Energy databases support government and business decision making processes only to the extent the information required to make a decision is available on-demand. The key to on-demand access is to tag all database content. In oil and gas exploration and production the required tags are location, activity, and geology. Principals at Dynamic Resources Corporation have spent 10 years and hundreds of man-years developing methodologies and indices to automatically tag all data in energy databases using the Infinite GirdSM, the Knowledge BackboneSM, and the Geologic AtlasSM. Software interfaces to correlate these tags with database content needs to be developed for each unique database. If the required context can not be automatically translated from data in the database, a point-and-click manual process of adding tagged context to each piece of content will be implented.
The tags are each a single alpha-numeric computer word which provide spatial, temporal, process, and geotechnical context. The Infinite GridSM tag is an area-based GIS (Geographical Information System) index with multiple scale precomputed map tile images in the database. The tile images allow users to drill down into smaller and smaller scale maps, which are tied to and can underlay display of content from the database. The TimedexSM is the temporal extenstion of Infinite GridSM tags. The Knowledge BackboneSM tag defines an energy activity, or process. These tags relate activities to each other, and provide process context and an activity check-list for any indexed content in the database. Content context can be read as an item in a list or it can be displayed as an intuitive language-independent flow-chart of boxes and arrows connecting boxes. The Geologic Atlas tag specifies: the type of display; times (TimedexSM date of data collection, project timing, and/or geologic age); tectonic setting; structural style; sequence cycles and external geologic form descriptions; depositional systems and rock descriptions; and exploration catagories like source, seal, reservoir, structural trap, stratigraphic trap, or other types of traps. Once content in a database is tagged, it is easy and quick to access content in context using a standard Internet browser. To realize the value of tagged content, imagine using a standard Internet Search Engine to attempt to find information on stripper wells in West Texas.
"Nobody is as smart as everybody" (a quote from Thomas Petzinger in The New Pioneers) summarizes the business value of indexed energy databases supporting government and business decision making processes. A continually exapanding Energy Database provides knowledge from everyone entering data to everyone accessing the database, and creates bottom line value through improved decision making. The energy database goal is to provide access to management practices and work processes which lead to world-class, superior performance. In other words, implementation of Best Practices in all business undertakings. Indexing energy database content against the tags described above provides on-line documention of Best Practices and Lessons Learned. It is very hard to create an enviornment where it is safe to document failure. By incentivizing the documentation of failure in an energy database as Lessons Learned, costly oil field mistakes need not be repeated. A Best Practice consists of using Best Skills, Best Process, Best Solutions (Case Histories), and Appropriate Resources to perform a specific project or job. Management always wants us to use the best, however, there are always time and money limitations which must be taken into consideration regarding resources. If up-to-date Best Practices are available and referenced, everybody will learn how to do something better everytime they review the database. Pre-indexing databases makes it so answers to real on-going project problems can be found before the question is forgotten and before the problem becomes a failure.
A key to sustainable projects comes through maximizing profit. Industry case histories have conclusively demonstrated multi-disciplinary teams of geologists, geophysicists, petroleum engineers, and others to be more effective and efficient than individuals tackling the same tasks. Energy databases guide and enable smooth functioning of multidisiplinary teams. In fact, the indexing makes it possible to expand the team into a professional NetWork accessing the Best Skills and most Appropriate Resources for each stage of each project. The energy database flattens the hierarchy, allowing Project Managers to reach out to everyone involved in a specific technology or process, and to optimize project results. This is referred to as Lean Management, and is about people and processes delivering value to every stakeholder.
Accessing everybone involved in a specific technology or process is enabled by Communities of Practice, Internet/Intranet sharing, university consortiums, and international professional societies. This NetWork approach provides synergy, where the total effect of the action of descreet agencies is greater than the sum of the effects taken independently. For example, imagine optimizing project portfolios across all the world as Real Options. Real Options are advanced financial modeling techniques which: (1) extend standard net present value (NPV) to evaluate risk-adjusted return on investment and cost-verses-risk issues; and (2) optimize R&D and strategic project portfolios. Focus on continent-wide financial and technical resources in basins with exploration upside also insures access and use of the latest technology developments. For example, disposable sensors, Beowulf parallel computer clusters for compute intensive processes like prestack depth migration, personal/portable Virtual Reality systems, and Internet based Task Management are all being used, and yet not being widely used. In order to use these and other new technologies, decision makers must know they are available. Otherwise they will end up using technologies made redundant by new technologies which have recently been introduced. The Energy Database has the potential to provide data, information, knowledge, and wisdom to insure Best Practice, to optimize decision making, and to create business successes.
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