Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesEnergy

OTC Showed Automation in Energy is Enhancing Safety and Efficiency

Automation has become the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and this emphasis on efficiency is no where more apparent than in the world of energy, specifically the oil industry. Automation is evolving the industry, offering new opportunities and structurally changing how professionals approach their day-to-day work. Dan Allford, President of ARC Specialties, joined…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Energy teams put it to work with Customer Stories & Case Studies.

Share
OTC Showed Automation in Energy is Enhancing Safety and Efficiency

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Energy?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Energy coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

Automation has become the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and this emphasis on efficiency is no where more apparent than in the world of energy, specifically the oil industry. Automation is evolving the industry, offering new opportunities and structurally changing how professionals approach their day-to-day work. Dan Allford, President of ARC Specialties, joined the podcast today to explain why he thinks this is one of the most positive evolutions the industry has seen in a long time.

“It’s an exciting time in the oil industry. What once was impossible or too hazardous is now feasible through automation and robotics. For example, automation is facilitating fracking, creating profitable wells that would have never been before,” Allford said.

ARC has been busy devising new products to empower the oil and gas industry, mostly around the equipment needed out in the field. “Robotics is becoming essential in the industry. First, they improve safety, often removing workers from danger. Collaborative robots can actually work together with professionals to do more,” Allford said.

He also recounts his and the company’s experience at the recently concluded OTC (Offshore Technology Conference), where they introduced a new AI-powered product. “Welding is one of the most challenging parts of developing equipment, it’s dependent on highly skilled welders. Lots of variations can occur, which the welder must account for and use their experience to configure correctly. Well, we’ve taken the knowledge that welders have along with data collected from a 2D laser to create a program that can compensate for these variations. Data and AI combine for a new technological solution,” Allford said.

OTC also gave a perfect representation of automation at work, focusing conversation on the impact that these efficiency-driven solutions will have on oil rigging for years to come. Listen to Allford give his insights on the industry, the future of technology, and on additional takeaways from the show.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @EnergyMKSL

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Energy starts with a company putting its field engineers, operations leads, and project developers on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Developers and operators shortlist on credibility, and your engineers give your sales team something real to send.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

Follow Energy Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Energy: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Energy buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Energy expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your field engineers, operations leads, and project developers into the articles, video, and social content Energy buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Energy Insights

Lead time is the new design constraint for transformers, breakers, and HV cable

Lead time is the new design constraint for transformers, breakers, and HV cable

Grid equipment manufacturers are expanding U.S. production of transformers, circuit breakers, and high-voltage cable, according to Renewable Energy World. Delivery timelines are now part of engineering and procurement planning. For utility operators, EPCs, and developers, factory capacity and acceptance testing can set the critical path.

  • 01Delivery is now an engineering variable, procurement lead time can set in-service dates for substations and interconnections.
  • 02Treat transformer and switchgear procurement as early engineering work: capacity, test plans, and change control belong in the bid package and schedule model.

Sep 5, 2026

Europe’s diesel premium just broke $100 a barrel, and logistics budgets will feel it first

Europe’s diesel premium just broke $100 a barrel, and logistics budgets will feel it first

Europe’s diesel crack spread rose above $100 a barrel for the first time, the Financial Times reported. Logistics budgets will feel it first. Fleet and facilities operators should expect pressure on fuel surcharges, backup power planning, and contract terms.

  • 01A $100-plus diesel crack spread is a procurement signal, refiners are being paid for diesel scarcity, not crude cost, so index clauses tied only to Brent can miss the real pain.
  • 02Low EU gas inventories raise the odds of fuel-switching into distillates during peaks, which can tighten diesel supply right when trucking and backup generators compete for the same barrel.

Sep 4, 2026

U.S. grid batteries are set to top 100 GW by 2028, changing peak prices

U.S. grid batteries are set to top 100 GW by 2028, changing peak prices

U.S. utility-scale battery storage reached nearly 52 GW of nameplate capacity by June 2026 after adding 8.3 GW in the first six months of the year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The same EIA planning data shows 54 GW more is planned for the second half of 2026 through 2028, including 14 GW in the second half of 2026, 26 GW in 2027, and 14 GW in 2028. pv magazine USA reports total national operational storage capacity is expected to pass 105 GW by the end of 2028. Solar photovoltaic plants host the largest battery storage capacity units, including AES’ Bellefield Solar and Energy Storage Farm in California and Florida Power & Light’s Manatee Solar Energy Center in Florida, according to EIA.

  • 01The planning benchmark that matters for 2027 to 2028 contracts: EIA’s reported pipeline implies U.S. battery nameplate capacity could roughly double from ~52 GW to ~106 GW by end of 2028 if schedules hold.
  • 02Storage penetration is becoming a pricing question, not a technology question. pv magazine USA points to ERCOT growing from 15 GW (2025) to 37 GW (end of 2027), a level that could alter who sets the marginal price in evening peaks and how much capacity value peakers retain.

Sep 3, 2026

Explore More Energy Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Energy.

Browse Energy Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Energy and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512