AIQ and SLB Join Forces to Advance Agentic AI Deployment Across ADNOC’s Subsurface Operations
In a landmark move set to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into the oil and gas industry, global energy technology leader SLB (NYSE: SLB) and Abu Dhabi–based AI specialist AIQ have announced a deepened collaboration aimed at advancing AIQ’s ENERGYai agentic AI solution across the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) subsurface operations.
This partnership represents not just another technology integration, but a decisive step in redefining how data, artificial intelligence, and domain expertise can converge to transform upstream oil and gas operations.
A Fusion of Energy and Artificial Intelligence
AIQ has established itself as a leading innovator in AI for the energy sector. The company’s flagship product, ENERGYai, is purpose-built for the upstream value chain, integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) with advanced agentic AI capabilities. Unlike conventional AI models that merely process data or provide insights, agentic AI systems are designed to take autonomous actions within defined parameters, enabling them to execute multi-step tasks that traditionally require expert human oversight.
The technology is built on an extraordinary foundation: 70 years of proprietary ADNOC data and operational knowledge. This unique dataset encompasses geological, geophysical, and reservoir engineering information accumulated through decades of exploration and production in the United Arab Emirates—providing an unparalleled base for training and fine-tuning AI agents.
In early tests, using only 15% of ADNOC’s subsurface data and focusing on just two oil fields, the results have been remarkable. A dedicated seismic interpretation agent delivered a 10-fold increase in speed for seismic data analysis and a 70% improvement in precision compared to conventional methods. Such improvements hint at the massive efficiency and cost-saving potential when the system is scaled across ADNOC’s full portfolio.
What the Collaboration Will Deliver
Under the new agreement, AIQ and SLB will co-design and deploy a range of agentic AI workflows targeting ADNOC’s subsurface operations. These workflows will address some of the most technically demanding areas of upstream oil and gas, including:
- Geology: Automating interpretation of geological data, improving subsurface characterization, and accelerating the integration of geological models into field development plans.
- Seismic Exploration: Enhancing the speed, accuracy, and consistency of seismic data interpretation, enabling faster decision-making for exploration drilling.
- Reservoir Modeling: Building dynamic, high-fidelity reservoir models that can be updated in near-real time to optimize production strategies and maximize recovery.
A critical enabler in this collaboration will be SLB’s Lumi™ data and AI platform. Lumi provides the backbone for integrating massive datasets, orchestrating AI workflows, and ensuring that insights can be shared seamlessly across teams and operational sites. The platform is designed to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and scale AI adoption while ensuring robust data governance and security.
Other SLB digital technologies will also support the initiative, ensuring that ENERGYai workflows can be integrated seamlessly into ADNOC’s existing infrastructure and operations.
Scalability and Roadmap
A scalable version of ENERGYai is currently in development, with capabilities that will allow it to manage an expanded set of AI agents for subsurface operations. According to AIQ, deployment of this enhanced version is scheduled to begin in Q4 2025. Once rolled out, it will not only be able to process and interpret data at unprecedented speed but also coordinate multiple workflows simultaneously—something that is essential for complex upstream operations.
This scalability is central to ADNOC’s digital transformation strategy, as it allows the company to progressively integrate AI across its asset base without disrupting ongoing production or exploration activities.
Strategic Alignment with Energy Sector Goals
For AIQ CEO Dennis Jol, the partnership is a natural progression of the company’s vision to place AI at the heart of energy optimization.
“This partnership reflects our vision to harness AI for energy optimization, and we are enthusiastic that SLB shares this outlook,” Jol said. “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. 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.”
For SLB, this collaboration aligns with its commitment to leading the digital transformation of the global energy sector. Rakesh Jaggi, President of Digital & Integration at SLB, emphasized the long-term value of the initiative:
“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.”
Why Agentic AI Matters for the Energy Industry
The oil and gas industry has been adopting AI for over a decade, but much of that adoption has focused on predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and process optimization. Agentic AI marks a leap forward because it goes beyond analysis—it acts.
In subsurface operations, this means AI agents can:
- Automate complex workflows such as seismic data interpretation, which currently requires teams of geophysicists working over months.
- Continuously refine models as new data becomes available, improving predictive accuracy in real time.
- Recommend and implement actions—for example, adjusting drilling parameters or re-prioritizing exploration targets—based on updated models.
By embedding such capabilities into upstream workflows, companies can compress decision-making cycles, reduce human error, and increase operational agility in volatile market conditions.
Potential Impact on ADNOC’s Operations
If the early test results are any indication, the full-scale deployment of ENERGYai could fundamentally reshape how ADNOC approaches subsurface challenges. Key benefits could include:
- Dramatic Time Savings: A 10x increase in seismic interpretation speed can shorten exploration timelines by months, allowing ADNOC to accelerate field development.
- Improved Accuracy: A 70% boost in precision for seismic interpretation reduces the risk of drilling non-productive wells, directly impacting profitability.
- Cost Reduction: Faster and more accurate workflows mean fewer resources spent on repetitive or corrective work.
- Enhanced Recovery: Better reservoir models can lead to more efficient production strategies, increasing overall recovery factors from existing fields.
- Sustainability Gains: By optimizing drilling and production operations, AI-driven workflows can reduce energy waste and lower carbon intensity per barrel produced.
Part of a Larger Digital Transformation Wave
This collaboration also fits into a broader industry trend. Oil and gas companies worldwide are pursuing digital transformation as a means of improving efficiency, safety, and sustainability. AI adoption is central to this transformation, but agentic AI represents a new frontier—one that promises to automate not just data analysis, but decision-making and execution within operational constraints.
For ADNOC, partnering with SLB and AIQ positions the company at the forefront of this new wave. It also aligns with the UAE’s national strategy to lead in AI adoption across multiple industries, with energy as a flagship sector.
