AI Sharpens Refinery Profits and Trims Emissions

Applied Computing’s Orbital platform trims refinery energy use by 10%, with Middle East adoption expected to follow.

18 Jul 2025

Oil refineries are finding new ways to cut costs and emissions without adding new pipes or machinery. Artificial intelligence is helping operators optimise energy use, and early results suggest the savings can be substantial.

Leading the charge is Applied Computing’s Orbital platform, recently tested at one of the world’s largest refineries. By analysing real-time plant data and suggesting rapid process adjustments, the system cut energy use by up to 10%. That translates to millions of dollars saved each year, alongside reductions in emissions.

“This is by far the most advanced AI model I’ve seen for industrial environments,” said Dan Jeavons, president of Applied Computing, earlier this month. “Orbital delivers precision, speed, and impact without relying on hype.”

So far, most success has come from deployments outside the Gulf. But analysts expect Middle Eastern refineries, many of them vast and energy-intensive, to adopt such technologies soon. Global suppliers like Honeywell and AVEVA are already expanding AI offerings in the region, encouraged by government targets for lower emissions and higher efficiency.

Integrating AI into older legacy systems remains a challenge. So does retraining refinery workers to work alongside digital tools. Yet the incentives are growing, especially as the refining sector faces shrinking margins and growing scrutiny over carbon footprints.

AI may not overhaul how oil is processed but it is likely to become a quiet force behind the scenes, keeping refineries leaner and cleaner, one algorithm at a time.