Digital transformation: a review on artificial intelligence techniques in drilling and production applications

The use of digital and artificial intelligence technologies has expanded and influenced business models and the opening of opportunities for the generation of value in several organizations, in a movement known as industry 4.0. The oil industry has been following the path of several other industrial sectors and has implemented digitalization to solve different challenges and problems. The present work, supported by extensive research carried out in the specialized literature, shows relevant applications of digital transformation to solve problems in drilling and production operations during the life cycle of an oil well. The main issues addressed in the research were stuck pipes and hydrate formation. The achievements show that control systems and the various sensors used during drilling and the useful life of an oil well generate data that creates opportunities for the use of computational and artificial intelligence techniques. New technologies associated with digital transformation include smart surveillance systems, real-time monitoring, and intelligent equipment. In a well oil environment, these novelties are associated with fault detection and prediction systems to avoid or reduce problems or accidents that may cause costs or, in extreme cases, lead to the loss of the well. The study also points out that the oil industries, research centers, and universities are increasingly working together to understand the challenges and overcome the problems associated with the implementation and greater use of digital transformation technologies.