State-owned UAE oil company ADNOC is working with state-owned UAE telecoms company e&, formerly Etisalat Group, to build the “energy industry’s largest private 5G network”, it has said. There is no word yet on the identity of the network provider in the deal, but e& has a notable private 5G contract with Nokia in the region; the Finnish vendor also has form in hard-nosed Industry 4.0 sectors. But nothing is confirmed, and a tender is likely to follow, if it is not already underway. 

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said the new private 5G network will cover 11,000 square kilometres of onshore and offshore oil and gas operations. Its 5G network solution will likely take the form of a carrier-style macro infrastructure, given its intended geographical scope. The project is due to be completed next year (2025). ADNOC said it will generate $1.5 billion “in value” during its first five years of operation.

ADNOC plans to use the new 5G setup to “further integrate” AI and IoT monitoring solutions at its most remote facilities and reduce costs through better automation, efficiency, emissions, and worker safety. It said the network will relay information from sensors embedded in 12,000 wells and pipelines to “autonomous control rooms” to deliver data insights about how to increase the lifespan of its assets and ensure safety in the field. 

A statement said: “The network will also allow for the digitalisation of wellheads and provide end-to-end visibility over operations, thereby driving productivity across the company’s entire value chain.” ADNOC is engaged in a multi-year project to accelerate the deployment of AI solutions across its business. It has a stated target to be “the world’s most AI-enabled energy company”.

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, managing director and group chief executive at ADNOC (and also UAE government minister for industry and advanced technology), said: “Global demand is rising for both energy and AI. By investing in [private 5G]… we can… continue providing secure, reliable, and responsible energy… As we grow our diversified energy portfolio, this partnership will… enable us to make faster, smarter decisions, from the control room to the boardroom.”

Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, chairman of e&, said: “With connectivity the backbone of technological advancements, we’re leveraging our expertise as a pioneer in network and AI innovations to drive breakthroughs in the energy sector and spur progress and success across industries. Beyond this partnership, we continue to work with ADNOC and other major players across multiple sectors to set new industry standards”

Per the reference at the top of the article, e& has a framework deal with Nokia to deploy private 5G for enterprises in Abu Dhabi. The pair are targeting “various industries, including ports, oil and gas, government and critical infrastructure”, they said. Nokia is supplying its macro-sized and micro-sized ‘modular private wireless’ (MPW) and ‘digital automation cloud’ (DAC) solutions, along with mobile edge computing. Etisalat UAE, the mobile division of E& in the region, is selling the Nokia solutions.