SOCAR unveils data platform to advance AI adoption in energy sector

SOCAR has introduced a new data platform designed to unify the company's corporate data into a single source and streamline analysis for both business users and engineers, SOCAR's Head of Data, Ulvi Zamanbayev, said at the SPE Caspian Technical Conference in Baku.

Zamanbayev noted that the oil and gas industry remains cautious about adopting artificial intelligence due to the high cost of errors and associated risks. Because of this, he said, reliability and stability are essential, and convincing engineers and operators to use AI tools requires clear communication and collaboration.

"We are forming mixed teams of engineers and domain specialists who understand business needs and integrate into processes. We also develop products that enable business users to work with data independently-no-code tools and drag-and-drop interfaces that allow experimentation and ownership," he explained.

He emphasized that the sector demands continuous innovation, deeper research, and integration of data with physics and domain expertise. High-quality data remains the biggest challenge, making strong data governance critical.

"To demonstrate its value, we identify which data can bring the greatest benefit and implement governance measures accordingly. At SOCAR, we have built a data platform that meets international standards, consolidates data into a unified source, and offers user-friendly tools for exploration," Zamanbayev added.