Guest Editorial: Quantum Computing: A Beacon of Transformation for the Oil and Gas Industry
Authors: Priyadarshy Satyam 
Published: November 2024

This past June, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to recognize the potential of quantum science to drive innovations in sustainable development and global communications.

It is also a recognition of how far the theoretical concept of quantum computing has come to become a reality, and the race to build a powerful quantum computer is accelerating every year. According to a recent report from Global Quantum Intelligence, the impact of quantum tech across the oil and gas industry could equate to $2.6 trillion by 2035.

As the first chief data scientist in the oil and gas industry, I am acutely aware of the myriad challenges that our industry faces.

I firmly believe that quantum computing and related quantum technologies are on the brink of revolutionizing our industry in ways we have yet to fully comprehend. The quantum revolution demands that the oil and gas and the broader energy industry rethink their approach to exponential technology and sustainability.

The industry's history of adopting emerging technologies, as evidenced by the slow uptake of digital transformation, underscores the urgency of this shift. Even 30 years after the introduction of the digital oilfield concept, the industry lags in data quality, addressing data silos, and data democratization, as compared with other complex and highly regulated industries.

The urgency of an energy transition towards a sustainable future necessitates the oil and gas industry to confront its complex challenges, which are beyond the scope of current computing power. Quantum computing, with its unparalleled computational power, emerges as one of the most promising technologies to optimize and accelerate solutions to the industry's intricate problems.

As we discuss quantum computing in detail, we will explore how related quantum interconnected areas—quantum sensing, quantum networking, and quantum simulations—will enable unique applications for the oil and gas industry.

In simple words, quantum computing is the field of computing that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to solve complex problems that are intractable for classical computers.

The three main principles of quantum mechanics that are the cornerstone of quantum computing are superposition, entanglement, and quantum interference.

Unlike traditional computing, where a bit (0 or 1) is the basic unit, a qubit is the unit of quantum computing. A qubit can exist in a state of 0, 1, or both simultaneously due to superposition, enabling parallel computations and the exploration of multiple solutions at once.

Entanglement allows for correlated states, enabling operations on multiple qubits simultaneously for enhanced computational power. Quantum interference allows quantum states to interfere constructively or destructively with each other, amplifying correct solutions and suppressing incorrect ones, thereby empowering efficient computations.

Thus, a significant quantum advantage is gained by using quantum computing for certain computationally challenging problems compared with traditional computing. Quantum computing will be performed on quantum computers, which are developed today using various technologies such as photonics, light particles, trapped ions, neutral atom traps, superconducting qubits, and controlling nitrogen vacancy centers in imperfect diamonds.