Geophysics Special Interest Group (SIG)

Paul Maton, Sillimanite Consultants & Energistics

Western Europe Region & SIG MeetingStavanger, Norway17 June, 2008

Presentation Outline

• Background to Geophysics SIG• Business Case• Some Visions• Current Approach and Plan• Conclusions

InformationManagement

Customer Provider

Geophysical Standards: Background

DataAcquisition

Planning &Design

DataProcessing

Interpretation& Modelling

Standards for Content and Formatare needed for effective communications

All branches of Geophysics involve iterative processes, - requiring communication within and between them

Geophysical Digital Data Standards & Timeline

Years

1970 - 1979 1980 - 1989 1990 - 1999 2000-2009 2010-2019

SEG-P1,2,3 (1983)

1960 - 1969

SEG-D

Se

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icA

cq

uis

itio

nL

oc

ati

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D

ata

SEG-A,-B,-C

Se

ism

icP

roc

es

sin

gS

eis

mic

Inte

rpre

tati

on

UKOOA-P1/84 UKOOA-P1/90UKOOA-P2/91

UKOOA-P2/94

SEG-C

SEG-Y

SEG-D r1SEG-D r2 SEG-D r2.1

SEG-Y r1

SEG-D r3SEG-SPS SEG-SPS r2.1

SEG-Rode

Outputs from

EPSG Geodetic Parameter Set

Note: SEG has published over 50 standards. Only the more used data standards areshown here. See http://seg.org/publications/tech-stand/ for the full list.

Indian Background to Geophysics SIG

• 1998 – 2004 – ONGC’s EPINET Data Management Project– Lessons learned getting ~50 years of E&P data under

management– It is not just about getting data into databases

• Data are worth little without supporting data, integrity, and quality assurance

• 2005 ONGC presented– case for standards across Geophysical API activities

cycle• The lack of standards and best practices can impede the

use of geophysical techniques, thereby reducing the value of those techniques to the organisation.

– Vision of multi-regional, global E&P standards body

• Reiterated in 2006, and refined in 2007

Objectives of the Geophysics SIG

• As a representative of the community of creators and users of geophysical data and information

– To identify needs and requirements for open standards and improved work practices

– To collaboratively deliver, promote and deploy the standards and work practices across the life cycle of geophysical information

Drivers for Geophysical Standards

• Increasing number of uses of Geophysics– More Exploration in mature and immature regions– Applications in Field Development– Applications in Smart Fields

• Optimising use of current techniques• Enabling use of new techniques and

technologies, in both seismic and information domains

• Increasing Data Volumes to be managed• Various proprietary ‘solutions’ already

proliferatingAll of which aim to get the job done faster, better,

with reduced cost, risk and uncertainty.

Initial Situation

• A list of >60 Opportunities (areas for Improvement) from ONGC and other Indian E&P Players– These are from across the ‘API’ (Acquisition,

Processing, Interpretation) life cycle of geophysical data

– They probably satisfy the 80:20 rule: 80% of the higher value opportunities are already identified

– Companies joining in the future must be able to supplement the opportunity list if they add value

– Some of these opportunities are being used to:• Evolve and test our assessment process• Promote and sell participation globally, beyond India

Visions

• It is possible to envisage a spectrum of targets– From vocabularies for (SEG-format) Header or

Trailers,– To loose coupled work-flow integration, possibly web-

based

• Our guiding lights must include– Providing real Business Value to users and customers of

Geophysics– Establishing and adhering to relevant criteria on which to

base our selections– Providing specifications that can evolve to accommodate

interoperability and technological change over at least one decade

– Plan to produce, pilot and test a few initial proposals

Assessment Criteria

• Impact indicators– Number of API processes

affected– Inaccuracy, uncertainty,

risk,– Loss of time

• Scale: hours, days, weeks• Value range: 1 – 8 or 10

– Loss of data and/or metadata

– Quantity of impaired data

• Tasks needing Effort– Specifying standard or

improved work practice– Implementing standard etc– Deploying and promoting

standard etc

ImpactorValue

Hi

Hi

Low

Effort Low

Assessment Summary - 1

Geophysical Activity

Number of Opportunities

Cumulative average

delays (days)

Acquisition 26 32

Positioning 14 19

Processing 11 6

Interpretation 4 8

Data Management 12 18

Total – all activities

67 83

Assessment Summary - 2

Activity Impacted EffortProcesses Min Average Max 'Task size'

Acquisition 3 17 31.5 49 2Positioning 3 6.5 19 38 2Processing 2 3.5 6 9 2Interpretation 1 6 8 12 4Data Management 4 8.5 18 26 2Total (days lost only) 41.5 82.5 134

Impact - Days lost

Additional Approaches

• Collaboration with other Geophysical Standards Setting Organisations:– We will maintain awareness of and leverage existing and

concurrent efforts by SEG, OGP, CSEG, OGC and others

• Focus on data transfer by XML messages loosely coupled via interfaces with existing applications– We are aware of the perceived threat to existing software

assets– This approach is proving successful in near-real-time

drilling (WITSML) and production optimisation (PRODML)• Oilfield applications from Weatherford, Schlumberger,

Kongsberg etc. are interoperating with Process Control apps from Invensys, OSISoft, AspenTech etc.

Deliverables

• Data exchange standards– Usages conformant with SEG specifications– Vocabularies of equipment items and

configurations, version control, process history, etc left for User specification in SEG-D Revision 3

– Data types not covered by SEG; e.g. Velocity• Work practice specifications

– Documented descriptions of improved work practices, in natural language and possibly an IT (UML or other?) model form

• At high and medium level, enabling adaptation as appropriate

• E.g. accommodate different practices for shooting new data c.f. acquiring spec data, or via trades or mergers

Geophysics SIG: 2008 – 2009 Outline Plan

Years 2007

Q4 Q2Q1 Q4Q3Activity

2008

Indian Membership

Assess Opportunities

Produce Proposal

International Membership

Velocity Exchange Team

Seismic Headers Team

Q2Q1 Q4Q3

Review, revise plan

Execute revised plan

2009

Road Map for 2009 and beyond

• Continue approaches and activities as determined by business needs and support– Review opportunity list and plan periodically– Select 2 or 3 Opportunities for development,

piloting and deployment each year

Conclusions

• The assessment indicates that significant opportunities exist in many organisations to reduce cycle-time to making business decisions based on geophysical information

• Active SIG membership is now being promoted to international E&P and Service companies

• We have a good list of opportunities for improvements, many leveraging SEG standards

• Requirements for Velocity data and ONGC usage of SEG-Y headers are to be completed in June 2008

• SEG is being kept aware of these activities

Further Information @ Energistics web site

• Geophysics SIG pages– www.Energistics.org > Communities >

Geophysics SIG• Public pages open to all• Private pages open to Geophysics SIG members

and Energistics sustaining members

• Events pages– www.Energistics.org > Events

• 2007 Events: – Geophysics SIG Assessment Workgroup

meetings in Mumbai, 28 and 29 November• 2008 Events:

– Energistics S. Asia Regional meeting, SPG conference, and Geophysics SIG meetings, all in Hyderabad, 13 -16 January

Thank You

Questions, please?

Contact:Paul Maton, Principal Consultant, Energistics+44 1932 828794Paul.Maton@Energistics.org