ARRIA NLG has signed a deal for BG Group to test its natural language generation technology.

The oil and gas company will use Arria's software, which converts complex data into readable language, to monitor the performance of assets and predict maintenance needs.

Arria chairman Stuart Rogers said the companies had been in discussions for several months.

He said: "The oil and gas industry is an early adopter of Arria's NLG technologies, it remains a key industry focus for us, and we look forward to a deepening relationship with BG Group."

Shell already uses Arria's technology, based on technology from Aberdeen University, for monitoring purposes on some of its oil rigs.