"The transformation is just over a decade in the making, but now it's supercharged by AI. In industry parlance, the AI-controlled rigs can now use 'autonomous geosteering'-drilling many thousands of feet underground without human involvement. Oilfields are overseen remotely, requiring fewer people and resources onsite-cutting costs and saving valuable time. 'You basically sit back in the chair, take it easy, have a cup of coffee, and you watch what is happening on the screen,' said Rakesh Jaggi, president of digital and integration for SLB, the world's largest oilfield services firm."
""Some of the things that we can do today with these autonomous operations are mindboggling. I get goosebumps even now," Jaggi told Fortune. "The first time, it's like, 'Oh, wow, this is magic.'""
"Not these days. The coverall-adorned roughnecks of yesteryear today are now much fewer and more likely to sit in data vans monitoring the computer screens instead of constantly configuring all the pipes and tools manually. "The days of the mud-soaked rig hand with a cigarette in his mouth are behind us," said Dan Pickering, founder and chief investment officer for Pickering Energy Partners consulting and research firm. "The hardest and riskiest jobs are getting gradually replaced with technology. They can't all be completely replaced, but it's happening.""
Oilfield operations have shifted from manual, labor-intensive tasks to technology-driven, remote work with fewer people onsite. Data vans and screen monitoring replace many traditional rig roles as AI enables autonomous geosteering and remote oversight. Autonomous rigs can drill thousands of feet with minimal human intervention, lowering operational risk and saving time. The shift reduces headcount across technical and blue-collar positions. Since late 2014, the U.S. oil, gas, and mining sector has seen substantial job losses, and major companies are conducting large layoffs as automation spreads through the industry.
Read at Fortune
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