Global energy technology company SLB (formerly Schlumberger) has secured a series of significant drilling contracts with Shell aimed at enhancing energy development efficiency across multiple regions. The projects, which span the UK North Sea, Trinidad and Tobago, the Gulf of Mexico, and other locations, will leverage SLB’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve drilling performance and cost-efficiency.
The contracts, awarded over a three-year period, will see SLB combine its expertise in ultra-deepwater drilling environments with its AI-powered digital drilling solutions. This integration is expected to lead to more consistent and predictable well delivery, optimising energy production while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Wallace Pescarini, President of Offshore Atlantic at SLB, expressed pride in the ongoing collaboration with Shell. “We are thrilled to extend our long-standing relationship with Shell and provide safe, high-quality services across these multi-region deepwater contracts,” he said. “By combining our global deepwater expertise and advanced technology solutions, we are fully aligned with Shell’s commitment to efficient energy development.”
SLB’s approach to these projects will centre on the use of its Performance Live™ centres, a digital platform designed to optimise real-time performance monitoring. Each project will benefit from SLB’s AI-driven digital directional drilling services, as well as a comprehensive suite of services including logging while drilling (LWD), surface logging, cementing, drilling and completions fluids, wireline services, and more.
The integration of AI technology into these operations aims to improve not only safety and quality but also the predictability of outcomes, making energy development more cost-effective and sustainable. SLB’s approach is part of a wider industry trend towards digitisation, with AI playing a crucial role in optimising deepwater drilling operations.
Shell’s decision to award these contracts to SLB underscores the importance of advanced technology in addressing the challenges of energy development in deepwater and ultra-deepwater environments. SLB’s combination of cutting-edge digital drilling techniques with decades of experience in complex offshore conditions positions the company to deliver on Shell’s expectations for safe, efficient, and sustainable operations.
As the projects unfold over the next three years, SLB is committed to ensuring that each stage meets the highest standards of performance and safety. The company’s long history in offshore energy services, coupled with its continuous investment in technological advancements, aims to further strengthen its role as a leader in the global energy sector.
