The oil and gas industry stands on the brink of a major technological transformation, driven by the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI). According to Toni Fadnes, Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) at eDrilling, the innovation that should be on every industry leader’s radar is *Agentic AI*.
Speaking to Rigzone, Fadnes described Agentic AI as a revolutionary step forward—one that builds upon the foundational eras of personal computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). “Agentic AI—systems capable of advanced reasoning and autonomous task execution—is already reshaping how organizations function,” Fadnes said.
Fadnes refers to these systems as “AI-powered engineers,” highlighting their ability to independently perform complex, goal-driven tasks with remarkable precision. “They act as productivity accelerators, integrating human input via multi-modal interfaces,” he explained.
These intelligent agents operate with minimal supervision, make decisions based on contextual data, and dynamically adapt to real-time changes in objectives or environmental conditions. According to Fadnes, this level of autonomy allows human engineers to focus on higher-level tasks—what they were truly trained to do—rather than spending 40 to 70 percent of their time managing the industry’s vast data landscape.
“Why should the industry care—and act—right now? Two reasons,” Fadnes emphasized. “First, AI-powered engineers deliver immediate value by eliminating the data bottleneck that has plagued engineers for decades. Second, early adoption builds organizational trust in AI, enabling its deployment for more complex operations over time.”
He cautioned against expecting AI to immediately handle highly sensitive tasks, like drilling deepwater high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) wildcats autonomously. “You wouldn’t assign that to a rookie engineer—even if they were capable,” he noted.
eDrilling, a Norway-based technology firm focused on digital transformation in energy, has been at the forefront of AI innovation. The company has developed three proprietary Agentic AI-powered engineers:
– **Ida**, an AI drilling engineer
– **Nora**, focused on well design and planning
– **Marie**, a data management engineer that automates data exchange, unifies datasets, consolidates workflows, generates reports, and manages documentation
Described by the company as a “megatrend,” AI is central to eDrilling’s mission to enable a sustainable, low-carbon future for the energy sector. The company emphasizes ongoing investment in research and development, working closely with energy companies, OEMs, ISVs, startups, and research institutions.
At the time of writing, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) had not responded to Rigzone’s request for comment on Fadnes’ insights.
Fadnes, who joined eDrilling in 2015 and has previously served as both Executive Chairman and CEO, remains a vocal advocate for harnessing AI to solve the sector’s biggest challenges.
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