ExxonMobil plans broad Microsoft cloud usage to boost Permian Basin operations

ExxonMobil has teamed up with Microsoft to make its operations in the Permian Basin (located In western Texas and southeastern New Mexico) the largest-ever oil and gas acreage to use cloud technology.

ExxonMobil’s XTO Energy subsidiary will be deploying Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Azure technology including machine learning and Internet of Things. The companies anticipate that the combination of these technologies will boost capital efficiency and support Permian production growth by as much as the equivalent of 50,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025.

“The combination of Microsoft’s technologies with our unique strengths in oilfield technologies, production efficiency and integration will help drive growth in the Permian and serve as a model for additional implementation across the U.S. and abroad,” said Staale Gjervik, senior vice president, Permian Integrated Development for XTO, in a statement.

ExxonMobil expects to use Microsoft's Azure Data Lake to rapidly incorporate third-party solutions at scale across the Permian, according to officials. For example, ExxonMobil will use the oil field data collected in real-time from the Microsoft cloud to make faster and better decisions on drilling optimization and well completions as well as to prioritize the deployment of personnel.

Additionally, access to emissions data could improve leak detection and reduce the time it takes to repair leaks, strengthening XTO’s voluntary actions to manage methane emissions, officials said.

Gjervik stated that its collaboration with Microsoft is key to XTO’s future development efforts, which include predictive maintenance capacities, innovative tools for employees, and artificial intelligence and machine learning integration.

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