Top 10: Oil and Gas Exploration Technologies

Global energy demand grew by 2.2% in 2024 and oil and gas covered a significant portion of this, according to the IEA. 

While many agree that fossil fuels must be phased out, including the UNFCCC and the IEA, these resources continue to power development around the world and must continue to do so until sufficient renewable energy capacity is in place. 

Finding oil and gas underground to continue providing this energy is not an easy task. 

Exploration technologies remove the need for drilling blindly, reducing costs, risks and harm to the environment. 

Energy Digital has ranked 10 of the top oil and gas exploration technologies. 

10. Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) 

Leading company: SLB
CEO: Olivier Le Peuch
Founded: 1926

VSP is a geophysical technique where seismic sources on the surface generate waves that are recorded by receivers at various depths within a borehole. 

This method allows for the measurement of both downgoing and upgoing seismic waves, providing valuable information about the subsurface. 

SLB uses 3D VSP technology to solve subsurface imaging challenges. 

Its VSP processing is conducted using Q-BorSeis borehole seismic processing, a suite of applications integrated in the Omega geophysical data processing platform, with tailored and proprietary algorithms. 

9. Seismic While Drilling (SWD)

Leading company: Baker Hughes
CEO: Lorenzo Simonelli
Founded: 1987

SWD is a drilling technique that combines seismic surveys with real-time drilling information to improve well planning, drilling efficiency and hazard avoidance. 

It utilises seismic sources, either from the drill bit or integrated within the drill string, to create seismic images while drilling progresses.

Baker Hughes’ SeismicTrak SWD service can reduce drilling risks while improving wellbore placement, it says. 

In one case study, Brunei Shell Petroleum achieved 100% acquisition of its VSP shoot points using SeismicTrak and completely replaced wireline service in three borehole sections. 

8. 4-D Seismic Imaging

Leading company: ExxonMobil
CEO: Darren Woods
Founded: 1882

4-D seismic imaging, also known as time-lapse seismic, is a technique used to monitor changes within subsurface reservoirs over time. 

It involves acquiring multiple 3D seismic surveys over the same area at different points in time, allowing for the detection of subtle differences in seismic responses. 

ExxonMobil pioneered this technique, repeating 3D seismic surveys over time to help ensure optimum oil and gas recovery from its existing fields. 

“During production, changes in reservoir pressure, temperature and fluid saturation can cause changes in the physical properties of the reservoir rocks themselves,” the company explains.

7. Industrial IoT for Exploration

Leading company: Honeywell
CEO: Vimal Kapur
Founded: 1906

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) leverages the technology and connectivity of the IoT in major industrial verticals. 

IIoT can enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance and optimised resource utilisation through the deployment of sensors and data analytics. 

This technology can facilitate faster and more accurate reservoir discoveries, improve safety and reduce operational costs. 

Honeywell Forge is an Enterprise Performance Management for Operations Technology platform that helps industries to collect, analyse and act on data across operations. 

6. Advanced Drilling Automation

Leading company: Nabors
CEO: Anthony Petrello
Founded: 1972

Advanced drilling automation involves using technologies like AI, machine learning and real-time data analytics to optimise drilling operations, improve efficiency and enhance safety. 

This automation enables systems to control drilling parameters, reduce non-productive time and minimise human error.

In the Middle East, Nabors has achieved the first fully automated surface and subsurface execution of rotary and slide drilling operations with Halliburton. 

“The success we are seeing in Oman is a testament to the power of collaboration as we work together to drive automation across the industry to improve safety and efficiency,” says Subodh Saxena, Senior Vice President at Canrig and Nabors Drilling Solutions.

5. Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) Seismic

Leading company: ExxonMobil
CEO: Darren Woods
Founded: 1882

OBN seismic is a method of capturing seismic data by placing individual, self-contained recording units on the ocean floor. 

These nodes, also known as geophones, are independent of surface vessels and can gather data for extended periods. 

OBN technology offers advantages over traditional seismic acquisition methods, such as providing better data quality and safety, especially in complex geological environments. 

In Guyana, ExxonMobil is working with Shearwater to survey a deepwater reservoir using this technology. 

Irene Waage Basili, CEO of Shearwater, says: “We see a steady increase in deepwater 4D OBN monitoring activity internationally and Shearwater is well positioned for this growth with our leading seismic fleet, state-of-the-art technology offering and extensive experience.”

4. Machine Learning for Reservoir Modelling

Leading company: Chevron
CEO: Mike Wirth
Founded: 1879

Using machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyse large datasets and predict subsurface conditions can optimise reservoir characterisation and production strategies. 

By identifying patterns and relationships, ML helps create more accurate and reliable reservoir models, leading to better decisions in field development and production. 

Chevron says it has implemented a range of AI and ML tools to “help geoscientists get a more accurate picture of what lies underground to efficiently inform decisions”.

These insights help minimise the need to drill exploration wells and ultimately reduce its environmental footprint. 

“I have much more data at my fingertips which I quickly grab so I can make decisions that are much more informed and much more impactful,” explains Shane Prochnow, Digital Geoscience Advisor at the Chevron Subsurface Innovation Lab.

3. 3D Seismic Imaging

Leading company: ExxonMobil
CEO: Darren Woods
Founded: 1882

3D seismic imaging is a geophysical method that creates three-dimensional images of subsurface geological formations using sound waves. 

This technology is used to map and understand the structure of the Earth's subsurface, helping to identify potential oil and gas reservoirs.

ExxonMobil says that it “revolutionised” oil and gas exploration with this technology nearly 50 years ago and is pursuing advancements to this day. 

The company introduced its latest HPC system Discovery 6 in March 2025, a supercomputer built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and accelerated by Nvidia. 

This innovation, it says, will reduce some of its processing time from months to weeks. 

ExxonMobil says: “The upcoming system will boost four times faster computational performance and high-performance networking as compared to its predecessor, Discovery 5 which was ranked 16th on the TOP500 list of the world’s fastest supercomputers in November 2022.”

2. Full Waveform Inversion (FWI)

Leading company: TotalEnergies
CEO: Patrick Pouyanné
Founded: 1924

FWI is a seismic imaging technique used to create highly detailed models of the subsurface. 

It uses the full seismic waveform, including both amplitude and phase information, to generate a more accurate representation of subsurface properties than traditional seismic methods. 

FWI provides high-resolution subsurface models, critical for accurate reservoir characterisation and reducing drilling risk.

TotalEnergies calls its FWI some of “the fruit of our leading-edge R&D expertise”, saying it was one of the first implementations of seismic imaging technology for high-resolution velocity model-building. 

“We are pursuing our research and innovation effort to develop tools and workflows that will enable us to take full advantage of the improvements in our seismic acquisitions,” TotalEnergies says. 

“Indeed, by improving the fidelity of our simulations, we aim to generate quantitative images of subsurface petrophysical properties and thereby maximise the value that we extract from our data.”

1. AI-Driven Seismic Interpretation

Leading company: bp
CEO: Murray Auchincloss
Founded: 1909

Seismic interpretation helps geoscientists visualise geological structures, identify potential hydrocarbon reservoirs and understand the subsurface. 

AI has revolutionised seismic data analysis, speeding up exploration and improving accuracy, leading to major cost savings and new discoveries.

bp has used proprietary algorithms, developed by its Subsurface Technical Centre, on seismic data at its Centre for High Performance Computing using one of the largest supercomputers in the world dedicated to commercial research. 

This allowed for data that would normally take a year to be analysed to finish processing in just a few weeks and identified more than 200 million barrels of additional resources at bp’s Atlantis field. 

In 2020, Bluware Corp announced an agreement with bp to use deep learning to help improve quality and speed when delivering seismic interpretation products. 

“We are excited to be a part of bp’s digital innovation goals in delivering significant value and a better user experience across their subsurface workflows,” says Dan Piette, CEO of Bluware.

Ahmed Hashmi, Upstream Chief Digital and Technology Officer at bp, says: “bp recognises the significant impact advances in digital technology can bring and we are pleased to implement Bluware InteractivAI, a new and innovative deep learning technology, augmenting our geoscientists’ ability to accelerate subsurface data interpretation.”

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