Security, Trust, and the Reluctant Cloud in Upstream Oil and Gas

Abstract

The paper uses the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework to investigate the determinants of cloud adoption intention among firms operating in the upstream oil and gas industry. The issues of security, regulatory uncertainty, and trust deficit continue to delay cloud implementation despite the clear benefits offered by cloud computing technology. Survey data were collected from 190 credentialed information technology professionals and decision makers drawn from the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the LinkedIn Upstream Oil & Gas professional community. Multiple linear regression and factor analysis were employed to test three composite technology–organization–environment predictors against behavioral adoption intention. The final model accounted for 49.8% of variance in adoption intention (F(3, 186) = 63.535, p < .001, Adj. R2 = .498). Notably, environmental trust, fostered by confidence in cloud providers and regulatory clarity, emerged as the most influential factor, encouraging a sense of security and optimism about digital transformation.