Equinor gets more from its seismic data using AI

Equinor has reported that using artificial intelligence (AI) saved the company $130 million in 2025.

Machine learning is revolutionising the company’s geoscience operations. ‘With AI, we can analyse seismic data ten times faster, plan wells and field development in new and better ways and operate our facilities more efficiently,’ said Hege Skryseth, executive vice president for technology, digital, and innovation at Equinor. ‘Industrial processes generate vast amounts of data, and we can use AI to produce knowledge from this data. This has already been transformative and profitable, even though we are still early in the AI revolution.’

AI has also given Equinor a tenfold increase in interpretation capacity. ‘With AI more data can be interpreted, covering more square kilometres and enhancing the overall understanding of an area and of the Norwegian Continental Shelf,’ Skryseth added. In 2025, 2 million km2 were interpreted using the AI tool.

Equinor said it is using AI to maintain production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf at 2020 levels through to 2035, which means around 1.2 million barrels of oil equivalents per day. ‘We use AI to interpret more seismic data, plan and drill more wells,’ said Skryseth.

Overall, Equinor has identified more than 100 new use cases for AI. It is already being used to monitor equipment across all upstream operations. ‘It improves safety, provides more stable operations, and reduces the risk of sudden shutdowns that can lead to flaring and increased CO2 emissions,’ said the company. Such monitoring has saved $120 million since 2020.

AI-driven planning of wells and field development generates thousands of alternatives, allowing the experts to focus on the best proposals. In the Johan Sverdrup phase 3, AI found a solution that no one had considered, saving the partnership $12 million.

Since 2020 the company has estimated savings of $330 million using artificial intelligence in industrial processes.