(52a) Data Science and Machine Learning in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry

Digital technologies have radically transformed many industries in the last two decades, but advances in pervasive data access, machine learning, and digital business models have penetrated the upstream oil and gas industry more slowly. This process is now intensifying, with digital technologies poised to disrupt core business and technical workflows, in production operations, drilling, and subsurface characterization, among other areas. I will review some specific instances where digital technologies, especially those enabled by data science and machine learning, have been successfully utilized within ExxonMobil, drawing lessons for the effective development and deployment of these technologies to achieve transformational business impact.