Closer. Faster. Smarter. Why the future of HPC is on the edge

Across the Middle East, oil and gas operators are acquiring larger seismic surveys, using more advanced imaging algorithms and streaming more field data than ever before

Yet as these workflows intensify, it is becoming increasingly difficult to rely solely on distant, centralised data centres. Moving any amount of big data to the cloud, be it terabytes or petabytes, introduces latency risk and bandwidth bottlenecks, while off-premise storage of subsurface data raises security and sovereign vulnerabilities. Operators now face a critical challenge: how to get powerful compute where the data resides, not hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.

That is where DUG Nomad comes in – a deploy-anywhere, ultra-dense edge-computing solution designed to make high performance computing (HPC) and AI inference accessible wherever data is generated.

Available in 10-foot and 40-foot containerised models, DUG Nomad brings the power of a full-scale data centre directly to the field. The compact Nomad 10 delivers 80 kW of cooling and supports more than 100 NVIDIA H200 GPUs, with self-contained cooling that requires no external chillers, plumbing or site preparation. It goes from delivery to operation in just hours.

The recently introduced Nomad 40 takes this further, providing up to 1 megawatt of IT heat rejection and supporting more than 1,000 NVIDIA H200 GPUs or 92,000 CPU cores in a mobile, modular form. Both systems are engineered to operate in any environment – including the hot, arid conditions common across the Middle East – thanks to the integrated immersion-cooling system that shields hardware from dust and oxidation. This makes Nomad uniquely capable of delivering scalable compute power on demand in places where traditional air-cooled systems often struggle with efficiency and reliability.

“Organisations increasingly need the power of a data centre without being bolted down to one location,” said Harry McHugh, DUG chief information officer. “Nomad gives them that flexibility – the ability to deploy serious computing capability at the edge, in days rather than months, with exceptional energy efficiency.”

For operators across the region, DUG Nomad offers more than mobility. By processing data on-site, it optimises data sovereignty, confidentiality and speed, ensuring that critical and sensitive information never leaves the operational perimeter while reducing latency for real-time analysis.

With its new Abu Dhabi office supporting large-scale projects across the region, DUG is uniquely positioned to help clients harness the benefits of edge computing – bringing HPC and AI inference closer to where insights begin.