Empowering the Workforce of the Future Through Strategic Data Science Framework to Demystify Digitalization in ADNOC Onshore to Create Sustainable Business Value
Authors: Reddicharla Nagaraju , Varnam Prabhaker Reddy , Nair Premachandran , Al-Marzooqi Salwa Mohamed , Sultan Ali Mayada Ali 
Published: October 2022

Oil and Gas industry is seeking new ways to improve efficiencies, reducing operating costs and increasing revenues in the current volatile market conditions. Data Science and all the new emerging technologies enable the discovery of new opportunities and digitalization is a vital element for making business more effective and efficient. While COVID19 has disrupted the world, ADNOC Onshore has recognized the importance of reskilling and empowering the future workforce through strategic enterprise data science and analytics program to achieve 2030 smart growth strategy. This paper talks about successful approach and enablers for development of in-house capability for transformation that lead to generating significant business value

The digital transition can pose both challenges and opportunities in this transformation. ADNOC ONSHORE has developed an integrated framework to encourage and accelerate data science capabilities. This framework promotes a vision with collaborative, sustainable mechanisms to develop talent. It is not just the formal learning and additional professional qualification that make it possible to build this in house capability. There are five major areas are enabled this framework such as data science & analytics skills competency model, sustainable on-line collaborative learning program, organizational culture change, democratizing AI through open platform & a digital business model for performing real business problems/use case PoCs. Each area has a detailed program and execution strategy with a collaborative effort from technical and non-technical stakeholders.

ADNOC ONSHORE has successfully implemented this framework and able to certify 20 employees as part of this program. The Data Science Competency Model identified and defined the skills required to be successful within the enterprise with a clear learning path and mentorship. The leadership played a pivotal role to encourage data driven decision making and predictive capabilities in addition to executive awareness to lead the change with clear performance indicators. By democratizing AI platform across upstream user community, six real business cases have been successfully developed with clear business value in subsurface and production workflows according to the defined digital business model. The successful business cases have improved efficiency by 75% in performing cement & corrosion log interpretation & well portfolio optimization. Data driven analytics have been evaluated in subsurface workflows such as infill location optimization, gas-lift candidate identification and they have complemented the existing techniques. The framework has been successfully extended to other group companies in ADNOC.

The rapid growth of AI in business in the last five years presents an opportunity for oil and gas professionals for enhancing the skills and transformation. This paper talks about an integrated framework, learning path, democratizing AI, engagement of leadership, digital business model for business case evaluation by applying agile way of working and sustainable value creation.