Halliburton Turns to Cloud-based Analytics and Digital Technologies as Oil Struggles to Rebound

Following Halliburton’s Q2 2020 earning call, where the company fully commits to its strategy of improving innovative customer solutions through digital technology and concentrating on international markets entering Q3; Effuah Alleyne, Senior Oil & Gas Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“Halliburton has been hardest hit in its North and Latin American (LATAM) markets, which represented a 53 percent decline in revenue over Q1 – compared to the company’s international market, which only saw a 13 percent revenue decline. It is, therefore, no surprise that stabilization efforts focus outside those regions. While the U.S. and LATAM had reduced drilling activity and pressure pumping, internationally, Halliburton saw an uptick in completion tool sales and drilling activity in a number of countries such as China and Kuwait.

“Halliburton executives continue to work towards a target of US$1bn in cost reductions with 75 percent reached by end of Q2. The main linchpin in its strategy is offering operators cost savings through improved efficiencies offered by an investment in digital technologies. The company’s announcement of a five-year agreement with Microsoft and Accenture continues to double down on digital technology.

“Since drilling activity is down, operators are likely to turn their focus on improving completion and evaluation techniques. However, although Halliburton remains optimistic on its ability to adapt and rebound, the market remains uncertain. The company still has to contend with some very real factors, including the scalability and reproducibility of implementing digital solutions, adoption of solutions by clients and overall depressed opportunities in the market resulting from decreased global oil and gas demand. Halliburton may have mitigated haemorrhaging, but it is unclear whether that is enough in this ‘new normal’.”