Rock 360 Shows AI System for Analysing Drill Cuttings at ADIPEC 2026

The system combines hyperspectral imaging, X-ray fluorescence and drilling data with machine learning to characterise oil and gas reservoirs while wells are being drilled.

By Nakoda News Desk

3 days ago·1 min read

Prefer Nakoda News on Google

Rock 360 presented its AI-based drill cuttings analysis system at ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi.Photo: وكالة أنباء الإمارات / Handout

Rock 360 used ADIPEC 2026 in Abu Dhabi to show a system that analyses rock cuttings from oil and gas wells using multispectral imaging, geochemical analysis and artificial intelligence, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. According to WAM, the company says the system is based on US-patented innovations and is intended to improve understanding of hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Ahmed Hany El Gamal, a geoscience researcher at Stanford University who leads the project's research and technology work, presented the system. He said it addresses how little information operators usually get from cuttings during drilling.

How It Works

The system combines hyperspectral digital imaging and X-ray fluorescence with drilling data. El Gamal said this produces a multi-dimensional profile of each sample, giving more information than any single instrument.

He said the company's strategy, led by chief executive Nizar Shalaby, centres on training AI and machine learning models on reference data so they can predict the properties of new samples. According to El Gamal, preliminary results showed more accurate estimates. The research is also being extended to study the internal structure of rocks with computed tomography scanning.

WAM said the platform uses engineering innovations to collect and analyse samples automatically. The aim is to move beyond conventional measurement methods and build models that capture the complex relationships between a rock's mineral and chemical composition and its physical properties.

The company did not give commercial details such as pricing, customers or deployment timelines, and its accuracy claims have not been independently verified.

Context

The launch is one of many AI applications on show at this year's ADIPEC, where AI in upstream operations has been a recurring theme. Tools that pull more information from cuttings could help operators make faster decisions about well placement and reservoir quality without extra coring or logging runs. However, field results on Rock 360's system have not yet been published.