Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, met with Sherif Bayoumy, Managing Director of SLB (formerly Schlumberger) for Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean, and Basil Abdel Wahab, SLB Vice President of Digital Solutions, to discuss deploying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) applications across exploration, production, and operations.

The meeting covered the ongoing development of the Egypt Upstream Gateway (EUG) and new initiatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Badawi stressed, EUG is central to this strategy, with upgrades underway to integrate AI technologies and advanced data analytics. He said these enhancements aim to improve investment evaluation, reduce risk, accelerate decision-making, and more accurately identify promising exploration areas.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to expanding AI to increase production, improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and drive data-driven decisions. He also stressed the importance of prioritizing AI applications that deliver immediate, tangible impacts to maximize output from existing fields. Last, Badawi called for a fully integrated digital ecosystem linking geological, geophysical, production, and control-center data.

The meeting further addressed the role of AI in enhancing energy efficiency and curbing emissions. SLB presented solutions for real-time energy monitoring, equipment performance optimization, early detection of methane emissions, and flare gas reduction through gas recovery and utilization. Additional solutions target improved compressor and pump efficiency and minimizing energy losses, supporting the sector’s sustainability and carbon reduction goals.

Attendees included Mahmoud Nagi, Central Administration Head for Safety, Environment, Energy Efficiency, and Climate Affairs and Ministry Spokesperson; Ishaq Saad, Head of Central Administration for Crude Oil Production and Supervisor of Gas Production; and Mohamed Radwan, Vice President of South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (GANOPE) for Agreements and Exploration and Director of the Egypt Upstream Gateway.

Earlier in July, Badawi announced a potential joint venture with UAE-based AIQ to establish AIQ Egypt, a specialized artificial intelligence platform that would integrate EUG data with advanced AI technologies to accelerate exploration, improve operational efficiency, and reduce production costs across the petroleum sector.