Al Masaood Energy, Gecko Robotics Team With ADNOC Gas on Operations and Maintenance
Gecko Robotics and Al Masaood Energy announced a multiyear contract with ADNOC Gas, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). The contract, with an estimated ceiling of $30 million, lays out the use of Gecko’s robots and artificial intelligence (AI) data platform across ADNOC Gas sites to facilitate predictive maintenance.
“ADNOC and the UAE are at the forefront of using Industry 4.0 tools to boost efficiency and decrease their carbon footprint—and the world is noticing,” said Jake Loosararian, cofounder and CEO of Gecko Robotics. “His Excellency Dr. Sultan al-Jabar’s leadership on the world stage at COP28 speaks to ADNOC’s commitment to using new technology to reduce carbon emissions, and Gecko is proud to enlist our robots and software to that cause.”
Gecko’s wall-climbing robots use specially designed sensor payloads that build digital maps of critical assets. Gecko’s software Cantilever takes that data and combines it with operational data to allow for repairs and preventive maintenance. Gecko’s software has been used by companies and government agencies to extend the lifespan and efficiency of critical infrastructure, including power plants, oil refineries, and manufacturing facilities.
“The partnership between Gecko and Al Masaood Energy serves as a compelling demonstration of how cutting-edge technologies can be instrumental in realizing the nation’s ambitious net zero objectives” said Ahmad El Tannir, general manager of Al Masaood Energy.
The work also includes a new model for predictive maintenance that allows for inspections of some critical assets to happen while they are online.
During the pilot phase of the partnership, the use of Gecko’s technology reportedly increased coverage of assets by 99.6% and increased efficiency by more than 93% over manual processes. The lack of scaffolding, a key part of the manual inspection process, was projected to reduce lost time injury rates by 33%.
Gecko’s data collection and analysis capabilities also appeared to help decrease carbon emissions. A recent third-party study conducted by Rho Impact found that increased digitization of assets across the oil and gas industry could reduce carbon emissions by 556 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of twice the annual CO2 emissions of the United Arab Emirates.
The partnership with ADNOC Gas and Al Masaood Energy comes after Gecko Robotics announced the opening of its new international headquarters in the UAE under the Ministry of Economy’s NextGenFDI program, which was launched to attract technology companies to the UAE.
