Abu Dhabi-headquartered ADNOC Drilling, one of the Middle East’s drilling and integrated drilling services (IDS) providers, has taken delivery of its first automated walking island rig running on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, accelerating autonomous offshore operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
ADNOC Drilling has confirmed the delivery and acceptance of AD-300, the UAE player’s first AI-enabled, fully automated walking island rig, nearly three months ahead of schedule, enabling earlier revenue generation and accelerating the rollout of the six-rig next-generation program.
The 50-meter-tall AD-300, said to be the height of a 15-storey building and weighing around 2,000 tons, combines advanced automation, digital systems, and hybrid power capability, with the option to connect to the grid, enabling more efficient and lower-emission operations.Abdulla Ateya Al Messabi, ADNOC Drilling’s CEO, commented: “The delivery of AD-300 marks a step-change in how we execute large-scale, technology-enabled energy development. By integrating automation, artificial intelligence and robotics at scale, we are enhancing safety, improving efficiency and delivering more consistent, predictable performance.