Introduction

As the world’s largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger has played an integral role in technological innovation in the oil and gas industry for nearly a century. From its beginnings conducting electrical surveys for oil exploration to today’s digitally-driven solutions, Schlumberger has cemented its status as an industry pioneer. Its global footprint, breadth of services, and commitment to R&D have enabled Schlumberger to become a leader across the entire upstream oil and gas value chain. This article will provide an overview of Schlumberger’s history, key business segments, global operations, and some of its most important technological contributions.

History and Overview

The origins of Schlumberger can be traced back to 1926 when brothers Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger established an electrical prospecting company in France. Realizing that electrical measurements could inform subsurface geological mapping, the brothers pioneered the use of resistivity measurements in oil exploration. After expanding to North and South America, the company was officially incorporated in the US as Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporation in 1941.

Building on its expertise in subsurface characterization, the company began providing additional oilfield services in the 1950s, including drill stem testing. Schlumberger helped pioneer offshore exploration starting in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s and in the North Sea in the 1960s. The 1960s also saw Schlumberger become the first service company to start providing computerized interpretation of wireline data.

Continued overseas expansion and acquisitions to broaden its expertise helped Schlumberger grow substantially through the 1970s. By the 1990s, Schlumberger had established itself as an industry leader across the full range of oilfield services including seismic, drilling, formation evaluation, and directional drilling. The company also led advancements in intelligent completions technology starting in the 1990s.

Today, Schlumberger employs over 100,000 people representing over 160 nationalities working in more than 120 countries. From advanced seismic imaging to integrated drilling solutions, Schlumberger is now the leading global provider of technology across the upstream oil and gas value chain.

Key Business Segments

Schlumberger operates through four primary business segments:

• Digital & Integration – Focuses on digital solutions for optimization and automation through domain expertise, software, and digital systems integration
• Reservoir Performance – Provides services and technologies for characterizing subsurface formations including seismic acquisition and processing, formation evaluation, and well testing
• Well Construction – Supports the construction and completion phases of oil and gas wells including drilling services, drill bits, completions technology, and well intervention
• Production Systems – Offers production-related technologies and services for both offshore and land operations including artificial lift systems, distributed remote asset management, and processing solutions

Global Operations

With major manufacturing operations and research centers located in 24 countries, Schlumberger supports oil and gas operations globally:

• North America – Headquarters in Houston, Texas and major operations in US, Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico
• Latin America – Large presence across Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela
• Europe/CIS/Africa – Operations across the North Sea, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean
• Middle East & Asia – Services in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Australia

The company’s network of remote collaboration centers enables real-time expert support for oilfield operations worldwide.

Technological Innovation

As an innovation pioneer, some of Schlumberger’s key technological contributions include:

• Electrical Logging – Developed the first practical resistivity logging tools in the late 1920s, introducing electrical well logging for oil exploration.
• Offshore Exploration – Helped develop the technology enabling offshore oil exploration starting in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s.
• Digital Processing – First company to apply digital processing to well logging data in 1969, digitizing wireline interpretation.
• Steerable Drilling – Pioneered steerable motor technology in the 1980s, enabling directional control during the drilling process.
• LWD/MWD – Introduced measurement/logging-while-drilling capabilities in the 1990s, enabling access to downhole data during drilling.
• Seismic Imaging – Developed WesternGeco seismic imaging techniques that revolutionized 3D visualization of complex oil/gas reservoirs.
• Digital Oilfield – Created Sensia, the first fully integrated digital oilfield automation and optimization service linking surface and downhole operations.

Conclusion

From its early electrical surveys to today’s digitally networked oilfields, Schlumberger has consistently set the standard for innovation in upstream oil and gas technology. Its unparalleled domain expertise across the breadth of oilfield activities paired with its pioneering spirit ensure that Schlumberger is poised to continue providing the critical innovations needed to supply the world with affordable energy. As the industry evolves, so will Schlumberger, leading the way in efficient and responsible resource discovery and extraction.