Oil industry gears up for robotics adoption to drive productivity, efficiency

By Samson Echenim 

The oil and gas industry is gearing up to deploy robotics across a wide range of applications in the upstream, midstream and downstream segments, primarily to drive productivity and efficiency amid volatility in crude prices, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The company’s latest thematic report: ‘Robotics in Oil & Gas’ reveals that the complex challenges, particularly in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, are prompting companies to explore the potential of complexly engineered robotics solutions to work autonomously or in conjunction with field operators.

According to GlobalData, the global robotics industry is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16% from US$98.2 billion in 2018 to US$277.8 billion in 2025.

GlobalData’s thematic report identifies oil and gas companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Gazprom, Repsol, Equinor, Total, Saudi Aramco, Sinopec and ADNOC, as having considerable exposure to the robotics theme.