Russia to Deploy Digital Twins Across the Entire Oil and Gas Sector
Russia is moving toward large‑scale adoption of digital twins across its oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors, aiming to enhance production efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and modernize aging industrial systems
Digital Twin Rollout Across the Oil and Gas Sector
The Russian Ministry of Energy has proposed developing full digital twins for the entire oil refining and petrochemical industry, covering the full value chain—from upstream extraction to downstream petrochemical production. The initiative will be discussed at a federal conference on oil refining and petrochemicals scheduled to take place in Omsk.
The starting point for this effort is the Omsk Oil Refinery, which has invested more than $5.6 billion in digital upgrades since 2008. These investments have significantly improved the refinery’s technological and environmental performance. Fuel output for the domestic market—including diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel—has increased, while raw‑material conversion rates have risen to nearly 100%. Since the start of modernization, the facility has reduced its environmental impact by 40%.
Isolated Digital Twins: Early Foundations
Industry leaders have long recognized the value of digital twins, with many oil and gas companies developing and operating such systems—often referred to as mathematical models—for the past 15 to 20 years. These tools support decision‑making in operational optimization, strategic planning, and business forecasting.
Gazprom Neft, for example, is building a fully digital oil company architecture, integrating autonomous systems and remote asset management. Digital twins are created not only for physical equipment but also for operational processes. Over time, all stages of field development and production are expected to merge into a unified digital ecosystem.
Sibur Digital has also spent more than five years implementing digital twins at key petrochemical facilities. The greatest economic impact has been seen in pyrolysis furnace twins, which help stabilize performance and reduce downtime.
Long‑Term Outlook: Efficiency, Transparency, and Sustainability
In the long run, sector‑wide digitalization is expected to increase production efficiency, strengthen quality control, improve environmental safety, and enhance supply‑chain transparency. These upgrades could reduce dependence on legacy industrial systems and make the industry more attractive for investors.
If successfully deployed, Russia’s digital twin platform could be exported to other regions, particularly countries in the CIS, the Middle East, and Asia—markets where oil and gas operations are well‑developed but digital infrastructure often remains limited.
Goals, Challenges, and the Road Ahead
Despite rapid progress, experts acknowledge that a full, unified digital twin ecosystem has not yet been achieved. Current projects represent foundational steps toward this vision. The industry is transitioning from equipment‑focused models to more comprehensive digital frameworks addressing environmental risks and long‑term sustainability goals. The trend is clear: sustainable industrial growth requires deep digitalization.
То achieve this, close cooperation between government, oil companies, and the IT sector will be essential. The sector must advance through standardization, investment in platform development, and workforce training to ensure long‑term technological resilience.
