'The Role of GIS in the E & P Business' Study Now Available

Exprodat is pleased to announce the publication of a sponsored multi-client review that analyses “The Role of Geographic Information Systems in the E & P Industry”.  For details on how to purchase the report please use the 'More Information' link at the bottom of this page.

The review is based on Exprodat’s many years of practical experience in applying GIS technology in the E & P business, supplemented through extensive research of published materials, vendor interviews and client participation. It focuses on analysing the role of GIS in E & P organisations and proposing strategic thinking for making the most of a company’s spatial information and integrating it with existing corporate data management systems. In addition, the report evaluates how oil companies, vendors and data suppliers are adding value to the E & P business using GIS technology to support a more informed decision-making process.

This study is made up of the following sections:

• Section One: Strategy & Trends
• Section Two: Technology Review
• Section Three: E & P GIS Maturity Matrix
• Section Four: Case Studies

 

“Spatial information is a key element in any petroleum venture, from the initial opportunity analysis and exploration, through appraisal, production and the abandonment phase. It is generally estimated that over 80% of the data used in the Exploration and Production (E & P) upstream business has a spatial component, implying that it can be accessed through a map. 

Due to the nature of the petroleum industry, large amounts of data have to be managed in order to cope with the complexity of the process of discovering new resources and managing producing assets. As such, the E & P upstream business requires the analysis of many different types of spatial data (e.g. surface and sub-surface geology, cross-section interpretation, geophysical surveys, exploration and production drilling, environmental and infrastructure data, satellite imagery), often achieved using a GIS (Geographic Information System).

There has been major progress in recent years in integrating spatial information systems with existing data management and interpretation systems, to the extent that Geographic Information Systems have started to become a critical part of the technology employed in the E & P business.

However, despite growing maturity in underlying GIS technology and increasing industry awareness, it is perceived that the spatial component of data is still under-utilised.  Many E & P companies are struggling to define the role of GIS in their business. Most see GIS as a specialist role rather than an integrated component of the business and few companies are extracting maximum value from their investment in spatial data and analysis systems.

How much of their spatial data are E & P companies using effectively?

Date: September 2007