Robotics technology will revolutionise the upstream oil industry, according to R. Matthew Ondler, CEO of robotics firm Houston Mechatronics. The company is working with a number of companies on its autonomous drilling and completion systems, which are designed for use in offshore drilling. The "rig of the future" will be able to finish a land well's construction in 30% less time than a normal rig, reducing worker exposure to hazards and handling key tasks such as pipe inspections using robotics. The electrification of sub-sea equipment could also lead to less piping and replace hydraulics with their associated leaks.
Robotics technology will revolutionise the upstream oil industry, according to R. Matthew Ondler, CEO of robotics firm Houston Mechatronics. Ondler believes that the advances in interconnectivity for devices, embedded computing, supervised autonomous devices and cheaper sensor production will be as significant as the advent of the internet. The "rig of the future" will be able to finish a land well's construction in 30% less time than a normal rig, reducing worker exposure to hazards and handling key tasks such as pipe inspections using robotics. The electrification of sub-sea equipment could also lead to less piping and replace hydraulics with their associated leaks.