SLB and Shell Are Handing the Controls to AI

SLB and Shell are expanding their AI partnership to transform upstream oil and gas operations

14 Dec 2025

SLB and Shell have expanded their collaboration to develop artificial intelligence and digital tools aimed at improving performance across upstream oil and gas operations, the companies announced. The agreement builds on years of prior digital work between the two firms and marks a step toward more automated, data-connected approaches to managing complex subsurface and drilling environments.

Central to the effort is SLB's Lumi data and AI platform, which will underpin new applications spanning subsurface analysis, drilling management and production workflows. The partnership also includes plans for what the companies described as agentic AI solutions, a category of software designed to assist technical experts and operational decision-makers with greater autonomy and contextual reasoning than conventional automation tools.

The two companies have collaborated on digital infrastructure before. Earlier work involving Petrel, SLB's subsurface software platform, helped standardize workflows and build shared digital capabilities across Shell's upstream operations, according to company statements. The current agreement extends that foundation, with an explicit focus on integrating AI-led development into day-to-day operational practice.

The deal reflects a broader shift underway across the oil and gas industry, as producers seek more efficient means of managing the complexity inherent in modern upstream operations. Yet questions remain about the pace and depth of AI adoption in a sector where data quality, legacy infrastructure and organizational inertia have historically slowed digital transformation. How quickly these tools move from pilot programs to standard operational practice will help determine their near-term value.

The partnership may also signal consolidation around a narrower set of dominant technology platforms, a trend that could reshape vendor relationships and procurement strategies industry-wide. Analysts have noted that collaborations of this kind tend to deepen over time, creating tighter integration between operators and their technology providers. The results could shape how the broader industry approaches digital transformation in the years ahead.