Building the future: bp’s journey with AI and other cutting-edge tech

From data crunching to digital replicas of our assets, technology is in action across bp. Our head of technology, Emeka Emembolu, takes a look at the ways it’s helping to make us smarter, safer and more efficient today, and preparing us for tomorrow

I feel like I’ve always had a front row seat for the future. My mum was a nurse on the team at the University of Glasgow that pioneered medical ultrasound, and from the age of seven, I grew up with computers all around me – my first was a Toshiba MSX. Later, when I joined bp as a young production engineer, I knew I was joining one of the most technically advanced companies in the industry. 

Twenty-six years on, I’ve seen how technology can make us smarter, safer and more efficient. I’ve also seen how we can’t ever afford to stand still – the Toshiba belongs in a museum. It’s why our goal at bp today is simple: to adopt the right technologies and integrate them into every part of our business. 

We’re not starting from scratch. 

Breaking barriers

Our seismic imaging is just one of the technologies we use that stands out. This is where you project sound waves to build up a detailed picture of the rock formation beneath the surface – a bit like ultrasound. We’re fully committed to this. The better our understanding of the subsurface, the more easily we can find and recover the most profitable barrels.    

Another standout is bioenergy. We already co-process biofuels in bp refineries and our lab in San Diego is working on maximizing the energy yield from biomass like sugarcane. Our biofuels business has a massive and growing need for this technology. 

Cloud control

In the digital space, we’re cloud first and that remains critical. In our upstream, we operate digital twins of key production assets, allowing us to plan maintenance jobs remotely and safely simulate new engineering processes.

We’re also pretty excited about AI and we’ve already found powerful use cases across the business – from improved pipeline corrosion monitoring, to finding the best spots for ultra-fast EV charge points.  

Distinctive through digital

We’ve got some distinctive strengths on which to build, but there’s also room for improvement. Our upstream oil and gas assets are relatively advanced, but there’s more to do to digitize our refineries.

A world-class trading team needs world-class digital systems to stay ahead. Our fuel, EV and lubricants customers are digitally savvy and increasingly data dependent. To keep winning their business, we need to keep offering great digital products and services.  

Deciperhing data with AI

Then there’s data. We have incredibly rich data resources: decades of well logs, operational reports, financial transactions, and more.

But data can sometimes be hard to find, too often siloed away in different formats and disparate systems. Fixing this is a priority, especially with the opportunity of AI. 

I think to succeed in technology, you need to be excited about the future, but also willing to challenge the way things are now – to be asking: “How could this process be simpler? How could we make work better? How could we make this data more accessible?”

This is how I see the mission of bp’s technology team, to be problem led: hyper-focused on practical solutions for our frontline and customers. It’s how we become a truly integrated energy company.

Ultimately, it’s how we build the future of bp.