Chevron and Honeywell Team Up to Boost Refining Efficiency With AI

Chevron Corporation CVX and Honeywell International Inc. HON recently announced a strategic collaboration to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted solutions aimed at enhancing efficiency, productivity and safety within industrial automation. This partnership represents a significant move toward optimizing refining processes and addressing industry challenges through AI. These solutions will empower operators by offering advanced alarm management, operator guidance and real-time decision-making support, helping both companies to stay at the forefront of automation innovation. Leveraging AI to Optimize Industrial AutomationIn a world where autonomous operations are increasingly becoming the norm, California-based integrated oil and gas company and HON's teamwork highlights the critical role of AI technology in transforming industrial processes. AI-assisted solutions will help operators improve decision making, reduce process safety incidents and minimize lost profit opportunities.HON's Alarm Guidance application is central to these innovations. By mining historical data, the system will identify patterns of alarms and operator actions, providing guided steps to return the process to normal operation. This is important for industrial assets, where downtime can have costly consequences. How AI Will Enhance Operator PerformanceA core component of this collaboration is improving operator performance. By utilizing AI-assisted automation, CVX and HON are enhancing operators' abilities to make more informed decisions. AI will sift through operational data, offering actionable insights that not only improve plant performance but also optimize productivity. These solutions also capture institutional knowledge, helping the next generation of operators overcome workforce shortages by accelerating the learning curve.Reducing Risk and Improving EfficiencyA key highlight of this partnership is the focus on AI-assisted alarm management. With industrial processes becoming increasingly complex, the volume of alarms that operators need to manage has skyrocketed. The collaboration’s AI solutions will analyze historical alarm data, providing operators with guided actions that improve efficiency, safety and reliability. By reducing alarm fatigue, operators can focus on the most critical issues, leading to faster response times and fewer process disruptions.Real-World Impact on Refining ProcessesThe refining industry faces unique challenges, including fluctuating market demand, safety concerns and the need for continuous optimization of processes. By integrating AI into refining operations, CVX and HON are ensuring that its systems can adapt in real time to changing conditions. AI-enabled alarm management systems will help mitigate risks, minimize downtime and optimize overall refining efficiency.In addition, these systems will provide data-driven insights, helping CVX's operators better understand how past actions impacted operations. This ability to learn from past data is crucial in making smarter decisions and improving process reliability. HON's Experion DCS: A Future-Ready SolutionAnother essential part of this collaboration is the integration of AI into HON's Experion Distributed Control System (“DCS”). This next-generation system will enable CVX's operators to leverage AI technology directly within the control room, allowing for future-ready operational strategies. By incorporating AI into the DCS, operators will gain real-time insights that will help in informed decision making and optimizing workflows. This not only enhances operational safety but also upskill the workforce, aligning with HON's vision of digital transformation and automation. Addressing Industry Challenges Through AI-Driven AutomationThe global industrial sector faces numerous challenges, from an aging workforce to complex operational environments. With the introduction of AI-driven automation, CVX and HON aim to solve these challenges by optimizing systems and ensuring safety. Operators will benefit from automated workflows, reduced manual intervention and a faster response to alarm events with AI-enabled decision support.This alignment with three powerful megatrends—automation, workforce optimization and digitalization—highlights HON's broader strategy to stay ahead in an evolving market. AI-assisted automation solutions will capture knowledge from experienced operators, thus making this expertise readily available for future operations, even as industries experience workforce transitions. Co-Innovation: Shaping the Future of Industrial AutomationThe CVX-HON collaboration signals a significant advancement in industrial automation. By co-innovating solutions that integrate AI, both companies are addressing current industry challenges while laying the groundwork for future advancements. The collaboration is set to drive efficiency gains, improve process safety and ensure reliability across refining operations.In addition, this partnership highlights the long-term potential of AI in industrial environments. As the collaboration evolves, we can expect CVX and HON to continue setting new benchmarks for innovation in the industry.Overall, the partnership between CVX and HON represents a significant advancement in AI-assisted automation for industrial operations. By focusing on alarm management, operator guidance and data-driven decision making, the companies aim to enhance refining processes, safety and efficiency. This collaboration not only addresses key challenges like workforce shortages and process optimization but also positions both companies as leaders in the evolving landscape of autonomous operations, ensuring its competitiveness for years to come. Zacks Rank & Key PicksCurrently, CVX and HON have a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Investors interested in the energy sector might look at some better-ranked stocks like TechnipFMC plc  FTI, which sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Vaalco Energy, Inc. EGY, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks hereTechnipFMC is valued at $11.24 billion. In the past year, its shares have risen 37.9%. FTI is a leading manufacturer and supplier of products, services and fully integrated technology solutions for the energy industry.Houston, TX-based Vaalco Energy is valued at $595.49 million. The oil and gas exploration and production company currently pays a dividend of 25 cents per share, or 4.36%, on an annual basis. EGY is an independent energy company principally engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.7% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Chevron Corporation (CVX): Free Stock Analysis Report Honeywell International Inc. (HON): Free Stock Analysis Report TechnipFMC plc (FTI): Free Stock Analysis Report Vaalco Energy Inc (EGY): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks