{
  "id": 12610956,
  "title": "Can code save onshore oil? Inside Heirs Energies’ $1.1 billion operational experiment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/can-code-save-onshore-oil-inside-heirs-energies-1-1-billion",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T10:53:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCabal",
    "slug": "techcabal",
    "url": "https://techcabal.com/2026/10/07/heirs-energies-oml-17-digital-operations/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Heirs Energies, an indigenous Nigerian oil producer, spent $1.1 billion to revive OML 17, an onshore asset plagued by theft and operational inefficiencies. The operation encompasses 1,200 square kilometres, 15 oil and gas fields, and an extensive pipeline network, making it valuable but challenging to secure and manage. In its lowest point in late 2021 and early 2022, only about 3% of the crude injected into the evacuation pipeline reached the Bonny Terminal, highlighting the severe impact of crude theft. Heirs Energies responded by implementing an Integrated Operations Management Centre (IOMC) to monitor production volumes, pressure, flow rates, temperatures, and vessel levels in real-time. This digital control layer reduces the time between detecting an abnormal event and taking action, enabling better decision-making. While technology plays a vital role in enhancing operational efficiency, it is not a standalone solution. Heirs Energies emphasizes that the limits of technology lie in an industry where pipelines, payment systems, and field investment still determine whether production can reach the market.",
  "summary": "Heirs Energies combined real-time monitoring with security upgrades and field investment to revive OML 17, an oil asset plagued by theft and ageing infrastructure. Its recovery shows how technology can help restore production—and why secure pipelines and reliable operations still matter.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}