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ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) has urged the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D technologies in oil reservoir management.
This appeal was articulated in a communiqué released during the 60th Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE), which focused on the transformation of the mineral, energy, water, and construction sectors through innovative approaches.
The communiqué, endorsed by NMGS President, Prof. Akinade Olatunji, was made public on Friday in Abuja.
NMGS highlighted the necessity for innovative solutions for reservoir monitoring, including machine learning and improved oil recovery techniques grounded in geological insights.
The society stated, “Local innovative approaches such as imaging, high-resolution 3D, and time-lapse 4D for reservoir monitoring, as well as machine learning and enhanced oil recovery strategies utilizing geological knowledge, ought to be embraced.”
It criticized the underutilization of domestic technical innovations, despite them meeting global standards, which has led to an ongoing reliance on foreign expertise. This dependency, it was noted, has impeded the success of local firms and their capacity to compete on a global scale.
NMGS pinpointed insufficient geological data as a significant obstacle in managing Nigeria's mineral resources, calling for a collaborative effort among government, academia, and industry to compile geological data into a single, consistently updated repository.
It also highlighted the absence of cooperation among key stakeholders, resulting in a technical knowledge gap, and urged increased partnerships between local and international development organizations.
Furthermore, the society recommended establishing engineering geological laboratories to mitigate the shortage of geoscientific applications in the construction industry, which has contributed to structural failures and loss of lives.
NMGS also brought attention to the insufficient infrastructure and high operating costs in the minerals sector, which have led to expensive energy alternatives and diminished profit margins. To address this, it advocated for improvements in power supply and enhancing local value addition to minerals through infrastructural advancements.
Additionally, the society stressed the need for sustainable policies in the mining sector, noting that inconsistent policies and abandoned programs have created uncertainty, undermined investor confidence, and stalled growth. It called for ongoing policy implementation to foster effective mining practices.
In response to the insecurity impacting the mineral sector, NMGS underscored the urgency of addressing socio-economic conflicts that drive illegal mining, banditry, and other security issues in mining areas. It pointed out that insecurity has caused interruptions in mining operations, loss of investors, revenue decline, and casualties.
Recketparrot News report that the conference, which took place from February 16 to 21, included sub-themes such as resource management and value addition in the minerals and mining industry, as well as maximizing the advantages of Nigeria’s water resources.
Other sub-themes covered managing emerging realities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, optimizing geoscience applications in construction, and realigning geoscience and mining education with global trends.
Rocketparrot News also learnt that over 1,000 participants attended, including students who competed in an Inter-varsity Geoscience Challenge Bowl, with the University of Jos clinching the top prize of N1 million.
