BHGE to Bring AI to Oilfield

Laxman Pai June 26, 2019

Oilfield service company Baker Hughes, a GE Company (BHGE) has entered into a joint venture with the California-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) software provider C3.ai to accelerate the digital transformation in the oil and gas industry.

"AI in the oil and gas segment helps improve overall performance by ingesting massive quantities of data, becoming intelligent about specific operational environments and predicting problems before they occur so that operators can improve planning, staffing, sourcing and safety," said a press release from the fullstream provider of integrated oilfield products, services and digital solutions.

“The oil and gas industry is rapidly evolving, and digital technology is critical to achieving increased levels of productivity, efficiency and safety for ourselves and for our customers,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, BHGE chairman and CEO.

“This agreement is a mutual recognition of the technology leadership we each bring to the table and a willingness to work in new ways that deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers. Integrating our strong digital capabilities and oil and gas industry expertise with C3.ai’s unique AI solutions, we will accelerate the overall digital transformation of this industry,” Simonelli added.

“The oil and gas sector is undergoing a digital transformation to improve efficiencies and increase safety, while simultaneously reducing environmental impact,” said Thomas M. Siebel, CEO, C3.ai.

He added, “These changes will be driven through advanced AI use cases deployed across the entire oil and gas value chain. BHGE is a technology-first company with deep expertise, a global footprint and strong relationships across the industry. Combining its strengths with the unique industrial AI capability of C3.ai, we will deliver transformative change to one of the world’s most important industry sectors.”

The companies will immediately market and deploy C3.ai’s AI technology, including the C3 AI Suite and applications, into oil and gas businesses, said the press release.

BHGE and C3.ai will also leverage BHGE’s existing digital portfolio to collaborate on new integrated AI applications specific to oil and gas, and offer combined teams of oilfield and AI expertise deployed directly into customer environments to deliver AI solutions that meet specific business needs.