BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
A Senior Regulatory Officer at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Abel Ekele, has presented a research paper at the ongoing Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2026, highlighting the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform regulatory processes in the oil and gas industry.
Ekele presented his research titled, “Evaluating AI for Speed, Consistency, and Traceability in Energy Regulatory Decision Support,” examining how emerging AI technologies could improve the speed, accuracy, consistency and transparency of regulatory decision-making in the petroleum sector.
The study demonstrated that Artificial Intelligence could accelerate the initial review of complex petroleum safety documents by up to 635 times, offering significant opportunities to reduce regulatory processing time and improve operational efficiency.
According to the findings, AI-powered systems can assist regulatory officers in identifying missing information, reviewing technical documentation and assessing compliance requirements, thereby providing valuable support in handling complex regulatory responsibilities.
The research further highlighted the potential of AI to strengthen consistency in regulatory assessments and improve traceability, making it easier to document, monitor and review the processes leading to regulatory decisions.
However, Ekele cautioned that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in regulatory operations must be approached with appropriate safeguards, noting that AI systems can sometimes generate confident but incorrect assessments.
This limitation, the research emphasised, makes human oversight essential, particularly in safety-critical regulatory decisions where errors could have serious implications for personnel, infrastructure, the environment and the overall integrity of petroleum operations.
The study therefore underscored the importance of combining the speed and analytical capabilities of AI with the professional expertise and judgement of qualified regulatory personnel.
It also reinforced the position that Artificial Intelligence should serve as a decision-support tool rather than replace the responsibilities of experienced regulators, especially when evaluating sensitive technical and safety-related matters.
The presentation comes amid growing global interest in the application of advanced digital technologies to improve efficiency, transparency and accountability across the energy industry.
For Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, the research offers useful insights into how responsible AI adoption could support regulatory modernisation, strengthen institutional capacity and improve the delivery of regulatory services.
The findings also align with the broader need for technology-driven regulatory systems capable of responding to the increasing technical complexities of modern petroleum operations while maintaining high standards of safety, accountability and professional judgement.
ADIPEC remains a major international platform for discussions on energy innovation, technological advancement, investment and the future of the global energy industry.
