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ADNOC Drilling Delivers First AI-Enabled Walking Island Rig
Combines automation, AI, digital technologies and hybrid power capability, with optional grid connectivity, to enhance safety, reduce downtime and improve well delivery efficiency.
www.adnoc.ae
ADNOC Drilling Company PJSC has announced the successful delivery and operational acceptance of AD-300, the first AI-enabled, fully automated walking island rig. Delivered nearly three months ahead of schedule, the rig enables earlier revenue generation and accelerates the deployment of a broader six-rig next-generation program.
Rig Specifications and Automation Systems
Standing 50 meters tall and weighing approximately 2,000 tons, the AD-300 platform unifies advanced automation, integrated digital systems, and a hybrid power architecture. The rig's power system includes an option for direct electrical grid connection, supporting lower-emission and more energy-efficient drilling operations.
The structural engineering of the rig incorporates several specific technical capabilities:
- Walking Mobility: The automated walking mechanism enables the entire rig structure to move seamlessly between sequential well locations on a pad without requiring disassembly or structural breakdown.
- Robotic Handling: Integrated automation systems, including automated pipe handling mechanisms, manage heavy equipment transport on the drill floor.
- AI Monitoring: Artificial intelligence monitoring frameworks track localized operational zones to minimize personnel exposure within complex operating environments.
- Data Integration: Centralized data networks deliver real-time operational insights to facilitate performance optimization and predictive maintenance schedules.
Contract Framework and Fleet Expansion
The AD-300 rig has been deployed offshore on one of ADNOC’s artificial islands. The unit represents the first installment of a six-rig next-generation island rig fleet commissioned under a $1.54 billion contract awarded by ADNOC Offshore during the 2024–2025 period. This asset deployment modifies offshore well delivery protocols to enable faster and more consistent execution baselines.
The early commencement of drilling operations, combined with the phased deployment of the remaining vessels, provides revenue visibility and underpins the company’s growth projections for the second half of 2026 and into 2027. Following the acceptance of AD-300, the second unit, AD-301, is currently undergoing active deployment, with the remaining four rigs scheduled for sequential delivery through 2027 to reinforce ADNOC’s upstream growth targets.
Additional Context
This section details technical specifications not included in the original news release.
Offshore drilling from artificial islands combines elements of conventional onshore pad drilling with marine asset logistics. Unlike floating semi-submersibles or jack-up rigs that operate over open water, island rigs are installed on stable, reclaimed land masses positioned over shallow oil and gas reservoirs. To maximize the economic value of these artificial structures, operators utilize a high-density cluster layout, drilling dozens of directional or extended-reach wells from a single centralized surface pad.
An automated walking rig optimizes this process by incorporating heavy-duty hydraulic lifting cylinders and multi-directional walking feet built into the rig's sub-structure. Instead of spending days dismantling the derrick, drawworks, and mud systems to move to the next well slot, the hydraulic jacks lift the entire 2,000-ton assembly a few inches off the ground, slide the structure forward along a linear grid track, and lower it precisely over the next wellhead template within hours.
The integration of automated pipe handling systems and hybrid power grids alters safety and efficiency metrics on the drill floor. Conventional tripping—the process of joining or separating 90-foot stands of drill pipe to change a drill bit—requires manual intervention from floor crews operating heavy iron roughnecks and elevators, exposing workers to high mechanical risks. Automated pipe handling systems eliminate this by using robotic arm manipulators, automated top drives, and synchronized pipe racks governed by a central programmable logic controller (PLC) to trip pipe autonomously.
Concurrently, the hybrid power architecture manages the highly transient load profile of the drilling cycle. The drawworks draw massive electrical currents during hoisting operations, followed by periods of lower energy demand during active drilling. Onboard lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) smooth out these peak loads through peak-shaving techniques; the batteries discharge supplementary power during high-load spikes and recharge during steady-state operations, allowing the primary diesel generators to run at their peak thermal efficiency or enabling stable power consumption when connected directly to a high-voltage shore-side electrical grid.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
The AD-300 rig has been deployed offshore on one of ADNOC’s artificial islands. The unit represents the first installment of a six-rig next-generation island rig fleet commissioned under a $1.54 billion contract awarded by ADNOC Offshore during the 2024–2025 period. This asset deployment modifies offshore well delivery protocols to enable faster and more consistent execution baselines.
The early commencement of drilling operations, combined with the phased deployment of the remaining vessels, provides revenue visibility and underpins the company’s growth projections for the second half of 2026 and into 2027. Following the acceptance of AD-300, the second unit, AD-301, is currently undergoing active deployment, with the remaining four rigs scheduled for sequential delivery through 2027 to reinforce ADNOC’s upstream growth targets.
Additional Context
This section details technical specifications not included in the original news release.
Offshore drilling from artificial islands combines elements of conventional onshore pad drilling with marine asset logistics. Unlike floating semi-submersibles or jack-up rigs that operate over open water, island rigs are installed on stable, reclaimed land masses positioned over shallow oil and gas reservoirs. To maximize the economic value of these artificial structures, operators utilize a high-density cluster layout, drilling dozens of directional or extended-reach wells from a single centralized surface pad.
An automated walking rig optimizes this process by incorporating heavy-duty hydraulic lifting cylinders and multi-directional walking feet built into the rig's sub-structure. Instead of spending days dismantling the derrick, drawworks, and mud systems to move to the next well slot, the hydraulic jacks lift the entire 2,000-ton assembly a few inches off the ground, slide the structure forward along a linear grid track, and lower it precisely over the next wellhead template within hours.
The integration of automated pipe handling systems and hybrid power grids alters safety and efficiency metrics on the drill floor. Conventional tripping—the process of joining or separating 90-foot stands of drill pipe to change a drill bit—requires manual intervention from floor crews operating heavy iron roughnecks and elevators, exposing workers to high mechanical risks. Automated pipe handling systems eliminate this by using robotic arm manipulators, automated top drives, and synchronized pipe racks governed by a central programmable logic controller (PLC) to trip pipe autonomously.
Concurrently, the hybrid power architecture manages the highly transient load profile of the drilling cycle. The drawworks draw massive electrical currents during hoisting operations, followed by periods of lower energy demand during active drilling. Onboard lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) smooth out these peak loads through peak-shaving techniques; the batteries discharge supplementary power during high-load spikes and recharge during steady-state operations, allowing the primary diesel generators to run at their peak thermal efficiency or enabling stable power consumption when connected directly to a high-voltage shore-side electrical grid.
Edited by Romila DSilva, Induportals Editor, with AI assistance.
