ADNOC & SLB Deploy AI Drilling Platform Across 120-Plus Rigs

4 August 2026
Edited By: Ed Freeman

ADNOC, in collaboration with SLB, has deployed its artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) platform across its fleet of more than 120 rigs, providing teams with a faster and more connected way to monitor, analyze, and manage drilling operations across its onshore and offshore assets.

(Credit: ADNOC)

The RTOC replaces multiple tools and reduces engineering effort by 30–40%, enabling engineers to support two to three times more rigs while maintaining effective oversight. Through automated dashboards and AI-powered performance insights, RTOC turns large volumes of drilling data into clear and actionable information—reporting cycles that previously took several days can now be completed within hours. By analyzing real-time rig data, RTOC can also identify potential issues before they escalate, helping reduce incident response times by 4–12 hours and avoid one to two days of rig downtime.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi, ADNOC Upstream CEO, said: “The Real-Time Operations Center creates value across ADNOC’s drilling operations every minute by embedding AI into the heart of our drilling operations, helping our teams make faster, smarter decisions at scale. Built securely here in the UAE, it is further proof that ADNOC is moving from AI ambition to real-world impact as we become the world’s most AI-enabled energy company.”

Enabled by SLB’s DrillOps™ intelligent well delivery and insights solutions, RTOC brings live rig data from across drilling operations into a single environment. This gives business, asset, and drilling teams a real-time view of activity across the rig fleet, helping them identify risks earlier, improve coordination, and make faster decisions. By combining operational data, advanced analytics, and AI-driven insights, tasks that previously required a full day of analysis can now be completed within minutes.

Rakesh Jaggi, President, Digital, SLB, said: “DrillOps transforms real-time drilling data into operational intelligence that helps teams make faster, more informed decisions. Deployed within ADNOC’s sovereign cloud environment, the technology provides the scalable digital foundation for AI-enabled workflows across one of the industry’s largest rig fleets and supports the continued progression toward more autonomous operations.”

Deployed on ADNOC Drilling’s rig fleet, the AI platform analyzes real-time operational data to help the operators ADNOC Onshore and ADNOC Offshore make faster decisions, improve performance, and reduce operational risks across their assets. Through this deployment, ADNOC is continuing to put intelligence to work across its operations, embedding AI into core workflows and accelerating the transition toward more autonomous and optimized operations.

Developed in the UAE and hosted within ADNOC’s cloud environment, RTOC keeps critical operational data and workflows securely within the country while providing a trusted foundation for AI-driven operations. By maintaining control of sensitive information under UAE jurisdiction, ADNOC is strengthening data security, operational resilience, and long-term digital independence.