Microsoft helping Enbridge harness power of AI to scale up assets and slash emissions

Canadian pipeline and energy company Enbridge has teamed up with Microsoft to employ artificial intelligence (AI) to maximize safety, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enhance assets across its operations.

Building on what it says is a strong digital foundation, the Canadian player started implementing AI over five years ago and is now leveraging it to support operational and environmental excellence.

“Our long-term collaboration with Microsoft has enabled us to apply cutting edge technology, which is helping to solve critical business problems and deliver powerful outcomes,” said Bhushan Ivaturi, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Enbridge. “The investments we’re making today will play a critical role in enabling technological solutions to the biggest challenges in the evolution of our energy systems as we transition to a lower-carbon future.”

In 2020, Microsoft’s technology allowed Enbridge to embark on a digital transformation to drive productivity and efficiency, leading to a cloud migration and modernization program, with over 80% of workloads moved to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform within two years. Aside from enhancing security, the Canadian player says this reduced data center emissions through server decommissioning and a smaller physical facility footprint.

“The Enbridge leadership team drove a cloud-first strategy, a big bet that opened the door to broader opportunity that positions Enbridge today to take full advantage of AI,” said Tom Kubik, Enterprise Commercial Multi-Industry Lead at Microsoft Canada. “We are proud of the work we’ve done together and are working towards our common goals of supporting a more connected and collaborative workforce and increasing data and analytics capabilities.”

Powered by Microsoft Azure Machine Learning, Enbridge is leveraging AI across its operations to increase efficiencies and contribute to its broader sustainability goals. 

“Looking forward, we see ongoing opportunities and benefits of AI, in terms of data analytics, asset and process optimization, security and cost and emissions savings,” said Ivaturi. “At Enbridge, we are enabling the accessibility, sustainability, and security of energy through applied technology and innovation, and our collaboration with Microsoft will continue to play a pivotal role in that.”

One example is the Energy Optimizer, a tool in which AI provides real-time operational insights that enable operators to decide how to maximize energy transport’s efficiency. By managing the amount of power required, Enbridge can achieve cost savings and greenhouse gas reductions, while ensuring efficient operations of its liquid pipelines.

Furthermore, aerial surveillance is used for patrolling pipelines, to detect potentially damaging activities, conditions, or loss of containment. With AI, the company says it can monitor the right of way more efficiently, reviewing data and detecting issues quicker and more accurately. The AI-driven approach improves threat detection and response, reducing the risk of third-party damage.

Intelligent automation is employed for pipeline integrity, using AI to identify potential maintenance needs. Through workflow automation, data controls, advanced analysis, and machine learning models, the Canadian firm can get new insights for quick and effective asset maintenance, enhancing safety and efficiency while reducing process complexity and maintaining the health of its assets.

Earlier this month, Enbridge closed a deal with BP to build and operate crude oil and natural gas pipelines at the Kaskida project in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to be operational by 2029. The development for which a final investment decision (FID) was made in July is the UK major’s sixth-operated project in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.