Geologic Data Handling

Abstract

Oil companies are applying computer technology to augment low staffing levels. The once discrete roles of geologist, geophysicist, landman and petroleum engineer are often merged together and they must share data. Workstations and personal computers are becoming commonplace, and a great variety of applications are used within workgroups. The data captured or massaged within these applications can be lost, yet it represents a strategie asset for the oil companies. Thus, the key issue in any exploration and production application is the integration of databases with applications, and the subsequent handling, connectivity, and security of that data.

Consequently, the near-term and future computing plans of the major oil companies rely on the integration of applications with databases. However, the oil companies have already made many of their information technology choices, and being geoscience and engineering enterprises, they are not information technology driven. Mechanisms are needed to promote the survey, classification, adoption, utilization, and guidance of this computing technology.

Two distinct efforts are underway in the industry which address these issues. The first effort involves several groups formed during the last quarter of 1989 which are developing standards for industry data models. These groups include the Exploration and Production Information System (EPIS), the Petroleum Information Data Dictionary (PIDD), the Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation (POSC), and others.

The other effort is Operation Database, an attempt to objectively compare, evaluate and classify the various geological, geophysical and geographical integrated database applications available. Four phases were originally conceived: PC database applications, Workstation Database applications, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Database engines. Only the PC and GIS stages have been performed.