Chinese oil and gas companies are moving quickly in this direction. For example, China National Offshore Oil Corp is operating a smart natural gas project in the South China Sea that will help make the nation's offshore oil and gas production increasingly digital and intelligent. The project uses technologies such as the internet of things, big data and artificial intelligence to enable real-time monitoring and remote control.

Luo Zuoxian, head of intelligence and research at the Sinopec Economics and Development Research Institute, said, "Chinese companies are eager to explore smart oil and gas fields, but such development is still at an early stage."

To better maximize the value of digital technologies, Daqing Oilfield Co is constantly experimenting with new solutions. In addition to using drones and video surveillance systems for automatic patrols, the eighth operational area of the company's third oil production plant, where Shi works, is fully tapping data-driven technologies for smart production.

Efficiency improves

At a production management center at the plant, operators issued an instruction for the immediate flushing of an oil well 10 km away, after detecting abnormal data.

Li Guoxin, a worker at the plant, said: "In the past, we could only rely on experience to decide when to flush wells. But now, through real-time parameters, we know which well needs to be flushed－and when. This has greatly improved work efficiency."

An internet of things system tracks the real-time data of every well in the eighth operational area, which occupies 9.04 sq km and houses a total of more than 1,170 oil and water wells.