Can quantum-inspired computing transform energy exploration? Hybrid computing systems are beginning to reshape seismic imaging and industrial operations.
Saudi Aramco is expanding the use of digital technologies across its operations, combining artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputing and quantum computing research to improve operational efficiency, workplace safety and subsurface exploration. The company says these technologies are supporting a wider digital transformation strategy aimed at enhancing productivity while enabling more advanced energy production and management.
One area of focus is AI-driven operational intelligence. Aramco has developed an in-house safety platform, i4Safety 2.0 Hazard & Incident Prediction, which analyses historical operational data to identify potential hazards before they occur. By predicting on-site safety risks, the system is intended to help reduce incidents while improving efficiency at facilities where it has been deployed.
The company is also extending the role of high-performance computing in exploration. Its Dammam-7 supercomputer, introduced in 2021 for seismic imaging, has been upgraded with NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs) to create Dammam-7Q, one of the region’s largest quantum computing emulators. The platform allows researchers to develop, test and optimise quantum algorithms on conventional supercomputing hardware before commercial quantum computers become widely available.
Using NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, Aramco has evaluated quantum algorithms for analysing full three-dimensional seismic datasets, including the Quantum Hadamard Edge Detection algorithm to improve subsurface imaging. The company says the hybrid quantum-classical approach could support faster processing of large-scale geological data, enabling more accurate identification of subsurface structures while laying the groundwork for future quantum-enabled exploration workflows.
