World's First AI Drilling Engineer Is Currently in Training

The “world’s first AI drilling engineer” is currently in training, a statement sent to Rigzone by energy tech company eDrilling this week revealed.

“We’re building collaborative AI companions that enable engineering teams to free up to focus on strategic activities and strive for more ambitious goals,” the statement noted, highlighting that the company’s “first AI teammate” is named “Ida”.

“Using advanced algorithms, including natural language processing and reinforcement learning, Ida understands operational queries and delivers optimized decisions, predictive insights, and actionable recommendations tailored to each unique drilling scenario,” the statement added.

“Ida … will graduate this winter, and immediately start getting experience in the real world,” it continued.

When Rigzone asked eDrilling where Ida will be used, and who will use it, a company representative said the first version of Ida will primarily be a companion to drilling engineers and drillers in real-time drilling operations. 

“Hence used on drilling sites, and on PCs, phones … wherever drilling engineers may roam,” the spokesperson added.

When asked how Ida came to be, the spokesperson told Rigzone, “our 30 years of groundbreaking R&D within the areas of dynamic modelling, model-based reasoning, and digital twins, married with deep learning and reinforcement learning, enables agents - like AlphaZero or Stockfish for chess”. 

“After searching for top AI talent, we found Dr Jie Cao [eDrilling Chief Technology Officer] two years ago, and now, two years later, we/he have started Ida’s journey,” the spokesperson added.

Offering some information on why the company came up with Ida, the spokesperson said, “AI software in well construction is meant to be shared, integrated, and normalized across all business units, and available throughout the value chain”.

“A driller should have all the necessary information, advice, and automation available, and not rely on 20 SMEs and other consultants sitting in the backseat for everything,” the spokesperson added.

“Technology is a great equalizer when it comes to the knowledge of ‘experts’, and, what’s more, when made available to all … if shifts the organization and its people towards collaboration, creativity, and optimizing the use (and reducing the waste) of their time,” the eDrilling representative continued.

Job Losses?

When Rigzone asked if Ida will lead to job losses in the oil and gas sector, the eDrilling company spokesperson said “no”.

“Even if it automates complex and repetitive tasks, it will not ‘take over’. It will rather free… up drilling crews to focus on more strategic activities. Like ChatGPT or Copilot is making knowledge workers be more effective,” the spokesperson added.

“Also, we think there is untapped potential in training and competence development in our industry, where a 24/7 ‘personal trainer’ should make wonders for drillers and drilling engineers everywhere,” the spokesperson continued.

Rigzone posed the same question to Dave Mount, a partner of Louisiana-based energy recruitment firm OneSource Professional Search.

In response, Mount told Rigzone, “I haven’t heard of any professionals losing jobs to Ida or other AI software specifically”. 

“More imminent oil and gas job losses in the U.S. have been related to companies reducing costs by reducing staff and also offshoring work, primarily to offices in India,” he added.

Rigzone also asked Gladney Darroh - an energy search specialist with 47 years of experience who developed and coaches the interview methodology Winning the Offer, which earned him the ranking of #1 technical and professional recruiter in Houston for 17 consecutive years by HAAPC - if Ida will lead to job losses in the oil and gas sector.

Responding to the question, Darroh told Rigzone that “the first AI drilling engineer is a mere prelude of what’s to come for how this generational new technology will find multiple and far-reaching applications in the oil and gas industry in the engineering, geoscience, HSE professions - and just about every other technical and professional role in the E&P industry”.

“AI, like all other watershed tech advances before it, will be a job destroyer/job creator tsunami. Everyone should embrace it enthusiastically, learn as much as possible about AI applications in their field, and continuously improve their knowledge,” he added.

“In the end, net/net, I believe more high value jobs will be created by AI than exist today. To the extent one responds to this game changing technological wave is an individual but unavoidable choice: will you be swept away by the AI tsunami or surf this bad boy,” he continued.

Offering his view, Jacob Binke, the President and CEO of Michigan based the Birmingham Group, an affiliate of Sanford Rose Associates, told Rigzone that “Ida could lead to the loss of specific labor-related jobs”.

“With that said, Ida will have to be managed, thus creating other jobs. This will involve bringing more tech and AI folks into the industry,” he added.

“I can see how a bunch of companies would be interested in this. Often times, the hardest thing for companies in oil and gas is to find good labor. It’s far less difficult to find managers. Those jobs are more desirable in this day and age,” Binke went on to state.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com