Oilfield Technology Senior Editor, Elizabeth Corner, talks to Shola Adekeye, who leads the Upstream practice at KBC, to discuss the company’s recent article in Oilfield Technology.
In this spotlight session, we are reviewing KBC’s recent article for Oilfield Technology, entitled ‘Operational optimisation under capital discipline’.
The article, which is published in the January/February 2026 issue of Oilfield Technology, explores how upstream operators are maximising asset performance, improving production efficiency, and making better capital decisions in an increasingly constrained investment environment.
- How capital discipline is reshaping upstream investment strategies and approaches to value creation.
- What ‘doing more with less’ means in practice for operations teams working across wells, networks, and facilities.
- The shift from digitalisation as a technology initiative to a core production strategy.Where production efficiency gains of 2.5 - 10% are typically realised across upstream systems.
- The impact of real-time and near real-time visibility on operational decision-making.
- The role of AI in upstream operations, and where physics-based models remain essential.
- How small production losses can outweigh annual maintenance budgets, and what that means for maintenance strategy.
- How operators are approaching ‘Facilities of the Future’ in a capital-constrained environment.
- Insights from gas-lift optimisation, including production uplift and operational efficiency improvements.
- What distinguishes organisations that consistently make strong decisions under uncertainty.