The digital solution

Hamish Strang and Marc Hockfield of ODM3 on the latest digital oil field technology being pioneered in the Middle East.

Advances in technology over the last decade have led to a new data challenge: integrating, interpreting and presenting the data from these programmes in a unified fashion. Senergy’s Oilfield Data Manager (ODM3™) software addresses these issues by amalgamating and displaying all the data to create a digital oilfield. 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 out an interesting niche”, says Hamish Strang, ODM3 Development Manager. “Before, every discipline was working in their own specialist system and nothing was available to compare data to make the best decisions. But now, ODM3 allows all this data from a field to be stored, interpreted and displayed in a single application – hence the ‘digital-oilfield’ tag.”

ODM3 links directly to several industry-standard geologic databases and softwares - such as Openworks, OpenSpirit, Petrel and Geolog - to integrate data. Once connected, ODM3 can also load data from dozens of other disciplines such as biostratigraphy, chemical stratigraphy, pressure data and such. On loading well data, ODM3 can display seismic grids and GIS (Geographic Information System) files to give a client an idea of their data spatially.  Strang explains: "The base map display allows users to access all their data directly from the map, as well as create cross-sections and montages. Bubble maps to show well properties can easily be created. Users can also display GIS and satellite images, giving a clearer spatial understanding of a region by having map data visible and well data instantly accessible."

Mapping out data

Recently, the ODM3 team has been working on integrating field-history data and presenting it on maps - including production data, injection rates, pore pressures and more; this link 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 percent - 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 field-history 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. ODM3 has been utilised in a digital oilfield concept and 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. 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 programmes, eliminating large drafting jobs. Synergy Account Manager Marc Hockfield comments: "We find that the Middle East region uses ODM3 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 through ODM3."

Hamish Strang is Product Manager, ODM3. He has over 25 years of experience in the IT and oil industry including experience in software systems for MWD through to managing large exploration data sets. Since then, he has worked on product development for biostratigraphic database systems and development of the ODM3 software package

Marc Hockfield is ODM3 Account Manager. With degrees in geology and micropalaeontology, Marc has worked with geological software and workflows for eight years. Working for Senergy for the last five years, he has helped guide the ODM3 development, as well as define and instigate data management workflows for some of the largest companies in the hydrocarbon industry.