SLB has launched Tela, an agentic AI assistant for the upstream energy sector
Tela leverages agentic AI to not only automate processes but transform workflows and drive better business outcomes. Tela will be embedded in SLB’s portfolio of applications and platforms, and users will interact through a simple conversational interface, enabling agentic AI to act as a proactive collaborator.
Tela, which is deployable on cloud or on premises, follows a common five-step agentic AI loop: observe, plan, generate, act and learn. This allows agents within Tela to proactively interact with their environment, adapt to new data, and continuously improve outcomes. Whether interpreting well logs, predicting drilling issues, or optimising equipment performance, Tela agents can work in collaboration with humans or autonomously to deliver faster, smarter decisions.
Powered by SLB’s Lumi data and AI platform, Tela uses agentic AI – leveraging large language models (LLMs) and domain foundation models (DFMs) – to understand domain-specific contexts, generate insights and adapt workflows in real time based on observed outcomes. Lumi’s agentic framework allows customers to build and manage their own Tela agents, integrate partner-developed solutions, and tailor capabilities to their operational priorities.
“Technology like Tela marks a paradigm shift in how AI supports the energy industry, from subsurface to operations,” said Rakesh Jaggi, president, Digital and Integration, SLB. “Today, the industry faces a dual challenge: a leaner workforce and increased technical complexity, and Tela can address both. Tela doesn’t just automate tasks – it can understand goals, make decisions and take action. It’s the convergence of 100 years of domain science and cutting-edge digital technology, amplifying human ingenuity and redefining how work gets done.
“The real promise of agentic AI isn’t just faster workflows – it’s the ability to see the whole system, anticipate what’s next, and act with confidence, learning through the process and transforming workflows for better enterprise-level outcomes. For oil and gas, that means leading the way in energy innovation, driving smarter decisions, and actively shaping the future of the industry.”
Digital has been SLB’s fastest-growing business in recent years, with 2025 third-quarter revenues for this division rising 11% over the second quarter and 3% year-on-year.
“By leveraging software, AI, data analytics, automation and IoT, we are unlocking productivity for geoscientists and engineers, driving a step change in efficiency and safety in operations, and supporting our customers to deliver better wells and higher-producing assets,” said Olivier Le Peuch, SLB’s CEO, announcing the third quarter results. “As such, SLB Digital solutions are increasingly mission critical for our customers to stay ahead on innovation, efficiency and AI deployment.
“This high-margin and growing business is a true differentiator and reflects our industry leadership in this domain.”
Coinciding with the launch of Tela, ADNOC and SLB announced the launch of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Production System Optimization (AiPSO) platform with initial deployment across eight fields.
SLB launches agentic AI assistant for upstream transformation
Tela leverages agentic AI to automate processes, transform workflows and drive better business outcomes. (Image source: SLB)
