Digital Oilfields Grow Up as Remote Operations Expand

Remote automation is shifting from pilot projects to scaled deployment as operators prioritize safety, uptime, and secure data-driven decisions

19 Oct 2025

Remote monitoring and automation are becoming standard features of North American upstream oil and gas operations, as operators seek to reduce on-site exposure, manage labour shortages and improve operational reliability.

What were once pilot projects are increasingly embedded across producing assets. Stronger connectivity and maturing automation platforms are allowing companies to centralise field oversight, monitor equipment performance in real time and intervene earlier when issues arise. The shift reflects a broader effort to modernise existing infrastructure rather than replace it, as cost pressure and compliance demands intensify.

Technology suppliers have stepped up efforts to position remote operations as a practical route to efficiency and risk reduction. Rockwell Automation has highlighted artificial intelligence, internet-connected sensing and cybersecurity as key drivers of digital transformation in oil and gas, pointing to the growing need to turn expanding data flows into operational decisions while protecting connected systems.

Emerson has also expanded its digital oilfield offering, combining automation hardware, software and upstream decision-support tools aimed at improving visibility and performance across large asset bases. The approach mirrors a wider supplier strategy of moving beyond instrumentation and control into data platforms and AI-enabled workflows that can be deployed at scale.

Specialist firms are playing a complementary role by helping operators connect legacy equipment to modern monitoring and automation layers. Companies such as GlobaLogix focus on integrating existing field devices, enabling operators, particularly independents, to adopt remote operations without large-scale replacement programmes.

Market estimates suggest sustained investment. North America’s digital oilfield market has been valued at about $11bn in 2024, reflecting spending on automation, analytics and remote monitoring to improve safety, uptime and consistency. While estimates vary, investment is increasingly directed at systems that reduce downtime and support repeatable execution.

Risk management remains central. Fewer site visits can lower safety exposure, while continuous monitoring supports earlier intervention as equipment performance deteriorates. At the same time, tighter scrutiny of emissions reporting and operational oversight is pushing operators towards systems that generate consistent, auditable data.

Challenges remain, particularly around cybersecurity as connectivity expands, and workforce adoption of new workflows. Even so, remote automation is moving from a transformation initiative to an operating model, underpinning safer practices, stronger compliance and more predictable performance across digital oilfields.