Digital maturity assessment for upstream oil and gas operators

Opportunities remain upstream

Upstream oil and gas (O&G) operators are collectively eyeing new opportunities and tackling the challenges of digital transformation, but where they stand along the digital maturity spectrum—and what they plan to do next—can vary tremendously.

Deloitte recently surveyed and interviewed leaders in core operational, digital, and IT roles across a set of O&G exploration and production (E&P) majors and independents. Our aim was to conduct a broader digital maturity assessment, identify leading practices, benchmark where each one stands, and highlight opportunities to advance digital value realization for the future of oil and gas.

Our digital maturity assessment reflects the positions of leading E&P operators with US and international assets that include both conventional and unconventional holdings. Our survey included more than 40 in-person interviews, captured 1,700 data points, and featured input from IT/digital and operations leaders. The findings reveal both commonalities and divergences in upstream O&G digital trends.

The journey has just begun

Overall, our digital maturity assessment indicates that everyone is working on digital. Some organizations have embraced it better than others and can point to success stories. However, the results also indicate that no single operator is clearly dominating in digital. There are “pockets of goodness” across operators but also room for improvement. While benefits from digital are being realized, all operators we interviewed agree more upside remains. Over the long run, organizations that clearly define areas of differentiation and then diligently build digital advantages and capabilities will see the most return from their investments in people, tools, and technology.