Webinar on “Artificial Intelligence in the Oil Industry” Conducted for Mechanical Engineering Students

The Department of Mechanical Engineering, in association with the ISTE Student Chapter, Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC), and Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC), organized an online webinar titled “Artificial Intelligence in the Oil Industry: MRPL’s Journey in Developing In-House AI Solutions for Reliability, Energy Efficiency and Process Optimization” on 06 February 2026.

The session was delivered by S. Nirmalganesh, who shared valuable insights into the practical applications of Artificial Intelligence in refinery operations. The webinar highlighted MRPL’s in-house AI initiatives aimed at improving plant reliability, energy efficiency, and process optimization in the oil and gas industry.

During the session, the speaker discussed key applications such as predictive maintenance, equipment health monitoring, energy optimization, and real-time process analytics. He also explained the challenges involved in implementing AI solutions, including issues related to data quality, integration with legacy systems, and organizational change management, along with the strategies adopted to address them.

Real-world case studies from MRPL demonstrated how AI-driven solutions have contributed to reducing downtime, improving plant reliability, and optimizing energy consumption. The session also emphasized the importance of combining domain expertise with data science skills for successful AI implementation in industrial environments.

Around 21 third-year Mechanical Engineering students participated in the program and gained valuable exposure to industry-oriented AI applications and emerging career opportunities in AI-enabled industrial sectors.