TotalEnergies and European artificial intelligence company Mistral have launched a three-year programme to develop advanced AI models for hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir engineering.
The programme, representing an investment of more than €100 million, will combine TotalEnergies’ subsurface data and nearly a century of geoscience and reservoir expertise with Mistral’s AI capabilities.
The partners plan to establish a joint scientific laboratory focused on developing proprietary models for the exploration, characterisation and development of oil and gas reservoirs. The initiative will make particular use of agentic AI, in which systems can perform complex analytical tasks and support multi-stage decision-making.
The models will be designed to integrate and interpret large volumes of geological, geophysical and reservoir data. They are expected to help geoscientists generate and compare multiple exploration and development scenarios, optimise producing assets and extend the life of existing projects.
TotalEnergies chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said exploration and reservoir engineering were among the areas in which AI could create the greatest value for the company. The collaboration is intended to provide experts with new tools for analysing complex subsurface data and supporting decisions.
The partnership will also allow TotalEnergies to develop customised models while retaining control of its strategic subsurface data and intellectual property within a European digital ecosystem.
