how APOLO helps chevron pinpoint prime drilling locations

The Permian Basin—a vast stretch of West Texas and southeast New Mexico—is home to tens of thousands of wells. And each one is unique.

“They have different geology, different depletion and different well designs,” explained Robert Andrais, a digital reservoir engineer. “It’s hard for a person to go through and analyze those factors quickly. That’s where APOLO comes in.”

Formally known as the Automated Production Outlook and Location Optimization, APOLO is a digital learning system that ingests millions of data points from shale and tight assets to rapidly generate standardized production forecasts. In the future, it’s expected to be capable of recommending optimal production strategies.

Traditional methods of assessing the potential of drilling sites often rely on generalized models. This approach overlooks local geological variations that influence well performance.

Chevron’s APOLO platform is different.

By using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze relationships among numerous subsurface variables among thousands of wells, APOLO delivers forecasts that are not only more accurate but also explainable. This gives engineers a clearer understanding of the factors that drive well performance.

“Instead of cookie-cutter predictions and outlines that are hard to read, APOLO shows us a clear picture of what to expect,” Andrais said.

APOLO helps engineers make better decisions about where to drill and how to design wells. It shows how changes in spacing, proppant and fluid use may affect production. And it learns over time, so it can simulate different designs in different spots—aiming to make future development faster and more accurate.

In the Permian and DJ basins, APOLO is helping teams predict well performance.

APOLO’s insights result in:

• An enhanced way of working that optimizes profitability as quickly as possible.
• A more resilient portfolio.
• Standardization, speed, and increased accuracy of forecasts.

Chevron is transforming shale and tight development through advanced technologies including AI.

Chevron plans to extend APOLO’s capabilities across its global shale and tight assets, with a focus on AI-driven reservoir modeling and the expansion of optimization capabilities.

“APOLO is a capital efficiency engine,” Andrais said. “It’s helping us do more with less—faster than before.”