Ministry of Oil: Digital Transformation is a Tool to Enhance Operational Efficiency

The Ministry of Oil affirmed that digital transformation represents one of the fundamental pathways for developing the work system in the oil sector, given its advanced capabilities to enhance operational efficiency, improve data accuracy, and accelerate decision-making.

This statement was made by Sheikha Tamadur Al-Khaled, Director of Public Relations and Petroleum Media at the Ministry of Oil, during a virtual panel discussion organized by the ministry yesterday, Monday, titled “Kudif: How Are Oil Fields Managed Using Smart Technology?” During the session, she presented the Integrated Kuwait Digital Field (Kudif) project, which is affiliated with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). She highlighted that the future of the oil industry is increasingly tied to its ability to leverage modern technology and convert operational data into practical tools that support performance and productivity. She emphasized that investment in technology and human resources constitutes two integrated pathways for building a more efficient oil sector capable of responding to future challenges.

She noted that the Ministry of Oil pays special attention to raising awareness about digital projects and smart applications within the oil sector, highlighting national experiences that demonstrate the ability of Kuwaiti technical and engineering expertise to keep pace with technological developments and utilize them to improve the work environment.

She added that the Kudif project represents an important model for practical applications of digital transformation in the Kuwaiti oil industry. By integrating data and operational systems into a unified framework, it enables monitoring of field and well performance and supports coordination among various technical disciplines. This reflects the importance of transitioning from traditional operational management methods to a digital environment based on accurate information and continuous analysis.

For their part, Ahmed Al-Zidan, Chief Petroleum Engineer at Kuwait Oil Company, and Abdullah Al-Mousawi, presented the Kudif project under the North and West Kuwait Directorate of KOC. They pointed out that the project aims to provide a smart, proactive system to support decision-making and assist the company in addressing operational challenges and achieving its strategic objectives through collaborative work methods that bring together various technical disciplines. They clarified that the project aligns with Kuwait Oil Company’s 2040 Strategy, which includes developing a digital strategy and implementing a digital transformation framework to achieve operational excellence. This is accomplished by leveraging modern technologies to enhance oil field management, improve operational monitoring efficiency, and analyze data.

They also outlined KOC’s operational areas, which include North Kuwait, West Kuwait, South and East Kuwait, as well as heavy oil and gas operations. They explained the multiplicity of production facilities, boosting stations, and water facilities, along with the technical and operational requirements associated with these operations, which necessitate the presence of integrated digital systems to support monitoring and coordination.

Regarding the historical stages of the project, Al-Zidan and Al-Mousawi stated that the digital transformation journey began with the first workshop in 2007, followed by an implementation pilot phase in 2009 covering 49 wells, before transitioning to the establishment of the main center in Ahmadi in 2012.

They noted that the project underwent successive expansions, with the number of wells covered by the system reaching 183 in 2013, then rising to 1,200 wells in 2016, and exceeding 2,500 wells in 2022 as part of an expansion phase to cover all wells. They stated that the project’s journey included the establishment of the field center in Rawdat Al-Rutbah in 2024, before the system’s coverage expanded to include more than 5,000 wells in 2025, with further expansion in West Kuwait and heavy oil operations, reflecting the gradual development in the scope of applying digital systems within oil operations.