Robotics in Oil and Gas - Thematic Intelligence

Robotics in Oil and Gas - Thematic Intelligence

Summary

This report discusses how robotics is impacting the oil and gas industry, how this market is expected to grow in the future, as well as the industry's leaders and laggards.

The robotics industry will be worth $568 billion by 2030

GlobalData defines a robot as a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically and repeatedly. Robotics is a fast-growing industry. According to GlobalData forecasts, it was worth $52.9 billion in 2021 and will reach $568 billion by 2030, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30%. Industrial robots will be the industry’s growth engine, and the oil and gas sector will reap the rewards of emerging use cases.

Robot use cases are diversifying rapidly

Robotics has been a part of the oil and gas industry for several decades. However, growing digitalization and integration with artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and edge computing have helped diversify robot use cases. A myriad of robots are now involved in oil and gas operations, including terrestrial crawlers, quadrupeds, aerial drones, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

In the upstream sector, robots can be deployed to conduct surveys to aid in exploring new wells and to handle heavy or critical materials during construction. In the midstream sector, robots can access infrastructure in remote locations and automate inspection tasks. Two significant applications of industrial and logistics robots in the downstream sector are automated refueling and material handling.

Robot automation drives other advantages

The single major advantage of robotics is automation, which drives other improvements to efficiency, productivity, and safety. Repetitive and dangerous tasks can be automated so that workers can work remotely and limit exposure to health and safety risks. Automation also enables extensive inspection and maintenance tasks to be conducted while feeding back data to help limit operational costs and improve efficiency. While these applications of robots are not currently integrated across the oil and gas value chain, advances in modular and customizable robots will enable increasingly multifunctional devices. For example, robots used for seafloor studies will also play a significant role in installing oil and gas facilities.

Key Highlights

• Robotics is already transforming the oil and gas industry and has the potential to be hugely beneficial, delivering tangible benefits across the value chain. In the upstream sector, robots can be deployed to conduct surveys to aid in exploring new wells and to handle heavy or critical materials during construction. In the midstream sector, robots can access infrastructure in remote locations and automate inspection tasks. Two significant applications of industrial and logistics robots in the downstream sector are automated refueling and material handling.
• The single major advantage of robotics is automation, which drives other improvements to efficiency, productivity, and safety. Repetitive and dangerous tasks can be automated so that workers can work remotely and limit exposure to health and safety risks. Automation also enables extensive inspection and maintenance tasks to be conducted while feeding back data to help limit operational costs and improve efficiency. While these applications of robots are not currently integrated across the oil and gas value chain, advances in modular and customizable robots will enable increasingly multifunctional devices. For example, robots used for seafloor studies will also play a significant role in installing oil and gas facilities.
• Leading robotics adopters in oil and gas include BP, Chevron, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Novatek, Oil India, Petrobras, Petronas, Repsol, Saudi Aramco, Shell, SoCalGas, and TotalEnergies. They have partnered with manufacturers and specialist robotics vendors, while also developing in-house expertise. Key specialist vendors include ANYbotics, Applied Impact Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Built Robotics, Cyberhawk, Doosan Mobility Innovation, Ecorobotics, Eelume, Energy Robotics, EXRobotics, Flyability, Fugro, Helix Energy Solutions, Kongsberg, Modus Subsea Services, Nabors Industries, Nauticus Robotics, NOV, Oceaneering, Reach Robotics, Rigarm, Taurob, TechnipFMC, and uWare.

• The detailed value chain is comprised of hardware and software components, robot manufacturing, and robotics as a service. The value chain is further broken down into caged industrial robots, industrial co-bots, logistics robots, consumer robots, drones, inspection, cleaning, and maintenance robots, field robots, defense and security robots, semiconductors, robotic intelligence, and cloud robotics. Leading and challenging vendors are identified across all of the value chain's segments.
• Challenges the oil and gas sector is currently facing are outlined, and how these interact with the theme of robotics are explored. Details case studies of how oil and gas companies are boosting their robotics ecosystem are also given.
• Forecasts of robotics revenues to 2030 are split by service and industrial robots, and key elements of the value chain for the oil and gas industry are explored. An overview of key robotics mergers and acquisitions between February 2020 to September 2022 is provided. A comprehensive industry analysis is also provided, looking at company filings, hiring, and patent trends related to robotics within the oil and gas sector.
• A timeline highlighting key milestones in the relationship between robotics and the oil and gas sector is given. A list of leading robotics technology vendors, a separate list of robotics vendors specific to oil and gas, and leading industry adopters is provided. Finally, thematic scorecards rank integrated oil and gas companies on 10 themes including robotics.

• To understand the impact robotics is having on the oil and gas industry.
• To identify the emerging trends in this theme and how these developments might advance in the future.
• Learn about the different use cases of robotics in the oil and gas and how robotics relates to the sector's challenges. View market forecast data for robotics technology up to 2030.
• Source the leading robotics vendors for the oil and gas sector from our winners lists and shortlist potential partners based on their areas of expertise. GlobalData’s thematic research ecosystem is a single, integrated global research platform that provides an easy-to-use framework for tracking all themes across all companies in all sectors. It has a proven track record of identifying the important themes early, enabling companies to make the right investments ahead of the competition, and secure that all-important competitive advantage.