On 11th December 2025, global energy technology company SLB signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Shell to develop digital and AI solutions that drive measurable performance and efficiency gains across upstream operations. The collaboration aims to develop agentic AI-powered solutions that will accelerate and amplify the capabilities of technical experts and decision makers, reflecting the energy industry's ongoing digital transformation.
The partnership will deploy an open data and AI infrastructure that unifies data and workflows across subsurface, well construction and production in a secure digital environment, using SLB's Lumi data and AI platform. This collaboration builds upon a long-standing relationship between the companies, as earlier in 2025, SLB announced a technical partnership to deploy its Petrel subsurface software across Shell's assets worldwide to standardise infrastructure and workflows and accelerate scalable digital solutions. Rakesh Jaggi, president of SLB's digital business, noted that the energy industry is being reshaped by digital and AI. The agreement will inform Shell's digital strategy and technology roadmap, promote mutual learning to support Shell's broader digital transformation, and contribute to the development of digital solutions that are commercially viable and broadly applicable across the industry.
The strategic collaboration between SLB and Shell demonstrates the energy sector's commitment to leveraging AI and digital infrastructure to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities across upstream operations. By deploying unified data platforms and agentic AI solutions, both companies are positioned to deliver industry-wide advancements that extend beyond their own operations. The partnership underscores how digital transformation, supported by open AI infrastructure and standardised workflows, is reshaping the energy industry's approach to technical expertise and operational performance.
Sources:
1. https://www.slb.com/news-and-insights/newsroom/press-release/2025/pr-2025-1211-slb-shell-collab
2. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211832051/en/SLB-Enters-Collaboration-Agreement-to-Accelerate-New-Digital-Solutions
