Intelligent ‘pigs’ and AI tools boost UK energy production

• Emissions reduction technologies also playing a key role in North Sea

• Survey highlights dozens of brand-new tools and solution

• £186 million of spending on tech earmarked for 2026

Multi-diameter intelligent ‘pigs’ and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) software lead the way in innovative tools and solutions operators are using to boost production from North Sea fields, a new report shows.

Operators are also using new technologies to minimise flaring and reduce methane emissions, and intervene successfully on underperforming oil and gas wells, according to the Technology Insights Report from the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

Insights were gathered from the technology section of the UKCS Stewardship Survey, completed by 38 licensees in 2026, and operators’ technology plans. It groups technologies into 10 categories and provides examples of their implementation and benefits.

In total, 1,320 innovative solutions, including 189 newly reported technologies, were referenced by operators – up from 1,280 the previous year – with about half of those technologies already being used in the field.

Operators said they expected to buy £126 million worth of technology from suppliers and spend £60 million on their own research and development in 2026. The figures were £143 million and £75 million, respectively, in 2025.

An ‘intelligent pig’ is a device equipped with sensors that can be pushed through pipelines, inspecting and measuring as they go, helping extend the lifespan of these vital pieces of infrastructure. This year, operators reported the use of single ‘intelligent pigs’ able to run in pipeline systems made up of different diameter sections, carrying out detailed inspections whereas previously several different pigs would have been needed.

These devices can now navigate more complex pipeline networks, which connect multiple fields to host platforms via tiebacks, in a single run. These capabilities lower operating costs and speed up the collection of data to check the pipeline is in suitable condition for oil and gas transportation or potential repurposing for carbon storage.

AI tools are showing signs of becoming another boon for the sector. They can collect vast amounts of data on wells and provide insights to support decision-making on intervention activities, well decommissioning or carbon storage potential.

In a matter of minutes, AI can perform a task which might have required a person to spend days trawling through data buried in PDFs, scans, spreadsheets, and even handwritten notes, depending on the age, ownership history, and complexity of the well. 

In addition, an impressive range of tools, including innovative subsurface safety valves, downhole pumps, and plugs, is being developed to support cost-efficient and successful well intervention and production enhancement projects on existing fields.

Emissions reduction is another priority for industry, including from flaring and venting, which made up almost 17% of production emissions in 2025. The NSTA closely scrutinises operators’ flaring and venting activities to ensure they stay within agreed limits.

High-energy ignition packages are now available to help keep flares lit in more extreme weather conditions found offshore. Flaring, sometimes required for safety and operational reasons, involves burning off excess gas and mainly results in carbon dioxide emissions. Failure to get the flare lit can result in methane being vented into the atmosphere unignited. 

NSTA Technology and Engineering Manager Ernie Lamza said:

 “The spirit of innovation is very much alive in the North Sea as scores of new technologies entered the fray in recent months. And it’s not just the volume of new tools that’s impressive, it’s the variety that never ceases to amaze, with additions across all 10 technology categories, covering the full asset lifecycle.

“Furthermore, as a result of recent mergers between operators, expertise and knowledge are being more widely shared within new, UKCS-focused players, raising awareness and leading to more widespread technology deployment across the basin.”