ODM3™

By Hamish Strang

ODM3™, a Windows software developed by the diversified energy services company Senergy, is providing a ‘digital-oilfield’ solution across the Middle East region.

Advances in technology over the last decade have led to massive developments in the field of specialist technical software and now there are dozens of best-of-breed programs available to the energy industry to help analyse data. However, this has led to a new challenge: being able to integrate, interpret and present all of the data generated by these programs, in a unified fashion. ODM3^TM addresses these issues by amalgamating and displaying all the data to create a 'digital oilfield', and it is being implemented on a range of oilfield development and exploration projects in the North Sea, Middle East and elsewhere in the world.

'We've carved ourselves an interesting niche over the last few years', says Hamish Strang, ODM3 Development Manager. 'Every discipline was working in their own specialist system, and when it came to comparing data to make the best decisions, there was simply nothing that was up to the job. We presented a solution that allows extremely diverse datasets - ranging from geology and drilling to production and GIS data - to be integrated and interpreted. Essentially, all the data from a field can be stored, interpreted and displayed in a single application - hence the "digital-oilfield" tag.

The results have been fascinating and we have clients using ODM3 for jobs we never imagined - drilling studies, digital wellbooks and the like.'

ODM3 links directly to several industry-standard geologic databases and softwares - such as Openworks, OpenSpirit, Petrel and Geolog - to integrate data. Once connected, the ODM system can also load data from dozens of other disciplines such as biostratigraphy, chemical stratigraphy, ppressure data etc. On loading well data, ODM can display seismic grids and GIS (Geographic Information System) shape files to give a client an idea of their data spatially.

Strang elaborates: "The base map display allows users to access all their data directly from the map, as well as create cross-sections and montages. On top of this, bubble maps to show well properties can easily be created while visuals can be passed directly into Windows' products. To make the maps even clearer, they can also display active GIS, grid and satellite images. The result is a clearer spatial understanding of a region by having all the map data visible and all the well data instantly accessible."

Most recently, the ODM3 team have been working on integrating 4D (time-based) data and presenting it on maps - this includes production data, injection rates, pore pressures and more. The time-based link is free-form, so can be customised for virtually any database or spreadsheet. The output maps show geology, GIS and time-stamped data clearly, and with the full dataset immediately accessible. This brings tremendous benefits to clients in that they have access to cross-discipline data to help understand the performance of their field, and because it is all done in an active database, the display can be edited, investigated and customised quickly.

The results have been spectacular. One multi-national client has seen their well review preparation times cut by more than 80% - resulting in more frequent reviews, better understanding of field history and dynamics and, ultimately, increased efficiency and time savings. Meanwhile, an asset group used the 4D integration in ODM3 to discover links between fields which were previously thought to be unconnected.

In addition to enhancing workflows in developed fields, ODM3 works extremely well with exploration data. The system is being used by a number of exploration groups on the Arabian Peninsula and feedback has been extremely positive. A gas exploration company geologist comments,

'ODM3 has been utilised in a "digital oilfield" concept; as a well database to store and work with well related data. The ability to spatially display and manipulate well data in sections and map environments has provided the 'missing link' between downhole and areal information. We have benefited from the ability to tie together outcrop and subsurface data in one arena which has been critical in large areas with sparse well coverage. The ability to link to corporate databases ensures rigorous data management and integration of datasets from outside our direct area of interest. Overall, ODM3 has helped build our 'geological conscience' which, in turn, has helped underpin business decisions with solid integrated technical work'

Interpretation and visualisation tools mean that data can be explored and edited quickly and interactively; montages with maps, text and images are built up in a PowerPoint-style tool while interpretation is being done, allowing presentation-quality output while still having instant access to geological data. These montages can then be cut and pasted directly into other Windows programs, eliminating large drafting jobs. Client feedback has again been positive, with one commenting that 'ODM3 allows me to significantly shorten the time I would need for well data work in other comparable software packages.'

With all their data residing together and with access to a montage tool, users have also started exploring the 'digital-wellbook' concept within ODM3. Multiple plots, wellsticks, maps and charts can be placed on a single montage and saved for each well. Due to the fact the montages are linked directly to the ODM3 database, they are always active, meaning that any new data which is brought into the system is immediately available to view on these montages. Therefore, the wellbook is always up-to-date and always editable. Should they need to be exported, ODM3 offers a tool that can automatically build a montage for each well and print it into a multi-page pdf file.

With a solid and loyal client base built up in Europe, ODM3 is rapidly emerging as an innovative technology in the global oil and gas industry, particularly in the Middle East.  Senergy Software Account Manager Marc Hockfield comments: "We find that in the Middle East region ODM3 is used in extremely diverse ways. With the new exploration projects in the region combined with continued exploitation of brownfield sites, there are massive amounts of data out there which are now being understood better in ODM3. We find our Middle Eastern clients are extremely keen to embrace new technology and they are constantly feeding back with novel uses of the system."