In The Spotlight
Autonomous AI review, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, offers a practical pathway to addressing one of the most persistent challenges in project delivery. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Wassim Ghadban, global SVP, AI & Digital Engineering at Kent, discusses the concept of autonomous AI-driven review, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, as a means to remove structural bottlenecks in project delivery, and how the convergence of AI capabilities across engineering and operations can enable earlier production, reduce capital inefficiencies, and redefine how projects are executed
In the delivery of energy projects, the industry has long focused on optimising engineering productivity, refining project controls, and improving procurement and construction strategies. Despite these efforts, delays remain a persistent challenge. These delays are often attributed to complexity, uncertainty, or resource constraints. However, a closer examination reveals that the underlying issue is more structural in nature.
Engineering outputs are developed rapidly, supported by sophisticated tools and experienced teams. Yet, the progression of these outputs through the project lifecycle is governed by validation processes that are inherently sequential and fragmented. Documents and models move through multiple layers of review, often across different disciplines, organisations, and geographies. Each step introduces latency, not necessarily because of the effort required, but because of coordination, alignment, and the need to reconcile inconsistencies.
In this context, the constraint is not the ability to produce engineering work, but the ability to validate and integrate it efficiently.
The nature of the bottleneck
As projects evolve from conceptual design to detailed engineering and construction, the volume and granularity of deliverables increase significantly. This expansion is accompanied by a corresponding increase in interfaces between disciplines. Mechanical systems must align with structural supports, electrical systems must integrate with control architectures, and all must comply with operational and safety requirements.
Traditional review processes address this complexity through iterative, discipline-specific validation. While effective in ensuring technical integrity, these processes are limited in their ability to scale. Reviews are conducted sequentially or in loosely coordinated parallel streams, and issues identified at later stages often require revisiting earlier decisions. The result is a cycle of iteration that extends project timelines and introduces inefficiencies.
This dynamic is further compounded by the fact that review cycles are not purely technical activities. They involve communication, coordination, and decision-making across multiple stakeholders. As such, the duration of a review cycle is often driven more by process than by technical effort.
The emergence of AI in engineering contexts
Advances in AI have reached a level of maturity that allows systems to interpret, analyse, and generate engineering content with increasing accuracy. AI models can process structured and unstructured data, identify relationships between elements, and detect patterns that may not be immediately visible to human reviewers.
In practical terms, AI can now extract information from engineering documents, generate drawings based on defined parameters, and evaluate the consistency of designs across multiple domains. It can compare specifications against standards, identify deviations, and highlight potential conflicts between systems.
These capabilities extend beyond isolated tasks. AI can operate across interconnected datasets, enabling a more integrated view of engineering systems. This creates the foundation for a new approach to validation, one that is not constrained by discipline boundaries or sequential workflows.
Autonomous review with human-in-the-loop validation
The concept of autonomous AI review builds on these capabilities by applying them to the validation process itself. Rather than relying on multiple rounds of manual review, AI systems can evaluate entire engineering packages in a single pass, checking for completeness, compliance, and cross-discipline consistency.
Crucially, this approach does not eliminate the role of the engineer. Instead, it redefines it. Engineers remain responsible for final validation and decision-making, but their role shifts from conducting detailed manual reviews to assessing and confirming the outputs generated by AI. This human-in-the-loop model ensures that accountability and professional judgment are preserved, while significantly reducing the time required for validation.
The impact of this shift is not limited to efficiency. By enabling rapid, comprehensive review, it reduces the likelihood of late-stage issue discovery. Inconsistencies and conflicts can be identified earlier, when they are less costly and easier to resolve.
Implications for project execution
The introduction of autonomous review has broader implications for how projects are executed. By reducing the duration and frequency of review cycles, it allows engineering activities to progress more continuously. Dependencies between disciplines become less restrictive, as validation can occur in parallel rather than in sequence.
This creates the conditions for a more dynamic and responsive execution model. Decisions can be made earlier, with greater confidence, and adjustments can be implemented without significant disruption.
The traditional concept of rigid stage gates begins to give way to a more fluid process, in which validation is embedded within the workflow rather than applied after the fact.
The cumulative effect is a compression of the project timeline. Engineering completion is achieved sooner, procurement can be initiated earlier, and construction activities can proceed with fewer interruptions.
Enabling earlier production
For owner-operators, the most significant consequence of this transformation is the potential to achieve first production earlier than originally planned. The value of this acceleration extends beyond cost savings. It directly impacts revenue generation and the overall economic performance of the asset.
By reducing delays in engineering and execution, autonomous review contributes to a more predictable and shorter path to operational readiness. This not only improves capital efficiency but also enhances the strategic flexibility of operators, allowing them to respond more effectively to market conditions.
In this sense, the primary value of AI in project delivery is not merely in reducing costs, but in unlocking time. Time, in turn, is directly linked to value creation in the form of earlier production and extended asset utilisation.
Extending AI into operations
The same principles that enable autonomous review can be extended into the operational phase. AI systems are increasingly capable of monitoring plant conditions, interpreting sensor data, and applying predefined operational philosophies to optimise performance.
In environments where safety, efficiency, and reliability are critical, AI can support or even execute operational decisions within defined boundaries. This reduces the reliance on manual intervention and enhances the consistency of operations.
In certain scenarios, AI can effectively operate a plant by following established control strategies and responding to real-time conditions. While human oversight remains essential, the role of operators evolves toward supervision and exception management.
Conclusion
Autonomous AI review, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, offers a practical pathway to addressing one of the most persistent challenges in project delivery. By transforming how engineering outputs are validated and integrated, it removes a key constraint that has historically limited project performance.
The resulting benefits extend beyond efficiency gains. They include earlier production, improved capital utilisation, and a more responsive and resilient execution model. When combined with AI-enabled operations, this approach forms the foundation of a new paradigm in which projects are not only digitally enabled but increasingly autonomous.
The future of project delivery will not be defined by how quickly engineering work can be produced, but by how effectively it can be validated, integrated, and executed. In this context, AI is not simply a tool for optimisation, but a catalyst for fundamental change.
The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Joint Oil Exploration, Exploitation and Petroleum Services Company (Joint Oil), a joint venture between Libya and Tunisia, has announced the opening of a new bid round on 7 September for development of the promising Zarat discovery and further exploration of the Joint Oil Block border acreage
Located in the prolific Gabes-Tripoli Basin of the central Mediterranean, this offshore acreage represents a premier opportunity for cross-border energy cooperation between Tunisia and Libya. Moyes & Co., a global upstream advisory firm, has been engaged to seek industry partners for two separate commercial packages:
• Exploration: Further exploration of the Joint Oil Block for new plays, leads, and prospects under an Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement (EPSA). The area concerned spans 3,000 sq km in water depth of 80-120m, with seismic data covering 6,500km of 2D & 1,900km of 3D. Wells: Zohra-1 (1976), El Amal South 1 (1999), Besmah-1 (2002), El Amal North 1 (2002), Zarat North 1 (2010). Surrounding producing fields: El Bouri, El Jurf and Bihr El Salam in Libya; Hasdrubal, Ashtart, Miskar & Didon in Tunisia.
• Development: Development of the Zarat Discovery — which straddles the Tunisia-Libya border— as a unitised oil and gas resource. This will be governed by a Development and Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA), Unitisation Agreement (UA), Unit Operating Agreement (UOA), and Operating Services Contract (OSC).
The bid round will close on 31 December 2026.
Credible companies with proven offshore exploration and development capability are invited to apply for access to the Virtual Data Room (VDR) managed by Moyes. Bids must be received by 8 January 2027. Winning bidders will be informed by 26 February 2027, with formal awards expected by 30 April 2027.
The bid round opportunity will be presented at the London Mediterranean, Middle East & Africa Scout Group (MMEA) on 9 September 2026 and at the World Energy Summit in London on 29-30 September 2026 where Joint Oil will also be present at a booth.
Strong potential
Joint Oil has highlighted the exceptional potential of the Joint Oil Block and the Zarat Discovery, strategically positioned along the southern margin of the Pelagian Basin within the geological extension of the Sabratha–Gabes Basin.
The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location near several major producing fields across the Sabratha–Gabes Basin, including Al Jurf, Bahr Essalam, and Bouri offshore Libya, as well as Ashtart, Didon, and Miskar offshore Tunisia. This positioning enhances the project’s long-term value proposition through access to established regional infrastructure, operational synergies, and export pathways.
Bordered by active Libyan exploration zones and major offshore concessions, the Joint Oil Block and Zarat discovery further underscore the substantial untapped hydrocarbon potential of the shared Tunisian-Libyan offshore basin, reinforcing its attractiveness as a high-impact exploration and development opportunity for investors and strategic partners. Zarat is the largest discovery in offshore Tunisia since the Miskar discovery in 1975, and is the largest undeveloped field in offshore Tunisia. Contingent resources at Zarat attributable to the Joint Oil Block totals 158 mmboe.
Joint Oil is a joint venture between Libya and Tunisia through the national companies, the Tunisian Corporation of Petroleum Activities (ETAP) and Ola Energy Holdings Ltd. (OLA Energy). The company has managed hydrocarbon resources within the Tunisia-Libyan offshore acreage since 1988.
Now that the focus has moved from what AI can do to how it can be leveraged to create value, oil and gas companies are accelerating the deployment of AI to transform their operations
ADNOC, for example, is deploying the first AI-enabled fully automated walking island rig, which enables faster and more consistent offshore well delivery, while TotalEnergies is deploying agentic AI solutions to improving the detection of fugitive emissions and target the highest-emitting equipment.
One of the undisputed leaders in AI deployment is Aramco. At LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter, the company's executive vice president Technology & Innovation, discussed how AI is changing the way the company works, explaining that Aramco looks at AI through three lenses: intelligence, trust and scale.
Intelligence
Aramco collects more than 10 billion plus data points from its operations every day, from wells, pipelines, refineries, terminals, and laboratories.
“But this data on its own does not create value,” stressed Ak-Khowaiter.
“That value comes from combining it with huge computing power and world class technical expertise to put into models which help our engineers, operators, and technologists make better decisions.
“This is why we are moving AI deeper into the core of our business.
“We are using it to enhance exploration, optimise production, improve reliability, accelerate engineering, strengthen maintenance, and even keep our people safe.
“It detects anomalies, recommends responses, and automates workflows, empowering our people to focus on higher-value decisions.”
Aramco’s in-house large language models process millions of requests a day and are estimated to have saved hundreds of thousands of working hours every year, he added.
Trust
In the age of agentic AI and autonomous operations, trust is more important than ever. Cyber security, digital ethics and governance all need to be part of the foundations of how AI is developed, deployed, and scaled, al Khowaiter stressed.
“Autonomous systems need strong guardrails.”
Secure cloud environments, resilient connectivity, digital ethics, and AI-enabled monitoring are a focus, with AI-enabled monitoring significantly reducing the time needed to resolve IT service issues.
“Furthermore, our CyberMind security system demonstrates how AI is strengthening cybersecurity at scale, automating millions of investigations while processing over a billion potential threats every year,” Al-Khowaiter said.
“It enhances our resilience, improves response times, and provides the secure digital foundation we need for the next generation of industrial AI to succeed.”
Scale
The real value of AI projects will come from scaling them across enterprises, industries, and ecosystems, Khowaiter said, noting that Aramco is no stranger to scale given it operates some of the largest and most complex industrial systems in the world
“We have the data and we have the infrastructure, but most importantly we have the people. Engineers, scientists, operators, geologists, and technologists who understand the difference between a promising model and a practical solution.
“That’s why AI is not replacing our industrial knowledge, it is amplifying it.”
Al-Khowaiter went on to stress Aramco’s leadership role in AI, with Aramco Ventures now having a portfolio that includes around 300 start-ups from around the world, while the TecShift initiative aims to attract early-stage start-ups from across the world to Dhahran, bringing them together with industrial partners to work on solving real world challenges.
Concluding, Al-Khowaiter said, “The future of industry will inevitably become more intelligent. But it must also be trusted and scalable. That is the opportunity we see at Aramco.
“Combining nearly a century of industrial expertise with cutting edge technology and world-class talent.
“Our innovation has moved to implementation, creating value not just for our company, but for the Kingdom and the world.”
The workshop will show how Flyability's Elios 3 is transforming the way challenging inspections are approached.
A bespoke hands-on workshop is being held on 16 September in Dubai on Transforming oil and gas inspections with Elios 3, which will show how Flyability's Elios 3 is transforming the way challenging inspections are approached
The oil and gas industry continues to face increasing pressure to improve safety, reduce operational downtime and enhance inspection efficiency. Increasingly, operators are deploying UAV technology to improve inspection quality, enhance safety and drive greater operational efficiency across oil and gas assets.
This workshop will showcase how Flyability’s Elios 3 is being used to inspect confined spaces, navigate difficult environments and capture detailed visual data, while reducing the need for personnel exposure in potentially hazardous environments.
Expert speakers:
Alex Clark, group chief commercial officer, director Interocean Marine Services;
Capt. Ankur Arora, head of commercial and global market expert, Bureau Veritas Marine & offshore,
Fabio Fata, senior sales manager Flyability and
Senan Khatib, certified UAV pilot/instructor and UAV field specialist, Sagerdrone.
Find out about:
• Flyability’s vision and mission
• The latest trends in industrial inspections
• The importance of safety in confined space inspections
• Enhancing asset integrity with drone technology
• How operators are deploying Elios 3 across asset integrity and inspection workflows for safer, faster, more efficient and more data-driven inspections
Practical insights:
Get practical insights into the technology and its potential across oil & gas inspection operations, watch the live demonstration of the Elios 3 and take part in the hands-on session.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take away expert insights to help you transform your oil and gas inspections!
Register for the workshop here:
SLB has launched the ExaCT electrical downhole coiled tubing (CT) control system, an advanced intervention platform that introduces real-time electrical control to coiled tubing operations
By replacing pressure-dependent hydraulic actuation with electrical communication, power delivery and telemetry, the ExaCT system gives operators greater visibility, precision and control, helping improve intervention execution and reservoir access.
Complex demands
Well intervention is becoming more complex as reservoirs mature and well designs evolve. Extended-reach wells, multilaterals, and integrated operations demand more accuracy than traditional methods can deliver. Pressure-based actuation and mechanical sequencing often introduce uncertainty — making it harder to execute tasks at the right depth and time.
Without real-time visibility and control, operations become less efficient and more prone to NPT and missed objectives. Conventional approaches often require multiple runs and manual adjustments, increasing risk, cost, and variability — and limiting the ability to complete complex interventions in a single trip.
As the industry focuses on efficiency, repeatability, and performance certainty, precision and control are now essential. Real-time measurement, command, and actuation reduce uncertainty and help ensure every intervention achieves its full potential.
Precision and control
The ExaCT electrical downhole CT control system combines electrical power, telemetry and downhole measurements to deliver real-time precision, actuation and control for complex CT interventions. By replacing passive, pressure-dependent hydraulic actuation with active real-time electrical control the system helps operators to make informed decisions supported by continuous downhole feedback, emablong them to optimise reservoir access, improve production performance and maximise recovery.
The ExaCT system supports multiple services in a single run, including logging, stimulation, isolation and shifting operations – critical for extended-reach, multilateral and high-complexity wells. The platform enables real-time monitoring of downhole conditions and allows interventions to be adapted as conditions change, reducing the need for multiple runs while providing a foundation for increasingly automated intervention workflows.
Designed for harsh downhole conditions, including sour corrosive and high temperature environments, such as those in the Middle East, the ExaCT system improves execution confidence, reduces NPT and delivers more predictable outcomes through standardised, repeatable push-button workflows.
Results:
Field deployments of the ExaCT system across multilateral, extended-reach, and offshore intervention programmes have delivered measurable gains in execution time, cost, and reliability compared with conventional hydraulic systems:
• 30–40% faster intervention - The direction and inclination (D&I) and electrical multilateral module (eMLT) within the ExaCT access service completed multilateral entry and stimulation operations 30–40% faster than conventional methods.
• 15–20% lower operational costs - Electrical control within the ExaCT access service reduced repeat CT trips, lowering operational costs by 15–20% across field deployments.
• 30% faster offshore cleanout - Aker BP reduced offshore cleanout time by about 30%, or approximately 12 hours, using the ExaCT cleanout service in a depleted well offshore Norway.
• 20% less liquid and nitrogen use - Real-time mode switching with the ExaCT cleanout service reduced liquid and nitrogen consumption by about 20% compared with fixed, depth-based programs.
In one six-lateral well intervention, the ExaCT system reduced intervention time by approximately 175 hours, enabling operators to enter each lateral in about 12 minutes compared with six to eight hours using conventional hydraulic systems. The operation stimulated more than 21,000 feet of reservoir contact while reducing fluid consumption by more than 3,000 barrels.
“Operators are asking intervention systems to do far more than simply actuate downhole tools," said Frederik Majkut, president, Reservoir Performance, SLB. "Completion and production teams need continuous visibility, precise control and the flexibility to perform multiple services in a single run. The ExaCT system represents a fundamental shift to electrically controlled intervention, helping operators improve execution certainty, reduce intervention time and maximise reservoir access.”
Dr Manar Al Moneef
Dr. Manar Al Moneef, scientist, capital architect and chief investment officer of NEOM shares learnings from twenty years of infrastructure investment in the Gulf
There is a common misconception about what makes large-scale infrastructure successful. Many assume success is determined when a project is announced, the business case is approved, or the financing is secured. In reality, the true test comes much later.
Every transformational project reaches moments when assumptions evolve, technologies advance, markets shift, and geopolitical realities change. The question is never whether circumstances will change — they always do. The question is whether the institution behind the project has the capability, discipline, and conviction to adapt while remaining committed to its long-term objective.
After more than twenty years working across infrastructure, energy, healthcare, investment, and economic development, I have come to believe that the greatest determinant of success is not the original forecast, the technology, or even the market opportunity. It is the strength of the institution behind the capital.
Projects that create lasting economic value rarely unfold exactly as planned. They succeed because they are supported by institutions capable of learning, adjusting, and continuing to execute without losing sight of their strategic destination.
That distinction matters because the Gulf’s development story is often misunderstood.
The region’s greatest achievement is not that it has launched ambitious projects. Many countries can do that. Its real achievement is building institutions capable of sustaining long-term ambition through economic cycles, technological transformation, and periods of global uncertainty.
The institutions behind long-term success
Much of the discussion around sovereign investment focuses on scale. While the Gulf’s sovereign institutions collectively manage trillions of dollars, scale alone does not explain the region’s ability to deliver transformational infrastructure. What differentiates successful institutions is their ability to think beyond market cycles while continuously creating long-term value. In my experience, three characteristics consistently distinguish institutions that endure:
Strategic clarity. Successful institutions maintain a clear long-term direction while remaining flexible in execution. Markets evolve, technologies improve, and priorities shift, but adapting the route does not require abandoning the destination.
Adaptive execution. Every major project evolves. New information emerges, better solutions become available, and economic conditions change. Strong institutions embrace these changes, improving execution without compromising strategic intent. Adaptability is not a departure from strategy—it is often what allows strategy to succeed.
Institutional commitment. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic is the ability to sustain commitment over decades. Projects evolve, plans are refined, and priorities are reassessed, but the broader objective remains clear. That continuity enables infrastructure, industries, and capabilities whose value can only be realised over generations.
Together, these characteristics transform ambition into sustained execution.
Three examples of long-term execution
Across the Gulf, there are many examples of institutions demonstrating these principles.
Qatar’s North Field expansion provides a compelling example. The project required significant capital, long-term planning, and confidence in the future role of natural gas in global energy markets. More importantly, it required institutions willing to make decisions based on decades rather than quarterly performance.
Saudi Arabia’s electricity infrastructure is one of the strongest. Over several decades, the Kingdom has consistently invested in generation, transmission, and grid reliability to support industrialisation, urbanisation, and economic diversification. As demand increased and technologies advanced, the system continued to evolve. Today, it stands among the region’s most sophisticated power networks, providing the foundation for future economic growth.
The UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant reflects the same institutional discipline. Building a nuclear programme required decades of planning, rigorous governance, technical excellence, and sustained commitment. Beyond generating electricity, Barakah demonstrates what institutions can achieve when they remain focused on a strategic objective while successfully managing complexity and risk.
Different countries. Different sectors. Different technologies. Yet they share the same underlying principle: long-term vision supported by institutions capable of sustained execution.
Vision creates direction. Institutions transform that direction into outcomes.
What this moment is teaching us
The world is navigating one of the most complex periods in recent history. Economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, demographic change, and rapidly evolving industries are reshaping the global economy.
In this environment, resilience has become one of the most valuable institutional capabilities. Not resilience as resistance to change. Resilience as the ability to adapt while maintaining direction.
The institutions that will define the next generation of economic growth are not those that attempt to predict every outcome perfectly. They are those capable of remaining disciplined in purpose, flexible in execution, and committed to creating long-term value despite uncertainty.
That is the lesson I have observed throughout my career.
Markets will change. Technologies will evolve. Assumptions will be challenged. The future will rarely unfold exactly as expected. But institutions built on strong governance, strategic clarity, and the ability to adapt without losing focus will continue to create value long after individual market cycles have passed.
Ultimately, the question is not whether projects will encounter challenges. Every meaningful project does. The question is whether the institution behind it has been designed to adapt, endure, and continue building through change.
Because that is how transformative infrastructure is delivered. That is how economies strengthen their foundations. And that is how nations turn long-term ambition into lasting prosperity.
Continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz continues to weigh on the oil markets. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The IEA has revised down both its oil supply and demand forecasts as renewed hostilities and Strait of Hormuz disruption have derailed the hoped for recovery in the oil markets
In its August Oil Market report, the IEA forecasts that world oil demand will decline by 1.6mn bpd in 2026, 510,000 bpd more than its previous forecast, thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and continuing high oil prices, although it predicts a return to growth in Q4 2026 and 2027.
Global oil supply rose by 2.4mn bpd to 101.5mn bpd in July, but remained 6.3mn bpd below levels of a year ago, with 8.3mn bpd of Gulf output still shut in. After increasing by 3.7mn bpd in June, Gulf oil production rose by a further 2.5 mn bpd in July to 23.9mn bpd, still 8.3mn bpd below pre-war levels. Regional exports fell by 2.1mn bpd to 15 mn bpd after the Strait was effectively closed once again and tankers came under attack. With no end to hostilities in sight, the IEA now estimates global oil supply to fall by 4.3 mn bpd in 2026, to 102 mn bpd, as growth of 1.4 mn bpd from the Americas only partly offsets losses in the Middle East and Russia.
Refinery crude throughputs increased in July but remained nearly 5mn bpd below last year’s levels, with continued Middle East product export disruptions and attacks on Russian refineries reducing 3Q run estimates by a further 370,000 bpd. Global throughput is now predicted to decline by 2.5mn bpd in 2026 and rebound by 3.5mn bpd in 2027. Diesel, jet fuel and gasoline markets are tightened as reduced Gulf and Russian exports coincide with rising summer travel demand.
Global oil inventories fell in July by 69mn bbl, with renewed disruption to exports from the Gulf and Caspian Sea. Oil stocks now stand at just below 7.9 bbl bbl, down by 2.7mn bpd on average, for the first time since April 2025.
The global oil balance is now expected to show a deficit of 1.8 mn bpd in 3Q26, more than double the estimate of around 800,000 bpd in last month’s Oil Market Report.
“Although the market is projected to return to surplus towards the end of this year, risks remain substantial and the urgency of reopening the Strait has increased, as previously available inventory buffers are rapidly depleting,” the IEA warns.
In a further boost for Iraq's oil and gas development prospects, Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) is acquiring a 15% interest in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited (BP ECKL), which is redeveloping several major oil and gas fields in the promising Kirkuk region of northern Iraq
Signed during the official visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi to Türkiye, the move builds on the strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by bp and Türkiye's national oil company in February 2026, and follows ConocoPhillips' recent acquisition of a 42% interest in BP ECKL. The two acquisitions bring together partners with complementary capabilities and expertise together with bp to support the next phase of redevelopment in Kirkuk. Following completion of the transaction, bp will remain the majority shareholder in BP ECKL with 43%.
Vast potential
Kirkuk, once among the most prolific regions globally, has vast potential, with a combined resource opportunity estimated at up to 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
bp received final government ratification for its contract to invest in the redevelopment of several giant oil fields in Kirkuk in March 2025, when bp said the investment will bring opportunity and growth to the Kirkuk region, as well as improving supply chain capability alongside job creation. Then bp executive vice president William Lin commented that the opportunity is fully in line with the company’s priority of pursuing new growth opportunities for bp as it strengthens and high-grades its portfolio across the world.
The contract between North Oil Company (NOC), North Gas Company (NGC) and bp includes the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the fields alongside investment in existing gas processing facilities, spanning oil, gas, power and water with potential for investment in exploration.
The Development and Production Contract covers an initial phase of oil and gas production of more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent from the Baba and Avanah domes of the Kirkuk oil field and the adjacent Bai Hassan, Jambur and Khabbaz fields in Federal Iraq, all currently operated by the North Oil Company (NOC) and North Gas Company (NGC). The contract area also includes additional exploration potential.
bp is drawing on its experience elsewhere in Iraq in developing Kirkuk, notably at the supergiant Rumaila field in southern Iraq, where with its partners it has helped to deliver a 40% increase in production since 2010. bp says it aims to grow a similar, modern upstream oil and gas industry centred around Kirkuk, bringing in technologies that transformed operations at Rumaila, such as real-time monitoring and digital surveillance. These can help to optimise well performance, predict and avert production issues, and facilitate data-driven decision making.
Chief executive officer Meg O’Neill said, “TPAO has been a trusted partner for more than 30 years through our work together across the Caspian region. This agreement builds on that long-standing relationship and, alongside our partnership with ConocoPhillips, positions us strongly for the next phase of redevelopment in Kirkuk. Kirkuk is a world-class resource base that can support Iraq's long-term energy ambitions, and we look forward to working closely with the Government of Iraq and our partners to deliver the next phase of redevelopment."
bp has a longstanding relationship with Iraq spanning more than a century with an involvement in both the north and south of the country. bp’s predecessor helped Iraq to locate, produce and export oil from Baba Gurgur in Kirkuk, one of the largest oilfields in the world at that time.
The agreement signing. (Image source: QatarEnergy)
The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Cooling is becoming one of the most critical elements of data centre performance. (image source: MSA Safety)
As AI workloads, cloud demand and rack densities increase, cooling is becoming one of the most critical elements of data centre performance, says MSA Safety
High-density computing environments generate more heat in a smaller footprint, driving greater use of advanced liquid cooling and other high-capacity thermal-management systems. These technologies can support demanding workloads, but they also reduce the margin for error.
In this environment, cooling resilience cannot begin at the point of failure. It must start earlier, with the ability to identify small changes before they develop into a wider operational issue.
The margin for cooling disruption is shrinking
Traditional data centres often benefited from a degree of thermal buffer. Lower rack densities and large volumes of conditioned air could provide teams with more time to respond when cooling performance began to decline.
High-density AI environments are different. Greater heat loads mean temperatures can rise more quickly if cooling capacity is reduced. A minor loss of performance that may once have developed gradually can now place equipment, uptime and service-level commitments at risk much sooner.
This changes the role of refrigerant leak detection. Rather than treating detection solely as a compliance or safety requirement, design and engineering teams increasingly need to consider it as part of the facility’s wider cooling-resilience strategy.
Cooling disruption can begin before an alarm
Refrigerant leaks are not always sudden or immediately visible. A small leak can develop gradually at a joint, valve, seal or other component, allowing the system’s refrigerant charge to decline over time.
Initially, the cooling system may compensate. Compressors may run for longer, controls may adjust and temperature set points may continue to be maintained. From an operational perspective, the system can appear to be functioning normally even though its performance has begun to change.
As refrigerant levels continue to fall, cooling equipment may work harder to maintain the required output. This can contribute to increased energy use, place additional strain on system components and gradually reduce the cooling capacity available to the facility. In a high-density environment, continued refrigerant loss may eventually lead to a low-pressure trip or an inability to meet the thermal load. By that point, the opportunity for planned intervention may have narrowed considerably.
The challenge is that detection systems intended primarily to identify higher refrigerant concentrations may not alert teams during the earliest stages of a leak. A critical alarm can confirm that action is required, but it may not provide the earliest opportunity to respond.
Early detection should begin at the design stage
Cooling resilience is strengthened when refrigerant detection is considered during system design rather than added late in the project. Design teams can identify likely leak points, plan suitable sampling locations and determine how detection information will connect with building-management or facility-monitoring systems. Aspirated sampling pipework can also be incorporated while plant layouts, service routes and access requirements are still being developed.
This early consideration is particularly important in large or complex cooling installations, where multiple pieces of equipment may need to be monitored across separate plant areas.
The location of sampling points can influence how quickly a developing leak is detected and how easily teams can identify its likely source.
During commissioning, high-sensitivity detection can provide another layer of visibility. It can help engineering teams identify low-level refrigerant presence, installation issues or emerging leaks before the cooling infrastructure is handed over to the operator.
Once the facility is live, the same system can support a more proactive maintenance strategy by showing where refrigerant is being detected and how readings are changing over time. This gives teams an opportunity to investigate while cooling equipment is still operating, rather than waiting for a fault, pressure trip or loss of capacity.
How aspirated refrigerant detection supports earlier visibility
Aspirated refrigerant detection continuously draws air from multiple sampling locations back to a central sensor for analysis. This allows several plant areas or potential leak points to be monitored from one system while still providing zone-specific information. Sampling points can be positioned close to chillers, compressors, valves and other areas where refrigerant leaks may develop.
The Bacharach® Multi-Zone gas monitor from MSA Safety uses infrared sensing technology to detect supported refrigerants at concentrations as low as 1 ppm. A single monitor can sequentially sample up to 16 zones, giving design, commissioning and maintenance teams greater visibility across complex cooling infrastructure.
This high-sensitivity approach can help identify low-level refrigerant presence before it develops into a more significant loss of charge. When detection information is connected to wider monitoring and alerting systems, teams can also review readings remotely, examine trends and prioritise investigation according to the location and development of an event.
The value is not simply in generating another alarm. It is in providing actionable information earlier in the progression of a leak.
Cooling resilience starts before failure
As computing densities rise, data centres have less tolerance for unnoticed cooling degradation. A critical alarm may indicate that cooling performance is already at risk. Early leak detection provides an opportunity to act sooner, while the system is still operating and before a low-level issue becomes a wider cooling disruption.
By integrating high-sensitivity refrigerant detection into design, commissioning and maintenance strategies, data centre teams can gain better visibility of emerging risk and take a more proactive approach to protecting cooling performance and uptime.
Explore how the Bacharach Multi-Zone gas monitor can support earlier refrigerant leak detection across critical data centre cooling infrastructure. Contact MSA Safety to discuss your application with a refrigerant-detection specialist.
*Bacharach is a trademark of MSA Technology, LLC, registered in the United States and other countries and regions.
The signing between ADNOC and Bosch. (Image source: ADNOC)
The new standard represents an important step towards optical modem interoperability for subsea systems. (Image source: SWiG)
The agreements will expand the chemicals ecosystem. (Image source: ADNOC)
TA’ZIZ, a joint venture between ADNOC and ADQ, has signed long-term agreements spanning offtake, feedstock and sales across its chemicals portfolio, valued at US$28.5bn (AED104.6bn)
Signed at the Make it in the Emirates Forum, the agreements, valued at US$28.5bn, secure both global offtake and reliable local feedstocks, allowing for large-scale chemical production within the UAE and reinforcing TA’ZIZ’s role in building a fully integrated domestic chemicals ecosystem. The deals include sale agreements with ADNOC and Proman for methanol; Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for caustic soda; Mitsubishi Corporation for ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and caustic soda; Mitsui & Co. for EDC and caustic soda; Sanmar Group for EDC and VCM; Tricon for PVC, EDC and caustic soda; and Vinmar for EDC and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
ADNOC Gas secured a 25-year feedstock agreement to supply natural gas to the TA'ZIZ methanol project valued at over $5 billion (AED18.4 billion). TA’ZIZ also agreed a 20 year salt supply agreement with Abu Dhabi based Sama Salt to support production at its PVC complex.
Mashal Saoud Al-Kindi, CEO of TA’ZIZ, said, “These long term agreements represent a defining milestone for TA’ZIZ and for the UAE’s industrial growth ambitions. By securing both global demand and reliable local feedstock, we are translating vision into delivery, anchoring world scale chemicals production, strengthening domestic value chains and creating enduring economic value, jobs and supply chain resilience for the UAE.”
Together, these agreements leverage local resources to secure a reliable and sustainable supply of critical raw materials, further strengthening domestic value chains and advancing the UAE’s industrial self sufficiency.
TA’ZIZ is a manufacturing, industrial services, logistics and utilities ecosystem that enables the production of transition fuels and new products across the chemicals value chain, supporting ADNOC’s ambition to become a top three global chemicals player as well as the UAE’s industrial development and economic diversification ambitions.
The TA’ZIZ Industrial Chemicals Zone is set to produce 4.7 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of chemicals once construction is completed in 2028. This includes a 1 mtpa ammonia plant, a 1.8 mtpa methanol plant and 1.9 mtpa of marketable products from its integrated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) complex. The PVC complex, which produces PVC, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and caustic soda, will be one of the world’s top three largest single site PVC complexes.
Also at the Make it at the Emirates Forum, TA’ZIZ and Alpha Dhabi Holding announced a strategic collaboration agreement for around US$10 bn (AED36.7bn) in capital investment in new industrial chemicals in the TA’ZIZ industrial chemicals ecosystem in Al Ruwais Industrial City, Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.
The partnership could produce up to 14 new chemicals, delivering around 2.2mn tonnes per annum (mtpa) of additional chemical capacity in the TA’ZIZ industrial chemicals ecosystem in Al Ruwais Industrial City. The new chemicals, which include styrene and polystyrenes, acrylic acid and derivates, polyols, MDI, epoxy resins and linear alpha-olefins, are based on domestic demand and could substitute key products currently imported into the UAE, while strengthening local supply chain resilience. The partnership supports the UAE’s national industrial priorities, including the Make it in the Emirates (MIITE) initiative and the country’s industrial strategy, by strengthening domestic manufacturing capability and advancing self-sufficiency in strategically important chemical products.
Musaab Al Mulla (right) in conversation with Daniel Evans, VP, global head, fuels & refining, S&P Global Energy. (Image source: S&P Global Energy)
Demand could also drop in markets that have so far weathered the crisis. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Now that the focus has moved from what AI can do to how it can be leveraged to create value, oil and gas companies are accelerating the deployment of AI to transform their operations
ADNOC, for example, is deploying the first AI-enabled fully automated walking island rig, which enables faster and more consistent offshore well delivery, while TotalEnergies is deploying agentic AI solutions to improving the detection of fugitive emissions and target the highest-emitting equipment.
One of the undisputed leaders in AI deployment is Aramco. At LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter, the company's executive vice president Technology & Innovation, discussed how AI is changing the way the company works, explaining that Aramco looks at AI through three lenses: intelligence, trust and scale.
Intelligence
Aramco collects more than 10 billion plus data points from its operations every day, from wells, pipelines, refineries, terminals, and laboratories.
“But this data on its own does not create value,” stressed Ak-Khowaiter.
“That value comes from combining it with huge computing power and world class technical expertise to put into models which help our engineers, operators, and technologists make better decisions.
“This is why we are moving AI deeper into the core of our business.
“We are using it to enhance exploration, optimise production, improve reliability, accelerate engineering, strengthen maintenance, and even keep our people safe.
“It detects anomalies, recommends responses, and automates workflows, empowering our people to focus on higher-value decisions.”
Aramco’s in-house large language models process millions of requests a day and are estimated to have saved hundreds of thousands of working hours every year, he added.
Trust
In the age of agentic AI and autonomous operations, trust is more important than ever. Cyber security, digital ethics and governance all need to be part of the foundations of how AI is developed, deployed, and scaled, al Khowaiter stressed.
“Autonomous systems need strong guardrails.”
Secure cloud environments, resilient connectivity, digital ethics, and AI-enabled monitoring are a focus, with AI-enabled monitoring significantly reducing the time needed to resolve IT service issues.
“Furthermore, our CyberMind security system demonstrates how AI is strengthening cybersecurity at scale, automating millions of investigations while processing over a billion potential threats every year,” Al-Khowaiter said.
“It enhances our resilience, improves response times, and provides the secure digital foundation we need for the next generation of industrial AI to succeed.”
Scale
The real value of AI projects will come from scaling them across enterprises, industries, and ecosystems, Khowaiter said, noting that Aramco is no stranger to scale given it operates some of the largest and most complex industrial systems in the world
“We have the data and we have the infrastructure, but most importantly we have the people. Engineers, scientists, operators, geologists, and technologists who understand the difference between a promising model and a practical solution.
“That’s why AI is not replacing our industrial knowledge, it is amplifying it.”
Al-Khowaiter went on to stress Aramco’s leadership role in AI, with Aramco Ventures now having a portfolio that includes around 300 start-ups from around the world, while the TecShift initiative aims to attract early-stage start-ups from across the world to Dhahran, bringing them together with industrial partners to work on solving real world challenges.
Concluding, Al-Khowaiter said, “The future of industry will inevitably become more intelligent. But it must also be trusted and scalable. That is the opportunity we see at Aramco.
“Combining nearly a century of industrial expertise with cutting edge technology and world-class talent.
“Our innovation has moved to implementation, creating value not just for our company, but for the Kingdom and the world.”
Autonomous AI review, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, offers a practical pathway to addressing one of the most persistent challenges in project delivery. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Maintaining consistent pig velocity when pipeline flow conditions are variable, constrained or absent is a persistent challenge for operators. (Image source: Expro)
Competence is a must for high-risk tasks. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
How do complacency and human factors contribute to workplace injuries, and how can you prevent complacency-related injuries and incidents?
That is the subject of a webinar hosted by HSE Review in association with SafeStart, to take place on Wednesday 1st April 2026 at 2pm GST, which will shine a light on the neuroscience behind competence, complacency and human factors.
Safety professionals have known for years that “complacency is a silent killer.” They have also suspected that complacency was a contributing factor in almost every unintentional injury or incident. Unfortunately, from a neuroscience perspective, it is impossible to stop people from becoming complacent once they are competent. And for high-risks tasks in particular, competence is a must.
Even more unfortunately, many (most) companies do not know what to do to help their employees deal with complacency, which leads to mind not on task/risk.
In this session, participants will:
• Understand the neuroscience behind complacency and why it cannot be eliminated once competence is achieved
• Recognise the two stages of the complacency continuum and how human factors impact critical decision-making
• Learn practical skills to prevent complacency-related injuries, including attentive habits, looking for risk patterns in others, analysing close calls and small errors to prevent agonising over large ones, and using self-triggering skills, to deal with rushing, frustration and fatigue which, when combined with complacency, can cause fatalities
• Explore how concepts such as fail-safe can help compensate for complacency leading to mind not on task.
Register for the webinar here
Our speaker is Larry Wilson, a pioneer in the area of Human Factors in safety. He has been a safety consultant for over 25 years and has worked on-site with hundreds of companies worldwide. Larry is the author of SafeStart, an advanced safety and performance awareness programme, successfully implemented in more than 4,500 companies in 75 countries, with more than five million people trained. He is the moderator of the SafeConnection expert panels series and has authored and co-authored a number of books, the latest being “25 Years of Original Thought-Innovations in Safety, Human Error and Performance”. Larry is also an active keynote speaker at health and safety conferences around the globe (32 countries so far).
Participants are guaranteed an hour of engaging and thought-provoking interactive discussion and debate and will take away the understanding, skills and strategies to help prevent complacency-related injuries and incidents.
So don’t delay, register for the webinar here
SafeStart Trainer Certification – Global Training Series
Following strong demand last year and impact across global markets, we’re also launching the SafeStart Trainer Certification – Global Training Series, starting with Dubai on 7–8 April 2026.
This is a practical, human factors–based certification designed to help organisations reduce incidents, strengthen decision-making, and improve overall safety performance, on and off the job.
Find out more information and register here:
The webinar will explore how drone technology is being used to perform remote NDT inspections, collect critical asset data and create digital twins that support more effective asset integrity management. (Image source: Flyability)
The webinar will address the risks and realities of dissimilar flange connections. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The new guidance addresses hydrogen-specific integrity and safety considerations. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
DNV has published a recommended practice (RP) for offshore hydrogen pipelines, supporting safe design, operation and requalification of pipeline infrastructure for transporting hydrogen
DNV-RP-F123 Hydrogen pipeline systems addresses hydrogen-specific integrity and safety considerations. It supplements DNV’s established submarine pipeline standard, DNV-ST-F101 and adds additional guidance tailored to transporting hydrogen gas and hydrogen blends in pipeline systems. It is relevant for new pipeline developments as well as for the requalifying of existing offshore infrastructure for hydrogen transport, supporting broader efforts to scale hydrogen networks.
Hydrogen is expected to play an increasing role in cutting emissions from hard-to-decarbonise sectors. However the transportation of hydrogen by pipeline faces certain risks and considerations, such as embrittlement.
DNV-RP-F123 has been developed through the H2Pipe joint industry project (JIP), which ran from 2021 to 2026 and brought together 37 industry partners across operators, manufacturers, engineering companies and academic advisors to provide guidance for engineering projects and qualification work.
The next step is large-scale testing to validate data and advance existing standards. This phase will include full-scale pipe testing at DNV’s Spadeadam Research and Development Facility. The results will feed into the continued development of DNV-RP-F123 and future guidance.
“Hydrogen service fundamentally changes the integrity picture for pipeline systems,” explained Prajeev Rasiah, executive vice president and regional director for Northern Europe, Energy Systems at DNV, “it cannot be treated as a simple variant of natural gas. This recommended practice moves beyond theoretical study to provide an evidence-based framework for assessing hydrogen-specific risks in design, requalification, and operation. By closing the gaps around material suitability and safety margins, we are giving teams the technical clarity needed to move projects from the study phase into execution. This is particularly vital for requalifying existing infrastructure, where the guidance helps define exactly what must be tested or upgraded to ensure a safe reliable and sustainable transition.”
“The objective of the H2Pipe JIP is to build guidance grounded in shared data and real technical experience from testing,” added Philippe Darcis, chairman of the H2Pipe JIP Steering Committee and Pipeline Technology Senior Director at Tenaris. “The real value of the H2Pipe JIP is in turning years of shared data into credible, site-ready guidance that engineers can use to scale hydrogen infrastructure. This is a practical tool built to reduce the 'unknowns' that often stall investment. Because it was developed through industry-wide collaboration, it gives operators a robust basis for making decisions, allowing us to move forward with fewer assumptions and greater confidence in our safety and performance standards.”
Abu Dhabi is leading the way in hydrogen development. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
the crisis and the increased focus on energy security are renewing interest in hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
Most Read
-
TotalEnergies will support the refinery with its global oil and feedstock supply capacity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
HE Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, the president of Oman Investment Authority (OIA)
-
The new range has been launched in response to the demand for compact and lightweight lifeboats. (Image source: VIKING)
-
Comparison of conventional workflow with DUG MP-FWI imaging. (Image source: DUG)
-
TotalEnergies and SONATRACH will develop gas resources in Algeria's north-east Timimoun region, (Image source: Adobe Stock).
-
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)
-
Human factors need to be taken into account when addressing safety. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The programme is designed to strengthen leadership and safety culture in the oil and gas industry> (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The system can activate notification and hazard mitigation equipment to notify workers and safeguard facilities. (Image source: MSA Safety)
-
By using analytics to augment and empower the workforce, pipeline operators can optimise operations and improve asset availability. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
- Details
-
To improve differentiation, hard hats can be customised with different colours and logos. (Image source: MSA Safety)
- Details
-
Over 4,000 km of SoluForce pipe has been installed around the world. (Image source: SoluForce)
-
Block 56 is targeted for commercialisation in 2024. (Image source: Canva)
-
The use of blockchain in the oil and gas sector is set to increase substantially. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The partnership will enable HMi Elements to tap into Cobic-Ex’s global network. (Image source: HMi Elements)
-
Source: SafeStart
-
Operators have never needed to take safety and efficiency more seriously. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
Among other services, KBR will offer proprietary equipment for NCIC's 1,200 metric tonnes per day ammonia plant. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
Ampelmann’s portfolio of gangways is ready for operations on any type of floating structure. (Image source: Ampelmann)
Latest News
-
The signing between ADNOC and Bosch. (Image source: ADNOC)
-
The agreement signing. (Image source: QatarEnergy)
-
Autonomous AI review, combined with human-in-the-loop validation, offers a practical pathway to addressing one of the most persistent challenges in project delivery. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The Ampelmann L-type gangway. (Image source: Ampelmann)
-
Maintaining consistent pig velocity when pipeline flow conditions are variable, constrained or absent is a persistent challenge for operators. (Image source: Expro)
-
SteelFab 2027 will provide an integrated environment in which international businesses can showcase their capabilities, establish partnerships and explore opportunities across regional and global markets. (Image source: Expo Centre Sharjah)
-
The concession benefits from a highly strategic offshore location. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The new standard represents an important step towards optical modem interoperability for subsea systems. (Image source: SWiG)
-
Cooling is becoming one of the most critical elements of data centre performance. (image source: MSA Safety)
-
Energy leaders from across Africa will participate in the Strategic Conference. (Image source: dmg events)
-
DUG Insight provides a single workspace where geoscientists can work together. (Image source: DUG)
-
Technip to deliver engineering services for ADNOC project.
-
The paper has proposed a new Resilience Framework. (Image source: DNV)
-
McDermott and its Qingdao McDermott Wuchuan (QMW) consortium will provide the complete EPCI scope for a new surface pressure boosting facility, including the construction and installation of a jacket and topside, as well as associated brownfield modifications. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
-
The workshop will show how Flyability's Elios 3 is transforming the way challenging inspections are approached.
-
The two teams. (Image source: DUG)
-
PipeSense deployed its PipeScan technology to locate obstructions in two offshore pipeline networks. (Image source: PipeSense)
More Articles
The Ampelmann L-type gangway. (Image source: Ampelmann)
The controller is designed for increasingly complex industrial environments. (Image source: Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection)
Connected technologies are transforming how organisations achieve visibility. (Image source: MSA Safety)
The luminaires are suited to hazardous environments such as petrochemical plants. (Image source: Emerson)
Complacency can lead people to do something they know increases the likelihood of mind or eyes not on task. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The IMIST standard addresses risks in the energy sector. (Image source: Shutterstock)
The X1 Series is an advanced universal marshalling system engineered for hazardous areas and high-integrity SIL applications. (Image source: GM International))
New challenges are emerging in mitigating health and safety incidents in hazardous zones. (Image source: Avigilon)
The Peli 9730 remote Area Lighting System. (Image source: Peli Products)
BOSIET training equips offshore workers with the necessary skills to work safety and effectively. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
The SHP-SIS Safety Smart High-Performance Positioner