Transforming Petrochemicals
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
Release Date: 02/12/2025
How VR is Revolutionizing Industrial Training
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
The industrial sector faces a growing challenge: how to train a rapidly evolving, inexperienced workforce to safely and effectively operate aging and complex infrastructure. Traditional training tools like PowerPoint presentations and passive classroom learning no longer cut it, especially in high-risk environments like oil refineries and offshore rigs. Enter immersive training platforms—tools that provide guided, interactive learning experiences in virtual environments. These platforms bridge the comprehension gap by enabling engineers to interact with equipment and scenarios in a...
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Beyond RAG
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
In energy and manufacturing, vast volumes of unstructured data (think OEM manuals, maintenance logs, shift notes, correspondence, procedures), sit largely untapped. For decades, experienced technicians have compensated by carrying critical knowledge in their heads. But with retirements accelerating and fewer seasoned workers on the front line, this model is breaking down. New large language learning models that underpin technologies such as Grok and ChatGPT are being trained on this unstructured content to create context-relevant, queryable databases for industry. This...
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Training the Dog
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
Why is a pug named Phoebe likely more qualified than your frontline crew? In the oil and gas industry, online training and certification have become the norm. Let's agree it's convenient, cost-effective, and scalable. But what if the people taking that training are subverting the training using AI, or aren’t people at all? Digital tools, especially generative AI, are now being misused to automate training completion, which undermines the entire compliance system. The same platforms designed to protect workers, assure reliability, comply with regulations, and safeguard the environment...
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The Five Lessons of Digital and AI Deployment
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
The oil and gas industry has invested heavily in new digital technologies, but too many efforts fall short in value delivery. However compelling digital initiatives may seem, they will assuredly flounder if workers are unable or unwilling to adopt them. The challenge lies in the way asset centric organizations tend to approach change. Leaders often seek rapid results that will contribute to current earnings, while frontline teams struggle with clunky processes and...
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The Looming Energy Talent Gap
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
The energy industry is having a moment. As assets become digitized, operations increasingly automated, molecules displaced for electrons, and capital more discerning, the biggest challenge is now people, instead of engineering. Specifically, where will the next generation of digitally fluent energy professionals come from? At the same time, academic institutions, whose mission is to deliver qualified talent, are under grave financial pressure. International student revenue is collapsing, and many programs are out of step with the real-world digital needs of industry. Meanwhile, the...
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From Paper to Pocket
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
Heavy industry runs on complex systems and distributed assets, but frontline workers are often still armed with paper manuals and radios. It works, but yields an unacceptably high level of inconsistencies, safety incidents, and productivity bottlenecks. And as experienced workers retire, critical knowledge about systems, assets, and good practice disappears. The shift to digital work execution is now both viable and urgent. Smartphones are everywhere. AI is mainstream. And yet many organizations still struggle to digitize even basic workflows. In this episode, , co-founder and managing...
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The Helium Signal
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
The traditional model of hydrocarbon exploration has transitioned in much of North America, replaced by exploitation of known shale and tight resources. For shale players, exploration is seen as more risky, expensive, and slow than pursuing resource play. Classic geochemical methods, reliant on sample collection and lab analysis, can’t keep up with the need for real-time decision-making. Helium—a light, inert, and upwardly mobile gas—offers potential as an indicator of subsurface resources, but its volatile nature makes it difficult to measure accurately and reliably using...
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Honey I Shrunk The Device
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
In the world of oil and gas operations, edge devices are mission-critical. These compact, intelligent sensors operate in the most extreme of environments, such as remote drill sites, deep wells, and hostile landscapes, where they continuously collect operational data. Best in class operators don't just throw digital at the field. They prioritize efficiency, reliability, and integrity at the edge, where human oversight is limited, infrequent, and mostly absent. But the drive to digitize oilfield infrastructure raises major challenges: reliable power, cyber threats, temperature...
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Unlocking Capital Innovation in Oil and Gas
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
The global upstream oil and gas sector is confronting a mounting crisis—access to capital. For over a decade, international producers, especially small- and mid-cap firms, have faced shrinking pools of funding as banks exit the space and public equity markets falter. Traditional sources of capital have dwindled, leaving many promising ventures stranded without the financial fuel they need to grow. As capital constraints tighten, the sector’s self-depleting business model—where every produced barrel reduces tomorrow’s inventory—becomes unsustainable. The result? A looming risk of...
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From Clipboards to Cloud
Digital Innovations in Oil and Gas with Geoffrey Cann
In the upstream oil and gas sector, frontline operations have long depended on manual methods for information management, such as clipboards, spreadsheets, and disconnected tools. These outdated processes persist despite mounting pressure to improve efficiency and cut costs. But with today’s margin compression, regulatory scrutiny, and demographic changes, that operational model is no longer sustainable. Field operators are expected to do more with less, but lack integrated, user-friendly tools that align with their daily work activities. In this episode, I chat with , CEO of , about how his...
info_outlineThe petrochemical industry has traditionally been slow to adopt new technologies, often hindered by legacy systems, risk-averse cultures, and scattered data. However, as global competition and sustainability pressures mount, companies like Nova Chemicals are turning to digital transformation to drive operational efficiency and sustainability.
Nova Chemicals recognized the untapped potential in its decades of operational data and began its digital journey with a bold vision. By leveraging advanced tools, such as AI-driven predictive maintenance, the company has revolutionized its approach to reliability, maintenance, and operational performance.
NovaChem’s strategy involved carefully piloting digital solutions on redundant equipment to mitigate risks and build confidence, leading to transformative value—four times the initially estimated impact.
In this episode, I speak with Ahmed Musa, Digital Transformation Leader at Nova Chemicals, who shares insights into how the company has structured its digital initiatives through its Digital Factory and corporate priorities. From overcoming challenges with legacy data systems to fostering a culture of innovation through “Nova Nature,” Ahmed reveals the actionable strategies and lessons learned on NovaChem’s digital journey.
What impressed me the most was how digital tools not only reduce costs and emissions but also empower employees, enriching their roles with data-driven insights.
About Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa is an experienced Digital Transformation Leader with a deep background in chemical engineering. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and has extensive practical experience in reliability, maintenance, and turnaround management. Since joining Nova Chemicals in 2014, Ahmed has been highly involved in the company’s digital transformation initiatives, focusing on leveraging AI, data contextualization, and advanced analytics to enhance plant reliability and operational efficiency.
Contacting the Guest
📎 Ahmed Musa’s LinkedIn: Ahmed Musa’s LinkedIn Profile
🌐 Nova Chemicals Website: https://www.novachem.com
Additional Resources You Might Value
🎥 Explore My Digital Studio: https://geoffreycann.com/mystudio/
🎓 One-Day Digital Strategy Training: https://www.udemy.com/course/digital-oil-and-gas/?referralCode=0161D4D49AB75735A185
📝 Blog Series on Digital Oil and Gas: https://digitaloilgas.substack.com
🎙 Podcast Episodes Archive: https://geoffreycann.com/broadcast/
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Disclaimer
⚠️ The views expressed in this podcast are my own and do not constitute professional advice.