Amii and Imperial work on AI machine learning capabilities

The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) and Imperial Oil have signed an agreement to develop the latter’s in-house machine learning capabilities for applied artificial intelligence (AI) projects.

Under the two-year collaboration agreement, Imperial will work to develop better ways to recover oil and gas resources and reduce environmental impacts, as well as improve workforce safety.

Imperial Oil upstream senior vice-president John Whelan said: “At Imperial, we are taking action to be a leader in advancing digital and AI technology across the value chain.

“Amii is not only a leader in the AI space globally, but based locally in Alberta. We believe the institute is a perfect partner to help us showcase Alberta’s leadership in technology and digital solutions for responsibly-produced oil and gas.”

In close coordination with Imperial, Amii will provide business guidance and scientific mentorship to improve the former’s in-house machine intelligence capabilities.

According to Imperial, experts from Amii will validate machine learning opportunities and provide assistance on AI capabilities based on advances in machine learning.

The institute will also support Imperial in developing its technical teams with emphasis on enhancing the skill set of current employees.

Amii president and CEO John Shillington said: “Imperial is an ideal member for our Amii Innovates programme.

“Not only do they have a strong commitment to driving innovation in the oil and gas sector, but they’re also focused on growing their internal AI capabilities and teams right here in Alberta.”

In March, Imperial Oil announced that it will delay its C$2.6bn ($1.94bn) Aspen in situ oil sands project in Alberta, Canada, by at least a year due to prevailing market conditions.

Last November, the company made a final investment decision (FID) on the proposed development of its C$2.6bn ($1.98bn) Aspen oil sands project.