise due to global population growth, accelerating industrialisation, the AI-driven expansion of data centres, and the rollout of renewable energy infrastructure. As a result, efforts to decarbonise steelmaking have become critical.
The traditional blast furnace route, still the dominant method for crude steel production, emits roughly 2.3 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel produced. This poses significant sustainability challenges and is pushing regulators to tighten emissions controls and promote low-carbon alternatives.
Electric arc furnaces (EAFs), often used in steel recycling, offer a cleaner alternative. When powered by renewable electricity, EAFs can enable near-zero-emission steel production. This method is already in use and forms the backbone of green steel projects. When paired with direct reduced iron (DRI) technology, hydrogen can be used as a reducing agent instead of fossil fuels. IDTechEx’s report Green Steel 2025–2035 explores these technologies in detail, outlining their benefits, challenges and commercial potential.
Hydrogen as a low-emissions alternative
Green hydrogen, produced via water electrolysis using renewable energy, is emerging as a viable low-carbon energy carrier. It is particularly suited to sectors where electrification is difficult or inefficient. Companies already using hydrogen in industrial processes, such as chemical manufacturers, fertiliser producers and refineries, are expected to lead the early adoption of green hydrogen, given the relatively minor adjustments required to existing infrastructure.
Heavy industries such as steel and long-haul transportation are likely to be major consumers of green hydrogen up to 2040. Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining traction due to their faster refuelling times and longer range compared to batteries. In these cases, green hydrogen provides a sustainable energy source that aligns with decarbonisation goals.
Beyond 2040, green hydrogen is expected to play a growing role in power generation, aviation, and long-duration energy storage, though cost remains a key barrier. Progress in water electrolyser technologies will be crucial to scaling green hydrogen. Advances in component innovation and reduced dependence on critical raw materials will help drive adoption. IDTechEx’s report Materials for Green Hydrogen Production 2026–2036 covers the key technologies and suppliers supporting this evolution.
Green energy technologies rely heavily on advanced materials. Composite materials like carbon fibre offer the strength and lightweight properties needed for efficiency and durability. However, their own production processes can be energy-intensive and difficult to decarbonise.
Also read: Advanced tracer technology for CCS monitoring
ANRPC personnel. (Image source: ANRPC)
Global carbon capture capacity. (Image source: GlobalData)
Flaring has risen to 150 bcm in 2024.
The report provides expert insights to help oil and gas professionals navigate digital transformation with confidence. (Image source: DataPARC)
TotalEnergies will support the refinery with its global oil and feedstock supply capacity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The agentic AI solution is being rolled out across all ADNOC's upstream assets. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Human factors need to be taken into account when addressing safety. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Operators have never needed to take safety and efficiency more seriously. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
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HE Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, the president of Oman Investment Authority (OIA)
The programme will optimise asset lifecycle, enhance machinery performance and improve overall reliability. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The expansion is expected to increase the plant’s processing capacity from 2.5 to up to 4 billion standard cubic feet per day (bscfd). (Image source: Aramco)
TotalEnergies and SONATRACH will develop gas resources in Algeria's north-east Timimoun region, (Image source: Adobe Stock).
Source: SafeStart
The system can activate notification and hazard mitigation equipment to notify workers and safeguard facilities. (Image source: MSA Safety)
The new range has been launched in response to the demand for compact and lightweight lifeboats. (Image source: VIKING)
Block 56 is targeted for commercialisation in 2024. (Image source: Canva)
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SONATRACH and Sinopec are looking to expand their co-operation through this agreement.
The programme is designed to strengthen leadership and safety culture in the oil and gas industry> (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Comparison of conventional workflow with DUG MP-FWI imaging. (Image source: DUG)
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The agentic AI solution will be deployed across ADNOC's subsurface operations. (Image source: SLB)
Pelco's heavy-duty ruggedised security cameras are designed to meet the evolving demands of modern oil and gas operations. (Image source: Pelco)
Amin H. Nasser, CEO Aramco. (Image source: Aramco)
DUG Elastic MP-FWI Imaging is a unique approach to seismic processing and imaging. (Image source: DUG Technology)
The current completion rate of the project has reached 46%. (Image source: WAM)
The collaboration AD Ports Group’s commitment to expanding its integrated ports, maritime, logistics, and industrial footprint in Egypt. (Image source: AD Ports)
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technology enables more efficient and reliablThe technology enables the acquisition of formation evaluation measurements in any well condition. (Image source: SLB)
Kazakhstan is phasing out its policy of subsidising gas prices.
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The MoU signing. (Image source: Cloudera)
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