Halliburton and Sumitomo Corporation have announced that Halliburton acquired Sekal AS. Sekal is a global leader in digital drilling autonomy and, prior to Halliburton’s acquisition, was a fully owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation.

The successful conclusion of the transaction marks a significant milestone for Halliburton, Sekal, and Sumitomo Corporation. Sumitomo Corporation supported Sekal’s growth, strengthened governance, and positioned the company for its next phase of evolution. This acquisition advances Halliburton’s strategy to strengthen its drilling automation services and maximize customer asset value.

The acquisition combines Halliburton’s LOGIX® automation and remote operations with Sekal’s advanced DrillTronics® automation platform and services to deliver a comprehensive and industry-leading drilling automation portfolio. The combination of these solutions with Halliburton’s LOGIX® Automated Geosteering service unlocks the potential to further increase reservoir contact in the most consistent and efficient manner. This integration supports seamless automated control and optimization of drilling operations, integrating well placement, wellbore hydraulics, and rig operations in real time.

“This acquisition rapidly expands our automation capabilities and delivers industry-leading digital solutions that lower well construction costs, increase recovery, and reduce operational risks for our customers,” said Jim Collins, vice president, Halliburton Sperry Drilling. “By bringing together our field-proven technologies, we unlock the full potential of digital well construction and set a new standard for automated drilling operations.”

Jarle Vaag, Sekal CEO, added, “Joining Halliburton is a natural evolution for Sekal. The team at Sekal has worked closely with our clients providing our technology and services to the industry regardless of the service providers. While we will continue to support this market, the opportunity with the combined expertise of Halliburton and Sekal to advance our technical capability and accelerate the adoption of digitally integrated well construction will deliver a unique automation solution to our new and existing customers worldwide.”

“To date, Sekal’s solutions have been deployed in more than 1,300 wells worldwide. This transaction underscores the continued collaboration between Sumitomo Corporation and Halliburton to further deepen our relationship, including in the digital domain, create long-term value, and support the development of the global energy sector,” said Masahiro Yoshimura, general manager of the Energy Tubular Strategic Business Unit, Sumitomo Corporation.

The Halliburton-Sekal automation solution is currently deployed across multiple projects and provides real-time advanced models of subsurface, wellbore fluid, and pressure systems, coupled with smart directional drilling tools and automated rig controls. Customers benefit from up to 25% reduction in well delivery times, through precise well placement, dynamic drilling parameter optimization and fully automated tripping operations — all with the push of a button.

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