Skip to content
‹ 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

Free workspace

Turn your Energy expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

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.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.
B2B Weekly

The week in Energy, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Energy: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Energy buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

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. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

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

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Energy Insights

Siemens moves microgrid wiring and testing from the jobsite to the factory

Siemens moves microgrid wiring and testing from the jobsite to the factory

Projects that fit Siemens' standard configurations skip much of the on-site integration. Anything else needs custom engineering.

  • 01A microgrid's controller, protective relays and switchboard can now ship as one factory-tested lineup, which moves much of the integration and protection testing off the jobsite.
  • 02The speed in MIS comes from standardization, so what it does for any one project depends on whether that project fits Siemens' standard configurations. Unusual ratings, controls or protection schemes go to custom engineering.
  • 03"Vendor-agnostic" applies to the energy assets: solar, batteries and generators from other suppliers can connect. The control and protection layer is Siemens' SICAM and SIPROTEC.

Oct 31, 2026

Hardware takes 61.7% of the $98.5 billion grid upgrade market in 2026

Hardware takes 61.7% of the $98.5 billion grid upgrade market in 2026

Global grid modernization spending hits $98.5 billion in 2026, and 61.7% of it goes to hardware. Equipment supply now sets the pace. That could squeeze utilities and data center builders competing for the same high-voltage components.

  • 01When hardware holds 61.7% of the grid modernization market, factory capacity sets the pace for upgrades.
  • 02Distribution networks hold 55.6% of the market, and utilities in the Zpryme survey also ranked distribution automation, FLISR and hardening as top priorities, so feeder-level equipment is where budgets and forecasts agree.
  • 03Smart grid and grid modernization forecasts range from 5.7% to 15.6% annual growth depending on what they count, so the first question for any vendor-cited number is which definition sits under it.

Oct 30, 2026

xAI subsidiary offers to buy Southaven homes near its turbine plant if owners release their noise claims

xAI subsidiary offers to buy Southaven homes near its turbine plant if owners release their noise claims

MZX Tech, the xAI subsidiary running the gas-turbine plant powering its Mississippi data centers, is offering to buy homes in Southaven’s Colonial Hills area if sellers sign a release tied to a June noise lawsuit. The Guardian reported an agent citing a 418-home target and 18 agreed sellers, figures the company has not confirmed. County records show five purchases since Oct. 9.

  • 01Offer letters sent through a local broker condition the sale on a release of all claims in the Haley lawsuit, with prices reportedly keyed to Zillow estimates.
  • 02An agent in Guardian recordings cited a goal of 418 homes and 18 agreed sellers, neither confirmed by the company; county records show five Colonial Hills purchases since October 9.
  • 03Southaven's mayor calls the buyouts voluntary and good corporate citizenship, while renters report 60-day move-out notices after landlords sold.

Oct 28, 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 Demo

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