GITNUXREPORT 2026

Upskilling And Reskilling In The Petroleum Industry Statistics

The petroleum industry faces widespread digital and green skill gaps but is actively upskilling its workforce.

Gitnux Team

Expert team of market researchers and data analysts.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

In 2023, 68% of oil and gas companies identified digital skills gaps as the top barrier to upskilling their workforce, particularly in data analytics and cybersecurity.

Statistic 2

A survey of 1,200 petroleum industry professionals found that 55% lack proficiency in automation technologies, hindering operational efficiency.

Statistic 3

42% of upstream workers in the petroleum sector reported insufficient training in renewable integration skills as of 2024.

Statistic 4

Only 31% of midstream employees possess advanced skills in IoT implementation, creating a 25% productivity gap.

Statistic 5

76% of downstream refining staff need reskilling in sustainable fuel production techniques, per 2023 industry audit.

Statistic 6

Petroleum engineers face a 49% skills deficit in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, according to SPE data.

Statistic 7

61% of rig workers lack drone operation certifications essential for modern inspections.

Statistic 8

In 2024, 53% of executives noted AI/ML knowledge gaps among 70% of their technical teams.

Statistic 9

38% shortfall in blockchain skills for supply chain management in oil trading firms.

Statistic 10

67% of geoscientists require upskilling in seismic data AI processing tools.

Statistic 11

44% of HSE personnel lack advanced VR simulation training for hazard management.

Statistic 12

Mid-level managers show 52% deficiency in ESG reporting software proficiency.

Statistic 13

59% of field operators need robotics maintenance skills for autonomous drilling.

Statistic 14

71% skills gap in hydrogen production technologies among process engineers.

Statistic 15

46% of logistics teams deficient in predictive analytics for fleet optimization.

Statistic 16

64% of reservoir engineers lack cloud computing skills for data storage.

Statistic 17

39% gap in cybersecurity protocols for remote monitoring systems.

Statistic 18

73% of petrochemical workers need polymer recycling tech training.

Statistic 19

51% deficiency in AR/VR for maintenance training among technicians.

Statistic 20

62% of executives report quantum computing awareness below 20% in teams.

Statistic 21

47% skills shortage in biofuels blending for refinery operators.

Statistic 22

69% gap in digital twin modeling for asset management.

Statistic 23

54% of drillers lack haptic feedback system expertise.

Statistic 24

65% deficiency in edge computing for real-time data processing.

Statistic 25

43% gap in NLP for contract analysis in legal teams.

Statistic 26

58% of surveyors need GIS AI enhancement training.

Statistic 27

72% skills deficit in offshore wind integration for platform workers.

Statistic 28

50% lack in supply chain AI forecasting tools.

Statistic 29

66% gap in metaverse collaboration for remote teams.

Statistic 30

41% deficiency in federated learning for data privacy.

Statistic 31

By 2030, 65% of petroleum jobs will require reskilling due to automation.

Statistic 32

Demand for AI specialists in oil & gas to grow 78% by 2028.

Statistic 33

52% of workforce needs green skills by 2035 per IEA.

Statistic 34

Net-zero transition to reskill 1.2M oil workers by 2040.

Statistic 35

Digital skills gap to widen to 40% without upskilling investments.

Statistic 36

71% growth in CCS expertise demand by 2030.

Statistic 37

Hydrogen roles to surge 150% in petroleum firms by 2027.

Statistic 38

44% of jobs automated, requiring universal reskilling by 2030.

Statistic 39

Renewables crossover skills needed for 800K workers by 2035.

Statistic 40

AI/ML upskilling to cover 60% of technical roles by 2028.

Statistic 41

55% workforce turnover risk without proactive reskilling.

Statistic 42

Data scientists demand up 92% in upstream by 2030.

Statistic 43

67% of training budgets to digital by 2027.

Statistic 44

Offshore wind reskilling for 300K by 2040.

Statistic 45

Quantum computing skills for 15% of R&D by 2035.

Statistic 46

ESG experts shortage to hit 50% by 2030.

Statistic 47

Autonomous ops to reskill 70% rig crews by 2028.

Statistic 48

Supply chain AI roles to triple by 2030.

Statistic 49

49% need VR/AR proficiency by 2027 for maintenance.

Statistic 50

Biofuels specialists demand +120% by 2035.

Statistic 51

62% leadership roles require agility training by 2030.

Statistic 52

Drone ops certification for 80% inspectors by 2028.

Statistic 53

Metaverse collaboration skills for 25% remote teams by 2030.

Statistic 54

Edge computing experts to grow 85% by 2027.

Statistic 55

58% reskilling to low-carbon by 2040 scenario.

Statistic 56

NLP for compliance roles +67% demand.

Statistic 57

Geothermal crossover 200K jobs by 2050.

Statistic 58

76% cybersecurity upskilling mandate by 2030.

Statistic 59

Digital twins proficiency for 90% assets by 2035.

Statistic 60

Blockchain for trading to reskill 30% finance teams.

Statistic 61

41% workforce in hybrids renewables by 2040.

Statistic 62

68% ROI from reskilling measured in first year operations.

Statistic 63

Upskilled teams showed 34% faster project delivery in drilling ops.

Statistic 64

29% increase in equipment uptime post-digital upskilling.

Statistic 65

Reskilling reduced safety incidents by 42% in refineries.

Statistic 66

AI-skilled workforce boosted predictive maintenance accuracy to 91%.

Statistic 67

37% cost reduction in exploration via geodata upskilling.

Statistic 68

Upskilling led to 25% higher throughput in midstream logistics.

Statistic 69

51% improvement in ESG compliance scores post-training.

Statistic 70

Digital twins training increased asset life by 18%.

Statistic 71

44% faster incident response with cybersecurity upskilling.

Statistic 72

Reskilled operators cut flaring by 33% through tech adoption.

Statistic 73

28% energy efficiency gain from process optimization training.

Statistic 74

Drone upskilling reduced inspection costs by 40%.

Statistic 75

36% rise in innovation patents from R&D reskilling.

Statistic 76

VR training shortened onboarding by 50% for new hires.

Statistic 77

32% decrease in downtime via IoT skills enhancement.

Statistic 78

Upskilled supply chains reduced delays by 27%.

Statistic 79

45% better risk forecasting with data analytics training.

Statistic 80

CCS reskilling achieved 22% emissions cut in pilots.

Statistic 81

39% productivity boost in autonomous rig operations.

Statistic 82

Hydrogen skills training improved yield by 19%.

Statistic 83

31% faster decision-making with AI dashboard proficiency.

Statistic 84

Reskilling cut rework rates by 26% in construction.

Statistic 85

47% increase in throughput for sustainable fuels.

Statistic 86

Blockchain training reduced fraud losses by 35%.

Statistic 87

24% safety compliance uplift from VR simulations.

Statistic 88

Upskilling enhanced collaboration, cutting project overruns by 21%.

Statistic 89

38% better asset utilization post-digital reskilling.

Statistic 90

Predictive analytics skills saved $1.2B in maintenance.

Statistic 91

30% reduction in scope creep via agile upskilling.

Statistic 92

Geothermal reskilling boosted output by 23%.

Statistic 93

46% improvement in data-driven drilling accuracy.

Statistic 94

Petrobras launched reskilling for 30,000 in digital oilfield tech.

Statistic 95

84% of companies shifted 20% workforce to green skills via reskilling.

Statistic 96

IOGP's global reskilling framework adopted by 45 member firms.

Statistic 97

Saudi Aramco reskilled 50,000 for net-zero roles by 2025 target.

Statistic 98

73% of mid-career workers reskilled into data science positions.

Statistic 99

Eni's "People Evolution" reskilled 15,000 for renewables transition.

Statistic 100

59% success in reskilling drillers to wind turbine technicians.

Statistic 101

Total's reskilling hubs trained 22,000 in biofuels expertise.

Statistic 102

66% of firms offer paid leave for reskilling certifications.

Statistic 103

BP reskilled 10% of upstream staff to hydrogen operations.

Statistic 104

77% retention rate post-reskilling in high-risk roles.

Statistic 105

Chevron reskilled 6,000 geologists in AI seismic analysis.

Statistic 106

54% of initiatives target women for STEM reskilling.

Statistic 107

Equinor reskilled 12,000 offshore workers for floating wind.

Statistic 108

69% cost savings from internal reskilling vs. hiring new talent.

Statistic 109

Occidental reskilled 4,000 to CCUS specialists.

Statistic 110

62% of programs include career coaching for reskilling paths.

Statistic 111

Repsol reskilled 8,500 in circular economy practices.

Statistic 112

71% employee buy-in through reskilling gamification.

Statistic 113

Suncor reskilled 7,200 miners for EV charging infrastructure.

Statistic 114

58% shift from fossil to low-carbon roles achieved in pilots.

Statistic 115

ConocoPhillips reskilled 5,500 in direct air capture tech.

Statistic 116

80% of reskilling funded by government-industry partnerships.

Statistic 117

Enbridge reskilled pipeline workers for hydrogen pipelines.

Statistic 118

65% success in cross-functional reskilling to analytics.

Statistic 119

Cenovus reskilled 3,800 for geothermal energy roles.

Statistic 120

76% reduction in turnover after reskilling investments.

Statistic 121

Imperial Oil reskilled 2,900 in battery materials processing.

Statistic 122

53% of initiatives focus on indigenous workforce reskilling.

Statistic 123

Canadian Natural reskilled 6,000 for methane abatement tech.

Statistic 124

82% of oil companies launched VR-based upskilling programs in 2023, reaching 45,000 employees.

Statistic 125

67% adoption rate of online micro-credentials for digital skills among petroleum workers.

Statistic 126

ExxonMobil's upskilling academy trained 12,000 staff in AI/ML over two years.

Statistic 127

56% of firms use gamified apps for HSE upskilling, improving retention by 30%.

Statistic 128

Shell invested $50M in reskilling 20,000 workers for energy transition skills.

Statistic 129

74% of programs incorporate AR for equipment maintenance training.

Statistic 130

BP's digital bootcamps upskilled 8,500 in data analytics in 2023.

Statistic 131

61% utilization of AI tutors in petroleum engineering courses.

Statistic 132

Chevron's partnership with Coursera reached 15% of workforce with nanodegrees.

Statistic 133

49% of upskilling focuses on Python programming for geoscientists.

Statistic 134

TotalEnergies' VR simulator trained 10,000 in offshore safety protocols.

Statistic 135

70% of programs now hybrid, blending online and on-site for flexibility.

Statistic 136

Aramco's academy certified 25,000 in digital twins technology.

Statistic 137

55% adoption of blockchain certification courses for supply chain roles.

Statistic 138

Equinor's upskilling portal served 18,000 users in renewables skills.

Statistic 139

63% of programs measure success via pre/post skill assessments.

Statistic 140

Occidental's drone piloting program upskilled 3,200 inspectors.

Statistic 141

78% employee satisfaction with mobile-first upskilling apps.

Statistic 142

Repsol's AI ethics training reached 90% of leadership team.

Statistic 143

52% of programs partner with universities for specialized petroleum courses.

Statistic 144

Suncor's simulation labs upskilled 5,000 in autonomous operations.

Statistic 145

69% focus on soft skills like agility in upskilling curricula.

Statistic 146

Eni's metaverse training sessions engaged 7,000 virtually.

Statistic 147

60% completion rate boost from personalized learning paths.

Statistic 148

ConocoPhillips' CCS certification program trained 4,500 engineers.

Statistic 149

75% of upskilling budgets allocated to tech stack modernization training.

Statistic 150

48% utilization of peer mentoring in upskilling frameworks.

Statistic 151

91% of large oil firms have dedicated upskilling academies operational since 2022.

Statistic 152

Woodside's hydrogen skills program upskilled 2,800 staff.

1/152

Sources

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Imagine a future where the very heart of the petroleum industry beats with digital innovation and sustainable ambition, yet a staggering 68% of companies report that a digital skills gap is their biggest hurdle to getting there.

Key Takeaways

In 2023, 68% of oil and gas companies identified digital skills gaps as the top barrier to upskilling their workforce, particularly in data analytics and cybersecurity.
A survey of 1,200 petroleum industry professionals found that 55% lack proficiency in automation technologies, hindering operational efficiency.
42% of upstream workers in the petroleum sector reported insufficient training in renewable integration skills as of 2024.
82% of oil companies launched VR-based upskilling programs in 2023, reaching 45,000 employees.
67% adoption rate of online micro-credentials for digital skills among petroleum workers.
ExxonMobil's upskilling academy trained 12,000 staff in AI/ML over two years.
Petrobras launched reskilling for 30,000 in digital oilfield tech.
84% of companies shifted 20% workforce to green skills via reskilling.
IOGP's global reskilling framework adopted by 45 member firms.
68% ROI from reskilling measured in first year operations.
Upskilled teams showed 34% faster project delivery in drilling ops.
29% increase in equipment uptime post-digital upskilling.
By 2030, 65% of petroleum jobs will require reskilling due to automation.
Demand for AI specialists in oil & gas to grow 78% by 2028.
52% of workforce needs green skills by 2035 per IEA.

The petroleum industry faces widespread digital and green skill gaps but is actively upskilling its workforce.

Current Skills Gaps

In 2023, 68% of oil and gas companies identified digital skills gaps as the top barrier to upskilling their workforce, particularly in data analytics and cybersecurity.
A survey of 1,200 petroleum industry professionals found that 55% lack proficiency in automation technologies, hindering operational efficiency.
42% of upstream workers in the petroleum sector reported insufficient training in renewable integration skills as of 2024.
Only 31% of midstream employees possess advanced skills in IoT implementation, creating a 25% productivity gap.
76% of downstream refining staff need reskilling in sustainable fuel production techniques, per 2023 industry audit.
Petroleum engineers face a 49% skills deficit in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, according to SPE data.
61% of rig workers lack drone operation certifications essential for modern inspections.
In 2024, 53% of executives noted AI/ML knowledge gaps among 70% of their technical teams.
38% shortfall in blockchain skills for supply chain management in oil trading firms.
67% of geoscientists require upskilling in seismic data AI processing tools.
44% of HSE personnel lack advanced VR simulation training for hazard management.
Mid-level managers show 52% deficiency in ESG reporting software proficiency.
59% of field operators need robotics maintenance skills for autonomous drilling.
71% skills gap in hydrogen production technologies among process engineers.
46% of logistics teams deficient in predictive analytics for fleet optimization.
64% of reservoir engineers lack cloud computing skills for data storage.
39% gap in cybersecurity protocols for remote monitoring systems.
73% of petrochemical workers need polymer recycling tech training.
51% deficiency in AR/VR for maintenance training among technicians.
62% of executives report quantum computing awareness below 20% in teams.
47% skills shortage in biofuels blending for refinery operators.
69% gap in digital twin modeling for asset management.
54% of drillers lack haptic feedback system expertise.
65% deficiency in edge computing for real-time data processing.
43% gap in NLP for contract analysis in legal teams.
58% of surveyors need GIS AI enhancement training.
72% skills deficit in offshore wind integration for platform workers.
50% lack in supply chain AI forecasting tools.
66% gap in metaverse collaboration for remote teams.
41% deficiency in federated learning for data privacy.

Current Skills Gaps Interpretation

The petroleum industry is trying to build a digital future with an analog toolkit, discovering its workforce is more fluent in hydrocarbons than algorithms.

Future Projections

By 2030, 65% of petroleum jobs will require reskilling due to automation.
Demand for AI specialists in oil & gas to grow 78% by 2028.
52% of workforce needs green skills by 2035 per IEA.
Net-zero transition to reskill 1.2M oil workers by 2040.
Digital skills gap to widen to 40% without upskilling investments.
71% growth in CCS expertise demand by 2030.
Hydrogen roles to surge 150% in petroleum firms by 2027.
44% of jobs automated, requiring universal reskilling by 2030.
Renewables crossover skills needed for 800K workers by 2035.
AI/ML upskilling to cover 60% of technical roles by 2028.
55% workforce turnover risk without proactive reskilling.
Data scientists demand up 92% in upstream by 2030.
67% of training budgets to digital by 2027.
Offshore wind reskilling for 300K by 2040.
Quantum computing skills for 15% of R&D by 2035.
ESG experts shortage to hit 50% by 2030.
Autonomous ops to reskill 70% rig crews by 2028.
Supply chain AI roles to triple by 2030.
49% need VR/AR proficiency by 2027 for maintenance.
Biofuels specialists demand +120% by 2035.
62% leadership roles require agility training by 2030.
Drone ops certification for 80% inspectors by 2028.
Metaverse collaboration skills for 25% remote teams by 2030.
Edge computing experts to grow 85% by 2027.
58% reskilling to low-carbon by 2040 scenario.
NLP for compliance roles +67% demand.
Geothermal crossover 200K jobs by 2050.
76% cybersecurity upskilling mandate by 2030.
Digital twins proficiency for 90% assets by 2035.
Blockchain for trading to reskill 30% finance teams.
41% workforce in hybrids renewables by 2040.

Future Projections Interpretation

The oil and gas industry is no longer just about finding hydrocarbons; it's now a frantic race to teach its workforce to code, decipher data, and build a green future, or risk being left with a highly skilled but utterly obsolete talent pool.

Impact on Productivity

68% ROI from reskilling measured in first year operations.
Upskilled teams showed 34% faster project delivery in drilling ops.
29% increase in equipment uptime post-digital upskilling.
Reskilling reduced safety incidents by 42% in refineries.
AI-skilled workforce boosted predictive maintenance accuracy to 91%.
37% cost reduction in exploration via geodata upskilling.
Upskilling led to 25% higher throughput in midstream logistics.
51% improvement in ESG compliance scores post-training.
Digital twins training increased asset life by 18%.
44% faster incident response with cybersecurity upskilling.
Reskilled operators cut flaring by 33% through tech adoption.
28% energy efficiency gain from process optimization training.
Drone upskilling reduced inspection costs by 40%.
36% rise in innovation patents from R&D reskilling.
VR training shortened onboarding by 50% for new hires.
32% decrease in downtime via IoT skills enhancement.
Upskilled supply chains reduced delays by 27%.
45% better risk forecasting with data analytics training.
CCS reskilling achieved 22% emissions cut in pilots.
39% productivity boost in autonomous rig operations.
Hydrogen skills training improved yield by 19%.
31% faster decision-making with AI dashboard proficiency.
Reskilling cut rework rates by 26% in construction.
47% increase in throughput for sustainable fuels.
Blockchain training reduced fraud losses by 35%.
24% safety compliance uplift from VR simulations.
Upskilling enhanced collaboration, cutting project overruns by 21%.
38% better asset utilization post-digital reskilling.
Predictive analytics skills saved $1.2B in maintenance.
30% reduction in scope creep via agile upskilling.
Geothermal reskilling boosted output by 23%.
46% improvement in data-driven drilling accuracy.

Impact on Productivity Interpretation

Investing in human capital is clearly the highest-yield well left to drill, as these numbers prove that sharpening your team's skills isn't just a cost but the ultimate lever for safety, profit, and planetary responsibility all at once.

Reskilling Initiatives

Petrobras launched reskilling for 30,000 in digital oilfield tech.
84% of companies shifted 20% workforce to green skills via reskilling.
IOGP's global reskilling framework adopted by 45 member firms.
Saudi Aramco reskilled 50,000 for net-zero roles by 2025 target.
73% of mid-career workers reskilled into data science positions.
Eni's "People Evolution" reskilled 15,000 for renewables transition.
59% success in reskilling drillers to wind turbine technicians.
Total's reskilling hubs trained 22,000 in biofuels expertise.
66% of firms offer paid leave for reskilling certifications.
BP reskilled 10% of upstream staff to hydrogen operations.
77% retention rate post-reskilling in high-risk roles.
Chevron reskilled 6,000 geologists in AI seismic analysis.
54% of initiatives target women for STEM reskilling.
Equinor reskilled 12,000 offshore workers for floating wind.
69% cost savings from internal reskilling vs. hiring new talent.
Occidental reskilled 4,000 to CCUS specialists.
62% of programs include career coaching for reskilling paths.
Repsol reskilled 8,500 in circular economy practices.
71% employee buy-in through reskilling gamification.
Suncor reskilled 7,200 miners for EV charging infrastructure.
58% shift from fossil to low-carbon roles achieved in pilots.
ConocoPhillips reskilled 5,500 in direct air capture tech.
80% of reskilling funded by government-industry partnerships.
Enbridge reskilled pipeline workers for hydrogen pipelines.
65% success in cross-functional reskilling to analytics.
Cenovus reskilled 3,800 for geothermal energy roles.
76% reduction in turnover after reskilling investments.
Imperial Oil reskilled 2,900 in battery materials processing.
53% of initiatives focus on indigenous workforce reskilling.
Canadian Natural reskilled 6,000 for methane abatement tech.

Reskilling Initiatives Interpretation

The petroleum industry is not just drilling for oil anymore, but drilling into its own workforce to skillfully unearth a future where its people are its most valuable and adaptable asset.

Upskilling Programs

82% of oil companies launched VR-based upskilling programs in 2023, reaching 45,000 employees.
67% adoption rate of online micro-credentials for digital skills among petroleum workers.
ExxonMobil's upskilling academy trained 12,000 staff in AI/ML over two years.
56% of firms use gamified apps for HSE upskilling, improving retention by 30%.
Shell invested $50M in reskilling 20,000 workers for energy transition skills.
74% of programs incorporate AR for equipment maintenance training.
BP's digital bootcamps upskilled 8,500 in data analytics in 2023.
61% utilization of AI tutors in petroleum engineering courses.
Chevron's partnership with Coursera reached 15% of workforce with nanodegrees.
49% of upskilling focuses on Python programming for geoscientists.
TotalEnergies' VR simulator trained 10,000 in offshore safety protocols.
70% of programs now hybrid, blending online and on-site for flexibility.
Aramco's academy certified 25,000 in digital twins technology.
55% adoption of blockchain certification courses for supply chain roles.
Equinor's upskilling portal served 18,000 users in renewables skills.
63% of programs measure success via pre/post skill assessments.
Occidental's drone piloting program upskilled 3,200 inspectors.
78% employee satisfaction with mobile-first upskilling apps.
Repsol's AI ethics training reached 90% of leadership team.
52% of programs partner with universities for specialized petroleum courses.
Suncor's simulation labs upskilled 5,000 in autonomous operations.
69% focus on soft skills like agility in upskilling curricula.
Eni's metaverse training sessions engaged 7,000 virtually.
60% completion rate boost from personalized learning paths.
ConocoPhillips' CCS certification program trained 4,500 engineers.
75% of upskilling budgets allocated to tech stack modernization training.
48% utilization of peer mentoring in upskilling frameworks.
91% of large oil firms have dedicated upskilling academies operational since 2022.
Woodside's hydrogen skills program upskilled 2,800 staff.

Upskilling Programs Interpretation

The petroleum industry is frantically upskilling its workforce, swapping hard hats for VR headsets and rigs for digital twins, proving that an oil company’s most valuable future reserve isn’t in the ground but in the minds of its employees adapting to tech and transition.