Shell Accelerates Predictive Maintenance and Safety with Digital Transformation
Shell expanded its collaboration with Microsoft to drive efficiency and safety across its operations by implementing an AI platform based on C3 IoT and Microsoft Azure. By leveraging AI, machine learning, and IoT, Shell is transforming upstream and downstream operations, including predictive maintenance for critical assets, improved drilling precision, and retail site safety. The solution started with predictive maintenance for hundreds of thousands of assets globally, aiming to rapidly scale machine learning and vision use cases. Shell also employed Azure-based deep learning with IoT and closed-circuit cameras to identify hazards and trigger real-time safety alerts at retail locations. Broad adoption of Microsoft technologies, including Office 365 for workforce empowerment, underpins Shell's approach, enhancing digital experiences for its 84,000+ employees. The partnership with Microsoft allows Shell to co-innovate digital tools and applications supporting operational and safety needs. Shell's digital transformation strengthens its position as a leading global energy provider and empowers employees to connect, collaborate, and act on real-time insights. Shell Geodesic optimizes horizontal well drilling, reducing uncertainty and operational risks across oil and gas fields. The solution offers unique visual and simulation tools to geologists and drillers for better decision-making. This initiative combines proprietary development with Microsoft collaboration to establish a secure and reliable digital foundation throughout Shell's lines of business.
- Organization
- Shell
- Industry
- Energy & Utilities
- Location
- Netherlands
- Published
- September 2018
Reported outcomes
Strategic outcomes
Primary read
Use case focus
Showing 3 of 3
- 1AI-Powered Predictive Maintenance for Industrial Assets
- 2Deep Learning-Based Automated Hazard Detection at Retail Sites
- 3Digital Drilling Optimization for Oil Wells
- Needed to scale AI and ML across upstream and downstream operations globally.
- Required predictive maintenance for hundreds of thousands of critical assets.
- Improving drilling precision to reduce uncertainty and optimize well placement.
- Lacked real-time hazard detection and immediate safety alerts at large global retail footprint.
- Needed to empower a large workforce with better tools for productivity and collaboration.
- Selected C3 IoT platform hosted on Microsoft Azure as the AI foundation.
- Deployed predictive maintenance for critical assets worldwide using AI and ML.
- Implemented deep learning and IoT-based safety hazard detection at retail sites.
- Adopted Office 365 tools to foster collaboration and digital employee engagement.
- Improved asset reliability and reduced unplanned downtime.
- Enhanced operational safety at retail sites with real-time hazard alerts.
- Empowered more than 84,000 employees with modern collaboration tools.
- Minimized drilling uncertainty and increased operational efficiency through data-driven insights.
Architecture
Shell uses C3 IoT Platform on Microsoft Azure as a centralized AI foundation for multiple applications, including scaling predictive maintenance, machine vision for hazard detection, and deploying collaboration tools (Office 365). Safety hazards are detected using Azure-based deep learning and IoT with camera data, triggering real-time alerts. Geodesic solution integrates drilling data with AI-driven algorithms for asset optimization.
Implementation partners1
Sources & evidence2
The same organization appears in newer AI deployment evidence.
- Same organization re-documented as recently as 2025.
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