Robert Cunningham and Elaine Evers, LSU—School of the Coast
This presentation will investigate some of the issues associated with risk assessment as it pertains to hurricane storm surge. The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how GIS data may be used to assist the petroleum industry in evaluating facility risk and how facility risk assessment, using LIDAR data, may be useful in oil spill prevention.
The presentation will also touch on issues discussed at the second "National LIDAR Initiative (NLI)" meeting held in Reston, VA in May 2008 and how a national LIDAR procurement could benefit the petroleum industry in terms of risk management.
Finally, a brief overview of the preparations in progress for the "Louisiana GIS DVD—May 2010 Compilation" for the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO)/Office of the Governor oil spill emergency response preparedness will be discussed.
The ecological footprint caused by energy development creates large-scale and permanent changes on the landscape. The size and type of footprint varies on location, energy policy and company dynamics. Energy companies are increasingly concerned with minimizing environmental alterations as part of best environmental practices.
The methods described here provide a useful and cost-effective process for measuring the ecological footprint created by exploration and production (E&P) operations. It uses GIS and remote sensing techniques to measure the following landscape ecology disturbances: vegetation change, infrastructure density, edge-effect zones, core areas and number of rivers crossed. The study site is Venezuela’s heavy oil belt between 1990 and 2005.
Findings show variations among the operations examined, with the newest concessions exhibiting the smallest footprint. This suggests that implementing lessons learned and adopting newer technology can minimize landscape disturbances related to E&P. It also suggests that the type of company involved, state versus multinational, may also affect the type and size of footprint.
These methods can provide a landscape assessment of E&P operations from the desktop. This information can be used to reduce alterations in subsequent development phases as well as improve planning for new concessions. Finally, these findings lend themselves for the establishment of a sustainability index based on objective measures. This type of transparency can fortify self reporting.
This paper will discuss how new software tools have allowed us to evolve our G&G data workflows to derive more value out of our GIS investment. Streamlining these processes means expending less effort to ensure geoscientists use the most accurate data in their subsurface interpretations.
By running automated Scan jobs across all of our G&G projects we keep our ArcSDE database up to date with the changing contents of our diverse G&G projects environment. This allows us to make the most accurate maps possible with much less effort. In addition, using the OpenSpirit ArcGIS Extension, we can use ArcGIS Desktop in interactive workflows with G&G applications such as Geoframe and Openworks. This allows us to use ArcGIS as an interactive map based spatial analysis tool for making objective decisions when populating our corporate well and seismic data stores. We can also send interpreted data back to ArcGIS for incorporation in final map displays.
This paper will provide some examples of these workflows and share the benefits (and issues) we have experienced in using these new tools and procedures.
Both Statoil and Hydro have been extensively using GIS technology for many years. After the recent merger, data management for a growing number of GIS users has been a central issue. This challenge is tackled by providing users with new tools for finding and using a wide range of datasets, sources and geographical extents.
Jon Stigant, Mark Michell, and Mike Jensen, Devon Energy Jason Humber, Integrated Informatics Inc.
In enterprise level implementations for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) it is remarkably common for energies to be highly focused solely on infrastructure and data consolidation while leaving only fringe efforts for concentration on workflow improvements and management.
Devon Energy’s Geodetics Operations Team undertook an initiative to define, document, and deliver a set of improved workflows in support of their normal audit activities for seismic, well, and land. The immediate impacts of this initiative include collection and analysis of systemic issues, commonality in practice, and improved traceability in the audit process.
This presentation will detail the approach taken to capture and consolidate workflows into a manageable and well defined set of processes and will cover the role that GIS plays in realm of survey audit and Geospatial Assurance. Coupled with this is a discussion on how the ESRI Job Tracking Extension is being used for improved customer interaction, management of workload and status, increased consistency in work product, and streamlined automation of non-core tasks.
With the Geodetic Operations Team as the corporate custodians of positional integrity, the outcomes from this initiative have far reaching and positive affects throughout the organization.
Nicholas Callaghan and Asif Iqbal, Kansas Geological Survey Timothy Carr, West Virginia University
The Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon Sequestration Regional Partnerships have generated a large quantity of information for a "carbon atlas" of key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential sinks, etc.) required for rapid implementation of carbon sequestration on a broad scale. The NATional CARBon Sequestration Database and Geographic Information System (NatCarb) provides web-based, nation-wide data access to disparate data (carbon sources, potential sinks, infrastructure, etc.) and analytical tools (pipeline measurement, carbon storage capacity estimation, cost estimation, etc.) required for addressing carbon capture and sequestration. Distributed computing solutions link partnerships and other publicly accessible repositories of geological, geophysical, natural resource, infrastructure, and environmental data. Data are maintained and enhanced locally, but assembled and accessed through a single geoportal. NatCarb, as a first attempt at a national carbon cyberinfrastructure (NCCI), assembles the data required to address technical and policy challenges of carbon capture and storage.
NATCARB is a functional demonstration of distributed data-management systems that cross the boundaries between institutions and geographic areas. It forms the first step toward a functioning carbon sequestration information cyber-infrastructure. NATCARB online access has been modified to address the broad needs of aspectrum of users, and includes not only GIS and database query tools for the high-end technical user, but also simplified displays for the general public employing readily available web tools such as Google Earth™ and Google Maps™.
M. Lee Allison and Stephen Richard, Arizona Geological Survey Linda Gundersen and Tamara Dickinson, U.S. Geological Survey
A coalition of the state geological surveys (AASG), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and partners are building the Geoscience Information Network, a national, distributed, interoperable data network. GIN will develop Web-based services to link existing and developing components using a few standards and protocols, and work with data providers to implement these services.
The key components of this network are 1) catalog system(s) for data discovery; 2) service definitions for interfaces for searching catalogs and accessing resources; 3) shared interchange formats to encode information for transmission (e.g. various XML markup languages); 4) data providers that publish information using standardized (Web) services defined by the network; and 5) client applications adapted to use information resources provided by the network. GIN will integrate and use catalog resources that currently exist or are in development: USGS National Geologic Map Database’s existing map catalog; USGS National Geological & Geophysical Data Preservation Program National Digital Catalog; and GEON catalog. Existing interchange formats are being used, such as GeoSciML, ChemML, and Open Geospatial Consortium sensor, observation and measurement MLs. Client application development is fostered by collaboration with industry and academic partners. GIN focuses on the remaining aspects of the system – service definitions and assistance to data providers to implement the services and bring content online—and on system integration of the modules.
Initial formal collaborators include the OneGeology-Europe consortium of 29 nations that is building a comparable network under the EU INSPIRE initiative, GEON, Earthchem, and ESRI.
OneGeology-Europe and GIN have agreed to integrate their networks, effectively adopting global standards among geological surveys. ESRI is creating a Geology Data Model for ArcGIS software to be compatible with GIN, and other companies are expressing interest in adapting their services, applications, and clients to take advantage of the large data resources that are becoming available through GIN.
2004, 2005, and 2008 remind us that major hurricanes have returned to the
Gulf of Mexico. Anyone old enough can remember the busy decade of the 60’s.
When you review the Category 4 hurricanes on the Saffir/Simpson Scale that
moved over the oil and gas leases of the Gulf of Mexico, the 60’s were a very
busy decade with Hurricane Carla—1961, Hurricane Hilda—1964, Hurricane
Betsy—1965,
Hurricane Beulah—1967 and Hurricane Camille—1969. This is compared with
Hurricane Ivan—2004, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita—2005 and Hurricanes Gustav
and Ike—2008. Hurricane Ike demonstrated that a hurricane does not have to
be a Category 4 hurricane to cause devastating waves but that size matters.
Meteorologists at Weather Research Center are using ARCGIS mapping to study past, present and future Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. This tool will be used to develop a Damage Potential Scale that could be used to forecast potential damage to offshore facilities in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes come in all sizes, intensities and speeds. Using Weather Research Center’s Hurricane Wind and Wave Model, past hurricanes are mapped with the platforms that could be at risk from high waves.
Weather Research Center is a non-profit educational center whose mission is to inspire America’s next generation of scientists and engineers. The GIS software is a tool which WRC uses to capture the interest of young scientists and engineers through the graphical depiction of the weather.
The ArcGIS Server Javascript API became available with the 9.2 release of the software. It offers an easy to use browser based API to quickly build highly intuitive web mapping applications with the ability to create mashups with Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth.
Because Energy companies often work across large geographic areas, the ability to create easy to use applications that incorporate nationally available data sets is or high importance. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of a Javascript based ArcGIS Server application and review the capabilities and limitations of the Google Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth Javascript API extensions.
One of the many challenges a company faces when implementing an enterprise GIS solution, is ensuring the right people have easy access to the right information. In this session we will discuss different methodologies to approach GIS accessibility and security across both ArcGIS Desktop and Server solutions. By centrally managing maps, layers and GIS functionality with users and roles, users can easily access the data they need to get their job done while maintaining cartographic consistency and representation standards across a large number of GIS consumer groups within a company.
This session will benefit GIS Managers, GIS professionals, Spatial Analysts, Mapping Techs, E&P and Land Managers.
Angus Colyer and Tom O'Donnell, Chevron Energy Technology Co. James Ellis, Ellis GeoSpatial Matt Levey, AOA Geophysics Neil Delfino
Chevron is developing a Subsea Field Development and Planning Tool utilizing ArcGIS, 3D Analyst, ArcScene and 3D Simulation. The purpose is to reduce project risk and cost by generating a common 3D visualization tool which can be utilized by typical engineering disciplines ranging from Reservoir Engineering through Seabed Equipment to Onshore Process Facilities.
A common planning tool integrates planning decisions, minimizes field layout design conflicts, supports a centralized database development, provides design verification utilizing ROV-based 3D simulation, promotes training, enables solutions to be verified before equipment is ordered, improves understanding between Chevron and contractors, and supplies through-field-life support.
GIS field layout planning is initiated by compiling geophysical assessments, hazard maps, bathymetry, existing infrastructure, reservoirs, and wells. A subsea engineer then position subsea equipment such as pipelines, umbilicals, surface-processing host, mooring lines, and risers. 3D Analyst is used to visualize the field layout. The field layout GIS is passed to the ROV 3D simulation program for mock up and verification.
ArcGIS employs 3D symbols of equipment with x, y, z reference points and snap-to-points (representing connection points for other equipment). These equipment points are exchanged between ArcGIS and the ROV 3D simulation program. Shapefiles are exported to AutoCAD so engineering drawings can be generated - these are used with front-end engineering and design (FEED) contactors and to generate bids.
The survey of installed manifold foundation piles and wellhead conductors will be integrated into the GIS to provide as-built details of the field layout. The 3D Simulation will utilize the as-built details from the field layout to provide virtual measurements for the subsea equipment locations. Virtual measurement of subsea equipment enables jumper spools to be pre-fabricated, thereby reducing the requirement to perform subsea metrology and project costs.
A single, authoritative geodatabase using ArcGIS Server and SQL Server 2008 is being developed to enable project team members to read, update, and edit geodata simultaneously. The ArcGIS solution provides easily understood visual evidence of the interfaces between subsurface, subsea, and surface equipment and is fulfilling the company’s vision of a seamless, integrated, and standardized field layout planning & development tool.
Jeffrey Eppink and Michael Marquis, Enegis, LLC Richard Watson, Bureau of Land Management
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) Phase III Inventory, released in May 2008, presents an assessment of the access issues for the development of oil and gas resources on Federal lands. The release is an update of the EPCA Phase II Inventory, released in November 2006, which examined 99.2 million acres of Federal land in 11 basins from Alaska to Florida. In addition to a reevaluation of Phase II basins, Phase III examines an additional 7 basins for a total 279 million acres of Federal land.
Using a complex GIS model that examines over 13 million discrete polygons, the inventory examined the approximately 3,000 different lease stipulations being applied by the land managing agencies in the areas analyzed. This analysis of constraints to development centers on two factors that affect access to oil and gas resources on Federal lands:(1) whether the lands are "open" or "closed" to leasing, and (2) the degree of access afforded by lease stipulations and other conditions on "open" lands. The model addresses the issues of overlapping stipulation geometries, exceptions, waivers, and modifications granted to stipulations, the ability of industry to directionally drill under areas prohibiting surface occupancy, and the application of Conditions of Approval. Modeling techniques and results will be presented.
Tijerina Troy and Damion Scholz, Digital Mapping Services
The utilization of GIS to construct a land management system has greatly facilitated the decision making process of oil and gas companies. Throughout the history of Digital Mapping Services, we have assisted several companies in the oil and gas industry in managing their leasehold information. Lease mapping begins by organizing the lease information in a database, then reviewing the lease data individually to establish its position through the employment of proper resources and base data. Collaborating surveying and GIS will result in an interactive, fully functional and completely updateable LIS with minimal errors.
Ellen Hoveland, Hess Corpration Bruce Sanderson, Apache Corporation Lisa Derenthal, Gimmal Group, Inc
GIS Day provides an international forum for users of geographic information systems (GIS) technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society. Recently, GIS leaders in the energy industry have established internal GIS Day programs that seek to expand the understanding of GIS and its application beyond existing systems and users. This session will include success stories and lessons learned from two GIS Day programs within large petroleum companies.
Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) has recently collaborated with Casper College, the Natrona County 4-H Program, Anadarko Petroleum Company, and ESRI to create a historic map of the 1920’s campsites (townsites) in the Teapot Dome and Salt Creek oil field areas. Remnants of these sites today include concrete foundations, fireplaces, sidewalks, excavations, and old pipes. This interactive map not only locates the historic sites, but also offers links to a brief text history of each site along with a selection of original photos. Since this information will be presented to visitors at the two oil field locations, a virtual tour of the area will also be offered in a 3D video format.
This project utilized Casper College Advanced GIS students to mentor and help 4-H youth develop skills in GPS data collection, ArcGIS mapping and creating ArcScene 3D videos. But, even the Casper College student’s knowledge and skills in 3D was limited. Therefore, an ESRI 3D Specialist was requested to give them a net-meeting crash course on the process of exporting spatial footprints out of ArcMap into Google SketchUp in order to create campsite replicas using original photos, and then importing the 3D mockups back into ArcScene so that 3D virtual tours could be recorded on video.
Tyler Leinonen, the 13-year old who took on this 4-H project, began working with the four Casper College students in September 2008. They took Trimble GPS units to the field and collected spatial data on the historic remnants of the old campsites. That data was overlaid on an aerial photographic background, and then the students were assigned specific tasks for completing the project. Two students worked on collecting historic documents and photos from the college library archives, RMOTC and Anadarko. The other two students split the project in half – Teapot Dome and Salt Creek – and began working on ArcMap layouts. Tyler, having the least GIS experience, was assigned the project of creating 3D mockups of the old campsites in Google SketchUp and then helped create a variety of fly-through videos in ArcScene.
The final product consisting of an interactive historic ArcMap and 3D ArcScene videos of the historic area is being presented to RMOTC and Anadarko at the end of the semester, December 2008, in a class presentation.
Drowning in both data as well as a mind-numbing quantity of tools and applications, Oil & Gas has been challenged in finding an approach for delivering visual intelligence to its non-technical management: the folks who both make the high-dollar decisions and have no time for reading instruction manuals, let alone formal training classes.
By combining the popular and intuitive Google Earth interface with OGC web standards such as WMS and KML, GIS/IT departments can serve broad audiences without the painstaking architecting and programming of first generation web mapping applications. Further, by using open standards, GIS shops can access both relevant 3rd party data streams such as those provided by the USGS and the BLM, as well as harness the capabilities of ArcServer 9.3 to easily publish their in-house data as WMS or KML.
This presentation will discuss how to quickly access government sources of topo maps, land grid, and lease information. Then, in using ArcServer to stream internal datasets, we will do a quick overview of streaming "big" data, customizing the info balloon, and intelligently hyperlinking individual features to other data repositories.
By combining open standards with the Google Earth interface, GIS/IT departments are no longer facing the grim prospect of "re-inventing the wheel" in creating their own internal web mapping system from scratch. Rather, by combining freely available 3rd party data streams with ArcServer's new capabilities to publish internal data sets, they give a broad audience of non-technical users easy access to critical information.
Python is a simple scripting language that can be used to automate tasks. Start a Python script from an existing model, or write the whole script from scratch. With a few simple Python statements, an entire string of geoprocessing tasks can run repeatedly on a list of files. A few more lines of code can keep a log file of the results. Add just a couple of mouse clicks and the script can run as a tool in the ArcToolbox – complete with parameters! See how to start a script, call geoprocessing commands and existing models, run it as a tool in the ArcToolbox, and share that tool with others.
1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m. EXPExploration & Production Management—Briarpark Room
Integration of ESRI’s Geographic Information Systems with Landmark’s Geoscience Information Systems combines the power of surfaces based GIS analysis with the multi dimensional of subsurface visualization, interpretation & earth modeling.
The petroleum industry needs around exploring for new petroleum based energy sources demands ever higher fusion of data & technology. This presentation will highlight the advances made in this data fusion arena and will demonstrate just how easy it has become to validate and compare the results from a vast array of different technical specialists that allow explorationists to radically reduce the uncertainty involved in defining prospect fairways and therefore optimize the likelihood of successful hydrocarbon discovery.
The Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) operates the Teapot Dome Oilfield near Casper, Wyoming, as a technology testing and demonstration center. In addition to the testing projects, the field produces over 200 barrels of oil per day from several hundred active wells. GIS technology, implemented starting in 2005, provides an excellent platform in which to merge current oil operations, geology, and history at this site.
The author, a petroleum geologist, is conducting numerous scientific studies at the site, including collaborations with academic research partners. This includes subsurface interpretation and modeling in support of field operations, research studies, and enhanced oil recovery opportunities, including carbon dioxide injection. Detailed surface geological mapping is also included in this effort. One recent project has been mapping the Quaternary terraces, both erosional and depositional, and relating those terrace ages to expected soil conditions as well as historic cultural sites.
Teapot Dome has a rich, sometimes infamous history, which provides context for current operations. High-resolution, low-altitude aerial photography obtained just prior to field development in the 1970’s has been indexed and incorporated into the GIS system, and this provides a basis for surface geologic mapping initiatives as well as locating historical sites from the abortive development associated with the “Teapot Dome Scandal” of the 1920’s. One objective of a future Visitors Center will be to recognize the historical contribution to the site and establishment of RMOTC itself, helping visitors to become aware of the activities over the past 100 years. GIS is enabling RMOTC’s ability to input and compare all the relevant layers of information in a geographic context.
A company’s oil and gas reserves are calculated by multiplying the gross reserves by the company’s net revenue ownership interest (NRI) obtained from the oil and gas leases which cover the three dimensional space where those reserves are located. When running economics for both exploration and development wells, engineers have had to historically estimate an average net revenue interest for the entire prospect or field even though the NRI may vary substantially from tract to tract within a prospect or field. Advances in GIS technology now allow tract-based NRIs to be applied to reserve calculations.
Federal regulations require natural gas transmission pipeline operators identify high consequence areas for integrity management. Once identified, the pipeline must be periodically assessed and mediated if faults are found. Assessments cost money and the main question an operator has is “Do I really need to assess this section of pipe?” The answer lies in the validity of the HCA. This paper will discuss several methods to discover and validate high consequence areas and associated identified sites.
Using online aerial imagery
GPS surveys—method, data collected, data dictionary, ArcPAD/ArcMobil tools
Line Location methods—In line inspections, construction reports, as-builts
Chad Zamarin and G. Lamar Crowe, Colonial Pipeline Company
Many companies utilize an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system for facilitating maintenance and asset management as well as a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for infrastructure data management, mapping and analysis. However, few organizations do so in an integrated manner to create advanced and optimized asset management systems. Much of the potential of these systems is never realized due to the lack of integration, coordination and optimization between the systems.
In this case study we will demonstrate how assets and scheduled maintenance (e.g., PM, PdM) procedures associated with spatial data can be managed through enterprise integration by field personnel with little or no training. For those teams tasked with maintaining these applications the integrity of the data structure remains secured and the functionality enhanced through leveraging the best that each technology has to offer.
As the need for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) develops and matures enterprise integration will continue to find its place in the day to day activities of companies that must maintain diverse assets with multiple data structures and applications. It is the intent of this session to generate interest in this subject and work together to further its progress within the oil & gas pipeline sector.
Pipeline construction projects involve many activities that can be supported by GIS. These include route selection, ROW Acquisition, cadastral mapping, survey tracking, document management, environmental permit applications, and construction drawing generation. Centralizing data management insures that project activities fulfill requirements on time without re-work, reducing cost. All personnel should access web-based GIS tools for data submittals, retrievals, and tracking surveys. This paper discusses the collection, management, and conversion of project data into an asset database.
Datum Transformation is a key part of any data conversion process, but also one that includes significant danger of introducing inaccuracies if proper care is not taken. Transformations can occur in a number of stages along the data lifecycle with repercussions that can affect the integrity of your data permanently. Something as seemingly simple as a single datum transformation can introduce 50 meters of error or more by using a low quality datum transformation, even if it is technically valid for the area. Selecting the best transformation parameters is key to the process and must be understood to properly execute on them. This talk will explore the specifics of making the choice from a set of parameters using concepts such as geographic envelopes and accuracy statements to make the proper choices.
GIGS (Geospatial Integrity of Geosciences Software) is a joint industry project which is studying the geodetic tools and processes in a variety of commercial geoscience software packages. Brian will provide an update on the GIGs project and present the work completed to date, including application selection, analysis criteria and project deliverables.
The mapping sciences are geodesy and cartography. Geodesy defines mathematically the size and shape of the Earth and Cartography is making representations of the Earth on a flat surface. An understanding of both is fundamental to effective collection, processing, analysis, presentation, storage, and reuse of all types of geospatial data. But how many practitioners of GIS have a formal or adequate education in these sciences? We regret to report there are too few! The authors will give a selection of cases where misapplication has led to poor information ruling decisions. Eighty percent of data held in the petroleum industry databases are geospatial, i.e. has coordinate reference system attributes. Meaning that GIS affects the cycle of the petroleum industry; license, explore, appraise, develop, produce and decommission. This is potentially a huge responsibility for GIS to perform well.
Will Ghomi, Clever Vectors Kevin Shows, Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
The demos make it look so easy. Just install ArcGIS Server and all your problems will be solved. Of course in the real world it's not so simple. There are numerous technical and procedural issues to be overcome to successfully install, configure, and manage ArcGIS Server in a production environment. This technical "tips and tricks" discussion will delve into some of those issues and how we solved them, worked around them, or learned to live with them at Anadarko.
The Energy and Geoscience Institute (EGI) is a not-for-profit organization
doing research for Corporate Associate Members in all parts of the globe. As
part of its activities for the last 30 years EGI has developed a global database
of Research Reports, along with associated seismic, log and well data. The
Institute realized that it needed to improve the dissemination of the data
and information it had collected to its 70 plus member companies in a manner
they could easily and conveniently consume.
EGI decided that a GIS based system would be the best method to logically organize and deliver their data and research reports. After a review of potential companies, EGI chose to partner with petroWEB to develop the new system. Based upon petroWEB's recommendations, ArcGIS Server 9.3 was chosen as the GIS technology and Microsoft Silverlight 2 was used to provide a richer browser experience. Early reviews of the system have been overwhelmingly positive and provided EGI with new opportunities to serve its clients.
The talk is a case study illustrating how ArcGIS Server 9.3 and Silverlight were leveraged to deliver a compelling user experience to EGI's Corporate Associate Program members.
ESRI introduced the ArcGIS API for JavaScript with ArcGIS Server 9.3 as a lightweight means of easily embedding GIS maps and tasks into Web applications. This new API offers more flexibility, is easier to use, and is ready to integrate into your existing Web applications. We will demonstrate how the new API can be quickly integrated with your Web-based services and applications to deliver a fully functional Web experience. In addition, we will explain how ESRI’s new tools can integrate with the OpenSpirit Web Server to allow end users to browse the spatial location of all G&G data in the context of a corporate GIS; view well , seismic, and interpretation data (stored in project or corporate databases) in table and graphical views; and, finally, enable you to send selected G&G and GIS data from Web to desktop applications for analysis and interpretation. We will demonstrate these workflows while focusing on the steps necessary to use ArcGIS Server in your Web environment.
3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. EXPUsing GIS in Well & Base Production Management Decisions—Briarpark Room
Shorouq EL-Khatib and Hamad Al-Zaabi, Kuwait Oil Company
In an environment where both increasing productivity and improved quality in oil field development deliverables are necessary and yet increasing the numbers of staff is difficult, it was imperative for Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to investigate how to improve its present staff’s productivity. Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Field Development Groups are implementing, as part of the Process Improvement Project (PIP), customized and standardized technical and reporting tools to assist in well and base production management decision at both the individual team and corporate asset levels. The goal is to work with more data, more effectively and in a more collaborative manner while increasing the ability to train staff and enhance cross-asset knowledge transfer. Among the reporting tools to be implemented in 2008 is the utilization of ArcGIS mapping tools to provide a multi-layered, map format to display relevant and inter-related data so that everyone involved in field optimization can quickly and accurately understand the status of activities and develop the same mental model of issues to be managed.
Using ArcGIS Maps significantly reduce the time the Petroleum Engineer requires to review and QC the large amount of pertinent data by raising visual “warning flags” on well data that does not “fit” with surrounding well data helping them focus efforts to troubleshooting. The use of ArcGIS also helps both the technical staff and management to interpret patterns within the data and to see how the whole field is performing. The layers are designed to display data that fits certain criteria, such as wells producing in only specified reservoirs. Each Field Development team decides what layers they need to see on a regular basis, including what layers/maps the Field Development leadership should be reviewing regularly. Layers that need to be viewed often are set up so that the map is automatically updated and generated for the user without their intervention. In Kuwait Oil Company, another critical role for the FD staff is to ensure that the data in the corporate database is correct and complete so as to be used for further analysis. By using ArcGIS Maps as a quick method to visually check data, this makes data correction a much easier and quicker task for the Field Development staff. This happens when the FD staff use ArcGIS Maps a regular part of their ongoing activities.
Janyce Jaramillo, Shell Rocky Mountain Production and Exploration Colby Smith, New Century Software
In this session we will explore GIS solutions for on-shore well planning in a high volume, fast paced environment of field development. We will discuss and illustrate how ArcGIS simplifies the complex processes and data involved in well planning effort.
The well planning cycle is often a collaborative team effort that requires accurate and strategic well placement based on a number of variables, including drainage patterns, anti-collision control, state and federal regulations, competitor locations, and a vast array of environmental stipulations. By incorporating ArcGIS into this workflow, we greatly reduce the well planning lifecycle while increasing accuracy and ultimately, profitability.
Custom GIS tools were built to improve efficiency by eliminating multi-step processes, by directly accessing the OpenWorks data store, by organizing data into a centralized spatial database (SDE), and by creating a user-friendly interface to improve decision-making through visualization. We created a flexible environment that allows the well planning team to visualize current drilling progress in association with established and planned wells and to adjust future plans as current operating conditions change.
Finally, we leveraged the Z component in the data to enable 3d visualization in ArcScene. By taking advantage of existing ArcGIS tools, and customizing those tools where appropriate, we have successfully streamlined the process for the well planning team. What used to take months to plan has now been reduced to days.
Jürgen Mischker, OMV Exploration and Production Jeff Hecht, GIS Technology, Inc.
In the past in OMV Exploration and Production (OMV E&P) GIS and the document
management system (eDMS) were separate systems. Questions such as—"Do
we have exploration studies stored in our eDMS for a specific area of interest?
Do scanned paper logs exist for well X in our eDMS? In order to perform a lessons
learned for drilling a new well, can we obtain all drilling reports from surrounding
wells?"—were not be answered immediately. The linkage of these systems
finally allows now a two-way analysis. The user can find all documents associated
with a specific geographic feature, or alternatively, find where, spatially,
within the GIS certain documents are associated. This linkage also allows the
user to perform a spatial query to find multiple documents associated with
multiple geographic features. The linkage was created by using the unique identifiers
(e.g. UWI – unique well identifier) and the document class, which are mandatory
metadata field of the eDMS. The eDMS and GIS can be managed independently of
one another, and no changes were required in the work processes used to update
either system. Thus, OMV E&P staff is now able to access documents also
via a geographic interface, which allows spatial queries on a wide range of
documents.
Imagine a world where the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) required web designers to follow rigid metadata standards like ISO and FGDC in order for information to be disseminated on the Internet. A world where instead of leveraging technology to keep up with the petabytes of data on the web they required every web based file to have its own human entered metadata in order to be searchable.
Would information be easier or harder to find? Would you trust the information more or trust it less? Would it stifle innovation or fuel it?
We are reaching a period in our geospatial universe where relying on GIS professionals to hand enter metadata is not only counter productive, it is counter intuitive. At Shell we have begun leveraging technology to harvest metadata that is embedded in our GIS, in turn, injecting new life into our existing metadata workflows.
Paola Peroni and Gareth Smith, Exprodat Consulting Ltd.
Geocientists are commonly faced with the problem of selecting the most appropriate
interpolation algorithm when generating grids from point data. Often, the geoscientist
will select the defaults provided in their E&P mapping tools without understanding
the implications of their choices. GIS provides a rich set of tools for evaluating
their data before making these decisions, and increasingly for generating the
final interpolated data sets, especially for more regional analysis work, without
having to switch to other E&P mapping applications. Choosing a suitable
interpolation method for the type of phenomenon we are trying to model and
for the specific distribution of our sampled population is not a matter of
luck: we need to understand the spatial behavior of the phenomenon we are investigating.
And we need to answer to some critical questions: Is the variable we are interpolating
normally distributed? Are there directional components in our dataset?How much
does proximity matter for the specific phenomenon we are modelling?How spatially
dependent are values across the study area?
Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis(ESDA) is a group of techniques used to describe
and visualize spatial distributions, to highlight patterns affecting the distribution
of sampled values and to identify outliers or any non-typical values.In this
paper we focus on the use of ESDA techniques available in ArcGIS Geostatistical
Analyst and to guide the user in choosing a suitable interpolation method among
the many available. Results of the ESDA are evaluated along with other considerations
about the aim of the interpolation process itself as well as the distribution
of sample locations and the type of phenomenon being studied.Examples used
in this paper focus specifically on the type of datasets geoscientists may
commonly encounter. A workflow aimed at guiding the user to choose among interpolation
algorithms is also presented. Users can greatly benefit from the results of
ESDA, particularly when these results are critically used to support the spatial
modelling approach and to add value to the interpolation process itself, either
within GIS or other E&P mapping applications.
Often ArcMap users have the need to view and analyze a subset of an ArcSDE layer, or to reorder and rename columns. ArcSDE spatial views provide an enterprise solution for creating and distributing these subsets without change the source layer. This session will include a review the benefits and limitations of spatial views as well as how to create, modify and tune these views. Other related topics include incorporating functions in the spatial views, ordering polygons by area, and resolving DBMS privilege issues.
As the number of wells being drilled and logged continues to increase, so does the amount of data generated. The data management challenge to this data influx is not just provide an enterprise storage solution, but to monitor and catalog the arriving data in as near real time as possible so that it is easy to find and access.
Cataloging corporate data stores into SDE layers is common practice. These SDE layers are increasingly being used as an easy visualization for users to search for available data. If it is not kept up to date in near time, users will not trust that it is current and will either not use it or still go searching in other places.
We will present a new approach for populating the SDE layer that is a part of a broader data quality management initiative. By monitoring new data coming into the system we can use business rules to automatically quality control the data and update flags to identify the types of data available for each well. As a result of this process, SDE layers are updated in near real-time with quality scores, flags and information that is relevant to the end users and allows them to easily locate data for use in their analysis.
By embedding the update of the SDE layers into the data quality management process we increase end user confidence in the overall system. This reduces the time spent having to search for the latest well information, increasing their productivity and allows the company to better manage their investment in the acquisition of this data.
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