The Department of Petroleum Resources has said it align itself with the opportunities provided by the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for effective performance in its operations
According to the acting director of the agency……..Shakur, he said since the focus of the industry today is management of information and data analytics among others, DPR has to align with presidential executive order on Ease of doing business and developed robust automation process which has positively impacted its oversight functions in the oil and gas industry.
DPR integrated automated programme he said, is hinged on technology adaptation, artificial intelligence, opportunities and creative collaborations to drive big quality data availability to support informed decisions in the industry and timely response to operational details while advancing national planning and execution.
The DPR director who spoke at the ongoing International Conference and exhibition organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Nigeria chapter in Lagos said: “Our initiatives span the industry value chain but focus on upstream process being the main area of concern in this conference”
He said the platform has been able to reduce the turnaround time for licensing and licensing rounds for all categories of service providers in the industry from average of three weeks to a record time of 72 hours.
According to him, this platform enhances hydrocarbon accounting and reporting by transporting production data from flow stations and terminals in real-time. It also tracks every molecule of hydrocarbon leaving the shores of Nigeria its final destination. Similarly movement of every petroleum product in and out of the Nigeria territorial waters are capture.
Commenting on the theme of theconference entitled: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Mobile Technology: Changing the Future of the Energy industry, Mele Kyari, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) acknowledged the fact that the emergence of artificial intelligence has altered the dynamics of operations by providing quicker processes and interventions in the conduct of business in the industry made possible by effective deployment of big data.
He challenged industry players to be forward-looking and embrace this approach in seeking solutions to the challenges that confront the industry.
He said that technology and innovations will continue to shape the way the oil and gas industry businesses and operations are conducted especially in the deep offshore and other hard-to-operate environment.
“Artificial intelligence, big data and the mobile technology will continue to shape our industry in practically unimaginable ways, but certainly the transformations they promise will lead to quantum shift in the delivery of our task,’’ he said.
He however called on oil and gas industry players in the country to support the national oil company to achieve the national aspiration to grow crude oil reserve to 40 billion barrels and boost oil production to 3 million barrels per day.
Kyari said that this could only be achieved if players collaborate effectively to ensure timely resolution of contractual issues and the passage of the necessary petroleum legislation.
“To achieve this ambition, huge investment is required across the value chain. We have to attract investment to deploy improved technology in the exploration and production of hydrocarbon from inland as well as the ultra-deep offshore basins,’’ he said.
Kyari challenged industry operators and stakeholders alike to desist from further lamentations of the challenges that plague the operating environment but pick up the gauntlet and confront the issues frontally with diligence and sure mindedness.
