Russian Student Develops AI to Transform the Gas Industry
A breakthrough project from Tyumen Industrial University uses artificial intelligence to predict well flooding, helping oil and gas companies cut costs and increase efficiency.
Nikolai Lychagin, a student at Tyumen Industrial University, has received a 1 million ruble grant (about $11,000) to advance his AI-powered project for predicting water inflow in gas wells. His victory in the national 'Student Startup' competition will fund the development of an easy-to-use application for the oil and gas industry, dramatically speeding up analysis and decision-making. The Russian student’s innovation offers a cutting-edge solution to a challenge that affects production efficiency world...
Accurately predicting water saturation in wells remains a difficult task due to the complex and uneven structure of underground formations. Traditional methods often fail to deliver consistent results. The Tyumen team’s approach leverages machine learning to forecast water inflow with high precision in a fraction of the time required by conventional techniques.
AI Reduces Manual Workload
As Lychagin explained, integrating artificial intelligence into field development design can reduce labor intensity severalfold compared to existing workflows. This not only improves cost efficiency but also reduces risks to equipment, which wears out faster when high water content is present in extracted resources.
The team has been developing the system for about 18 months. The idea originated during the 'Honors Track' engineering program at the EG Higher School of Engineering. Once the intuitive application interface is finalized, the team plans to bring the product to market — a step that could help reshape digital transformation in the global energy sector.
