DATABASE SYSTEM FOR MANAGING ASSETS OF AN OIL AND GAS OPERATION WITHIN SET DISTURBANCE LIMITS OF A GEOSPATIAL LOCATION

A database management system for managing assets of an oil and gas operation includes a server in data communication with a computing device over a network. The computing device includes an interactive user interface. Memory is stored in the server and accessible by the computing device. Asset data is stored in the memory and is retrievable by the computing device. The asset data includes geospatial information defining at least one disturbance site and spatial feature information defining one or more oil and gas assets located within the disturbance site. The interactive user interface displays a digital twin of the disturbance site based on the asset data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to database systems and processes for constructing those databases, and more specifically to database management systems useful in the oil and gas industry for mapping and tracking spatial and tabular features within disturbance limits of a geospatial location. In another aspect, the invention relates to user interfaces for database management systems for mapping and tracking spatial and tabular features within set disturbance limits of a geographic location.

Description of Related Art

Oil and gas are commodities that have become essential to the functioning of the modern world. Whether it be gasoline refined from extracted oil to power a vehicle or natural gas being used to heat a home or other building, the oil and gas industry plays a crucial role for the supply and consumption of energy.

Globally, the oil and gas industry has a market size of roughly $5.0 trillion as of 2022. The oil and gas industry in the United States accounts for over $800 billion of that global market. The economic impact of the oil and gas industry has direct and indirect effects on world economy because almost every sector of the economy directly or indirectly utilizes some product of the oil and gas industry.

Operations of the oil and gas industry have a significant environmental impact. To extract the oil and gas from the earth, an oil and gas operator (hereinafter, just “operator”) must identify a geographic area where the commodities are likely to be located, and then construct drilling and extraction apparatus to acquire the commodities in an unrefined state. The real world process for extracting oil and gas is, however, much more complicated than merely identifying a location and drilling a well. There are extensive federal, state, and local laws and regulations in place that impose significant burdens on an operator during all phases of construction and extraction.

A typical lifespan of an oil well, from the earliest stages of planning the well to the final stage of plugging the well and restoring the land, is generally twenty to thirty years. During this entire lifespan, most every event that occurs at the disturbance site of the well location, as well as every operation and maintenance event at the well itself, needs to be documented and recorded to ensure compliance with the applicable regulations. This documentary burden applies equally to all other infrastructure constructed on site, and to any other physical changes made to the land, such as construction of easements, berms, or excavation of a pond or reserve pit. In addition to documenting physical infrastructure at the disturbance site, the operator will also be responsible for documenting certain activities that occur at the site, such as a chemical leak or oil spill, along with remedial actions taken in response.

Maintenance and repair of the site infrastructure is another ongoing burden for operators of oil and gas wells. Oil and Gas operations require cooperation of many systems and components to ensure proper performance of all aspects of the operation. As with any electro-mechanical system, however, an operator must periodically repair or replace various components to maintain the plant in working order. Whether the maintenance or repair is routine or in response to some unexpected component failure, the procedures undertaken must be documented and recorded to ensure regulatory compliance.

Further, any reclamation activity that takes place at the Oil and Gas location must also be documented and recorded, including activities undertaken to clean an oil spill or other chemical leak. Reclamation activities may also include all actions taken to reclaim the land to the condition it was in prior to the commencement of the oil and gas operations, such as plugging the well, removing all infrastructure from the site, replacing and recontouring sub surface and top soil, and revegetating the location.

Historically, data that must be collected by operators to respond to regulatory reporting requirements is fragmented, having been stored across numerous different departments of one or more prior operators. The fragmentation of information is often exacerbated where third party contractors are hired to handle specific jobs at the Oil and Gas location and file specific regulatory applications or reports. Such fragmentation results in limited availability of relevant data for field use, which can limit a field operator's productivity and lead to work delays and other inefficiencies.

The historical decentralization and fragmentation of data pertaining to the Oil and Gas location site leads to an overall increase in costs associated with managing and maintaining that operation. Further, this fragmentation of data can lead to an increased likelihood of relevant data being lost or destroyed over the lifetime of the operation.

It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an information management system that compiles all historical information relevant to an oil and gas operation for customized retrieval from a centralized location accessible to the operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above problems are overcome according to the present invention. A database according to the present invention consolidates traditionally segmented information into a common location and provides user friendly access to such information. Further, a database management system according to the present invention allows a user to readily access and digest pertinent information regarding the assets of the oil and gas operation. The database management system can reduce an operator's regulatory reporting burden by increasing efficiency to access all the necessary information. The database management system may also include functionalities to automatically produce reports based on regulations applicable to a given disturbance site.

In a first embodiment of the invention, a database management system for the assets of an oil and gas operation includes a server in data communication with a computing device over a network. The computing device includes an interactive user interface. Memory is stored in the server and accessible by the computing device. Asset data is stored in the memory and is retrievable by the computing device. The asset data includes geospatial information defining at least one disturbance site and spatial feature information representing one or more assets located within the disturbance site. The user interface generates a digital twin of the disturbance site, including mapping all assets in the appropriate location.

In some embodiments, the interactive user interface has a display window and a tab window. The display window is automatically populated with the digital twin of the disturbance site. The system categorizes the spatial feature information by asset type and populates the tab window with the asset type categories as selectable categories. Selection of any one of the selectable categories causes the display window to automatically update the digital twin representing the disturbance site with an asset layer, where the asset layer includes all assets falling within the selected asset category. Where multiple asset categories are selected, the display window maps an asset layer for each selected asset category. The multiple asset layers are automatically combined into a common layer so the display window appears to be populated with a single asset layer.

In more elaborate embodiments of the invention, a regulatory module may also be stored in the memory and accessible by the computing device. The regulatory module is engineered to generate an output based on the asset data and display that output in the interactive user interface. The regulatory module may include a means for filtering regulations based on location. The regulatory filtering means is engineered to interpret the geospatial information to determine the precise location of the disturbance site. The regulatory filtering means thereafter pulls from the memory regulations only applicable to that precise location. In such embodiments, the asset data may also include attribute information representing the one or more assets within the disturbance site. The attribute information corresponds to nonspatial features or aspects of the one or more assets. The regulatory module may interpret the attribute information to produce an output regarding one or more of the assets. The memory may also store tabular feature information that may be linked to the spatial feature information of one or more assets. In some embodiments, any output from the regulatory module is stored as tabular information and is linked to the spatial feature information. The interactive user interface may display the output of the regulatory module as an icon in the display window that is mapped over the asset to which the output has been linked.

In further embodiments, the asset data further includes attribute information representing nonspatial features of the one or more assets at the disturbance site. The system may include an operational module stored in the memory and accessible by the computing device. Preferably, the operational module is engineered to interpret the attribute information of the one or more assets to generate an operator output. In some embodiments, the operator output may be a maintenance schedule for a subset of assets that possess common attribute information. The operator output is generated based on the common attribute information among the subset of assets.

In more elaborate embodiments of the invention, there may be a plurality of asset data stored in the memory, where each asset datum includes geospatial information defining a unique disturbance site and spatial feature information representing one or more assets located within the unique disturbance site. In some embodiments, the interactive user interface may include an operator display that generates a digital twin for each unique disturbance site. Each digital twin may be selectable in the operator display so that upon selection of one digital twin, the user interface will only display that selected digital twin.

In some embodiments, the server may be a tiered server, where each tier of the server includes a means for authenticating a user which will limit the user's access to manipulate the asset data.

These and other features of the disclosed invention will become apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the following disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed generally to a database management system and associated user interface related to a specific geographic location. The database generates a digital twin of all spatial features that are located within the disturbance site at a geographic location and is further crosslinked with one or more tabular features of the disturbance site. As used herein, the term “spatial feature” is understood to mean any physical alteration to the land. Therefore, “spatial feature” includes all physical infrastructure installed at the geospatial location but also includes things such as construction of a berm or reservoir or even an access road. A spatial feature is also understood to include reclamation activities, such as cleaning of a spill and information pertaining to the spill itself, e.g., when and precisely where the spill occurred, how much and what was spilled, etc. The term “tabular feature” is to be understood to mean all other information pertaining to intangible aspects of the operation that can be related back to one or more spatial features. For example, if the spatial feature is a berm constructed at the disturbance site, the tabular feature can be a qualitative assessment of that berm, e.g., how well the berm maintained its structure, grass and/or weed growth, etc. Other types of tabular features may include maintenance schedules for specific spatial features (e.g., required maintenance on a specific type of valve) or scheduled inspections for the spatial features or the overall disturbance site. Further, regulatory reports and other information that may be required by law or regulation would be considered tabular features and may be crosslinked back to the spatial feature or features requiring reporting. Together, spatial features and tabular features may be described broadly as asset data.

In another aspect of the inventive concepts disclosed herein, the geospatial database has an interactive user interface, which allows the end user access to the digital twin of the disturbance site and provides the user with tools useful for digesting and interacting with the database. Data representing all the spatial features is organized by category. Data representing tabular features may be crosslinked to related spatial feature data. The organized data can be presented in tabular format where each tab corresponds to a spatial or tabular feature within the limits of disturbance at the disturbance site. The user interface has means to filter and query the tabular data such that only the selected data is presented in the digital twin. These and other aspects of the interactive user interface and digital twin model will be discussed in further detail below.

The geospatial database system and associated methods of construction disclosed herein can be useful throughout the lifetime of an oil and gas operation at the disturbance site. The geospatial database is constructed in a bottom-up procedure where the first step is to identify the geographic location and set the disturbance limits defining the disturbance site.

The geospatial database can be constructed from historical data relating to a disturbance site that already has an existing oil and gas operation located thereon. Relevant spatial data may be collected from the various departments within an operator's organization. Any spatial data that has become lost or is otherwise incomplete can be supplemented with information obtained from a physical inspection of the disturbance site or otherwise obtained from third parties that may possess the relevant data. Physical inspection of the disturbance site can be provided by a person physically present at the location to collect and record relevant data, by aerial footage or still images of the location collected through use of a drone with video and image capturing capabilities, and by use of satellite imagery of the location. Video and imaging of the disturbance site may also be accomplished terrestrially using image capturing devices, e.g., drone or hand-held video capturing devices. Global Positioning System (“GPS”) systems may also be used to collect certain information about the disturbance site, e.g., longitude and latitude information and other standard geographic information. A combination of collection methods might provide the most comprehensive data collection of an existing disturbance site. Further supplementation of historical data may still be necessary and can be accomplished by analyzing any other available data corresponding to the disturbance site, which may include historical records held by one or more regulatory agencies.

Once the existing spatial data relating to the disturbance site has been collected, the data is categorized and organized according to various characteristics of the data. At a high level, spatial data can be categorized according to the type of feature to which the data corresponds. For example, spatial data may be categorized as “infrastructure,” “lines” or “well machinery.” Other categories may also be applied to the data depending on the type of operation and type of assets being utilized at the disturbance site. The spatial feature data consists of geospatial information and attribute information for each corresponding asset found at the disturbance site. The geospatial information describes the precise location of the spatial feature within the disturbance site, e.g., a containment feature labeled “A” may be located in the northwest corner of disturbance site. The geospatial information also defines the spatial feature data as either a point, line, or polygon, which provides shape to the feature in an end user's display, e.g., containment feature A may be shaped as a polygon. Attribute information describes the characteristics of the spatial feature and can be used to further subcategorize spatial data within an overarching category, e.g., containment feature A may be a ‘retention pond’ with a radius of thirty feet, a depth of fifteen feet and a liner made from poly-vinyl chloride (PVC). Thus, the geospatial information for each spatial feature data entry defines the precise location of the feature in the disturbance site that corresponds to the real-world location of that feature. The geospatial information further provides shape to the feature, and the attribute information provides details on the underlying characteristics of that spatial feature.

Tabular feature data may include only attribute information describing the characteristics of that data. There is no geospatial information for tabular feature data, rather, tabular feature data can be crosslinked to one or more spatial features in the overall data structure. Further, multiple tabular feature data entries can be crosslinked to a single spatial feature in the overall data structure. For example, a qualitative assessment of grass and weed growth around containment features may be crosslinked to all the containment features at a disturbance site: e.g., the retention pond (containment feature A) from the above example and a berm (containment feature B) constructed near the pond. A second qualitative assessment on the effectiveness of water retention in the pond can also be crosslinked to only the retention pond (containment feature A). Other examples can include tabular feature data detailing required maintenance on certain components of a spatial feature. Such “maintenance” tabular data can be crosslinked to each spatial feature that has the specific component with the required maintenance at a disturbance site. Numerous other examples of the interaction between spatial and tabular data features will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the remaining discussion.

Turning to the figures,FIG.1is a high level block diagram illustrating an example of the network architecture of a geospatial database system100according to one aspect of the present invention. The geospatial database system100has a primary server102connected over a network110to one or more client devices (or simply clients)112a,112b,112c. Clients112a,112b,112cmay be referred to collectively or generically herein as client112. The primary server102can be a cloud based server, i.e., a server that is operated and maintained in the cloud environment and invisible to the client. For example, the primary server102may be a cloud based server maintained through Amazon Web Services®. Alternatively, the primary server102may be a local server connected through a network. The client112amay include a web browser installed on a desktop computer or mobile phone for accessing the Internet. Client112bmay be a desktop or handheld computer or smartphone running an application configured to communicate with the server102. Client112cmay be any other means by which the primary server102can access, or be accessed by, a device over the network110. Generally speaking, clients112a-112callow an operator and/or field worker to access the geospatial database system remotely while performing field work at a disturbance site. Access to the geospatial database system through clients112a-112cis not limited to field work but is also useful in performing editing and analytics work from other locations such as an office. As will be explained in more detail below, the client112a-112ceach display a unique interactive user interface that has a plurality of different functionalities and can be customized to an operator's specific need at a specific time.

In some instances, a field worker using a remote client112to access server102, such as via a mobile phone application, can “check out” relevant data from the geospatial database system100to have a disconnected workflow environment which allows the operator to update and edit the data while working remotely in the field. This feature of the system can be particularly useful when the disturbance site is in a remote location with limited or no network connectivity. The updated data is thereafter checked back into the system100when connectivity has returned and the system is automatically updated with the new data entries.

Data entry into the geospatial database system100can be inputted through direct data entries101aand through third-party indirect data entries101b. Direct data entries101acan be historical information that an operator has access to that relates to the disturbance site as well as previous and future site assessments and/or inspections. Satellite and other types of aerial imagery of the disturbance site can also be input to the system100through direct data entry101a. Indirect data entries101bmay be generated from an automated capture of information from third-party sources that are publicly available or otherwise accessible by the system. For example, weather data pertaining to the geospatial location may be pulled from third-party weather services and uploaded into the system100automatically. Throughout the life of an Oil and Gas operation at a given disturbance site, the system100will be continuously updated through both direct data entries101aand indirect data entries101b.

In preferred embodiments, the primary server102may have three tiers. For example, the primary server102may have a geodata tier104, a services tier106, and a portal tier108. Each tier104,106and108of the primary server102stores distinct information and functionalities to allow the multiple tiers104,106and108to cooperate to achieve the desired functionality of the geospatial database system100including visual presentation of information to the clients112. The portal tier108provides a main communication link between the primary server102and the client users112over the network110. The tiered nature of the primary server102also increases security of the database system100by ensuring that a user may only be permitted access to approved data.

Within geodata tier104there is at least one geodatabase. Preferably, there is a plurality of geodatabases114a-114bwhere each geodatabase114a,114bcorresponds to a specific operator and all disturbance sites held by that operator. Note,FIG.1only illustrates two unique geodatabases114aand114bbut it is understood that a geodatabase is stored in the geospatial database system100for each operator holding a unique disturbance site. Herein, geodatabase114may refer collectively or generically to one or more operators' geodatabases within geodata tier104.

The geodatabase114may be a relational database, e.g., a PostgreSQL relational database, that functions with a post geographic information system (PostGIS) extension117, such as Esri's ArcSDE extension that operates in the ArcGIS environment. The PostGIS extension117is stored within the services tier106of the primary server102. The geodatabases114are relational databases that store and organize the spatial feature data and tabular feature data in such a manner that each geodatabase114is a digital twin of the disturbance site. The geodatabases114are spatially enabled by the PostGIS extension117of the services tier104such that the client users112are served up with an interactive digital map representing the disturbance site with all spatial features mapped thereon.

The geodata tier104also stores imagery, such as drone or satellite imagery, of the disturbance site as tile cache data and raster data. Each geodatabase114a,114bhas its own tile cache115a,115band raster data116a,116bof imagery pertaining to a disturbance site of that operator. As the number of geodatabases114stored in the geodata tier104increases, tile cache data115and raster data116entries similarly increases. Each tile cache data115and raster data116is unique to the corresponding geodatabase114.

As used herein, tile cache115may refer collectively or generically to one or more tile cache date entries pertaining to one or more geodatabases114. Similarly, raster data116may refer collectively or generically to one or more raster data entries pertaining to one or more geodatabases114.

The services tier106stores additional functionalities that interact with data stored in the geodata tier104. For example, the additional functionalities may include a regulatory module118, an environmental module119, and an operational module120stored in the services tier106. Each of these modules118,119and120access the geodata tier104via the PostGIS extension117to maintain spatial enablement of the data being accessed by any one or more of the modules.

As stated at the outset, oil and gas operations are subjected to extensive regulations imposed by local, state and federal governmental agencies. These regulations can vary from location to location. Further, regulations are continually evolving and changing overtime. Thus, in one example of the regulatory module118, the module can pull the regulations applicable to a specific disturbance site by interpreting the geospatial data to determine the precise location of the disturbance site, e.g., disturbance site located in county A in state B on federal land. A user can thereafter select a particular regulation that governs compliance for that particular location and the system100can produce the required report with the relevant data from that disturbance site relating to that same regulation. In preferred implementations, the system100can automatically produce the required report by pre-populating relevant or required entries with the relevant data. For instance, operations in some states on federal land are required to periodically produce specific maps of the disturbance site that have been signed and verified as accurate by the site surveyor or engineer. A user can select the applicable regulation through an interface with the regulatory module118in the system100and the module can produce the required map with the appropriate spatial features mapped thereon for the surveyor/engineer to review and approve. If the surveyor/engineer is permitted access to the system100, that user can electronically sign the map or, where they do not have access to the system, a hardcopy of the map can be printed and physically signed and thereafter reuploaded to the system. Updating the database system100with the completed site map will similarly update the regulatory module118so that it can predicate the next instance the same regulation will be implicated and require compliance. In this manner, the module118can dynamically track compliance at a specific disturbance site and automatically update the database system100with the necessary information. Numerous other possibilities of the functionality of the regulatory module118are also present. In essence, the output from the regulatory module118is dependent on the disturbance site location and the regulation(s) selected by the user for compliance. Preferably, the regulatory module118will only present a user with the option to select regulations that are applicable to the specific disturbance site based on the geospatial information and filter out all other regulations that do not apply based on the location information.

In similar fashion, the operational module120can be used to produce reports detailing any required or suggested maintenance schedules specific to that disturbance site or any other operational need found at the site. The operational module120can work in conjunction with the regulatory module118and the environmental module119to produce a report detailing maintenance or other operational needs that may be required by regulation or to address an environmental issue, such as a spill caused by a faulty mechanical component, at the site. The operational module120interprets the attribute information for specific spatial features to produce the outputted report. Information such as manufacturer's suggested maintenance, last maintenance performance date, last inspection date, replacement parts and any other information pertaining to that spatial feature can be stored as attribute information in the geodatabase114of the system100for the operational module120to digest and interpret in producing various reports. For instance, manufacturer A may suggest performance of routine maintenance every six to nine months on mechanical component B. This information is stored in geodatabase114as attribute information for each occurrence of mechanical component B in the geodatabase. The operational module120interprets this attribute information for each instance of mechanical component B and provides a report detailing the suggested maintenance dates based on the last maintenance performance date and/or the date of installation. When an operator or field worker performs the maintenance, the performance date can be uploaded into the geodatabase for each mechanical component B that maintenance was performed on at that time and saved as attribute information for that component. The operational module120can thereafter interpret the updated geodatabase114to produce an updated report detailing the next suggested maintenance dates.

In a second example of the operational module120, a field worker may identify a specific valve, e.g., valve X, that is not operating properly. The field worker can identify the spatial feature corresponding to valve X and tag it with an “operational need” that will identify the required work and provide details on the project for the operational module120. The “operational need” can be stored as attribute information for the spatial feature data entry of valve X. The operational module120can interpret the attribute information and, based on the details provided by the field worker, produce the output report detailing the work that is needed to remedy the faulty valve X. The report may be stored in the geodatabase114as a tabular feature that is crosslinked to the spatial feature entry for valve X. A second field worker can be assigned to the operational need and can view the report outputted from the operational module120and accomplish the required tasks, e.g., fix or replace valve X. Upon completion of the task, the second field worker can upload such information into the system causing the operational module120to resolve the identified task.

The environmental module119can produce a variety of reports depending on the type of activity undertaken. The environmental module119can be useful throughout the lifetime of an operation at a disturbance site and particularly useful at the end of the life of that operation. For example, during the lifetime of an operation, a spill might occur at the disturbance site which requires specific cleanup activities to be undertaken. The environmental module119can produce a report of the spill, set the necessary steps to ensure the cleanup is accomplished in accordance with any applicable regulations and then produce a final report to outline the necessary details regarding the spill and cleanup activities. The environmental module119can also be used at the end of the life of a disturbance site. In such case, the environmental module119can outline all steps necessary to return the disturbance site back to its original state and produce a final report detailing the final reclamation activities undertaken at the disturbance site. The environmental module119will interact with and cooperate with the remaining modules to include any other information in the final report that may be required by law or regulation. The interaction and cooperation between the modules is not limited to this final scenario but rather the modules continuously interact and cooperate together throughout all uses of the system100.

Other examples of the environmental module119can include required inspections as well as qualitative and quantitative assessments of activities undertaken at the operation site. For instance, an operation may be required by regulation to have means to retain storm water and there may be mandatory scheduled inspections to ensure compliance with those regulations. In one output from the environmental module119an inspection schedule can be produced for storm water retention. Further, the environmental module119may simultaneously tag any other aspects of the operation at that given disturbance site that may also be up for a mandatory inspection around the same time as the storm water retention inspection is scheduled. In this manner, the module119may be used to inform the operator of all inspection needs at a given disturbance site that are required by regulation to be completed within a specific time frame. In this use case, the environmental module119will interface with the regulatory module118to identify any required inspection timelines for the disturbance site as a whole and for individual components utilized at the site.

In another aspect, the environmental module119may be used to produce a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the storm water retention activities undertaken at the site. This may include an assessment of the quantity of water retained versus the expected retention and the durability of the retention means, e.g., whether the retention pond maintained its shape or has begun eroding or degrading to a point that maintenance is required. The water retention assessment example may involve an automated analysis of the tile cache115and raster data116of the disturbance site as a whole and for the specific spatial feature or spatial features being assessed. If a maintenance need is identified, the environmental module119can crosslink with the operational module120to identify the maintenance need and produce a responsive report for a field worker to accomplish the task. The report is stored as a tabular feature data entry that is crosslinked with the relevant spatial feature data entry or entries in the geodatabase114of the system100.

The modules118,119and120work together through the PostGIS extension117to generate expert system100. The expert system100can automatically produce reports responsive to a user's input and populate those reports with the requisite information from one of the geodatabases114. The modules118-120cooperate together to pull all information relevant to a user's input and compile it into the outputted report. In one example, input101amay be a complete inspection report of the disturbance site that identifies excessive weed growth in one area, failing berm in another area, and valve X on line A has a leak. The expert system100interprets this inspection report (i.e., direct data entry101a) so that each applicable module is activated and a proper report is generated. Continuing with this example, the system100may activate the operational module120to tag the specific area identified with excessive weed growth with a maintenance need and to tag the specific berm with a separate maintenance need. The regulatory module118is similarly activated to ensure performance of any maintenance may be done in accordance with the applicable regulations. The system100may activate all three modules118-120when considering valve X leaking on line A. The environmental module119may cooperate with the regulatory module118to generate a report detailing the necessary cleanup procedures while the operational module120in conjunction with the regulatory module may generate a report detailing the maintenance and repair needs to fix the leak.

In a further example, if a spill occurs at the site, the spill must be cleaned and the land restored. However, specifics of the cleanup process may be required by regulation and certain details regarding the reclamation activities taken may be required in a final report. The expert system100will pull the relevant information from the regulatory module118and the environmental module119so that the operator can quickly and efficiently satisfy both reclamation and regulatory reporting requirements. Additionally, where the spill may have been caused by a mechanical failure, the expert system100can pull information from the operational module120that can be useful in identifying and fixing the cause of the spill and include such information in the generated report.

There are many more examples of the cooperation and interaction of the various modules118-120that result in the expert system100and can save an operator significant time and resources in managing the assets of an operation. A further benefit of the expert system100is the automatic generation and storage of a historic trail of the activities undertaken at a given disturbance site, which historic trial may also be required in some regulatory submissions. For instance, the system100will store and track the initial date entry101identifying any need at the disturbance site (e.g., historical record of who conducted a site inspection, on what date and at what time), store and track the output from the system in response to the initial data entry (e.g., report assigned to specific worker to address one or more of the specific identified needs at the disturbance site), and store and track the final completion of the work (e.g., final input into the system closing out the work assignment will track specific field worker who completed the work on a specific date and time). This historic trail is generated as a byproduct of the system100.

FIG.2is a diagram of one example of the asset data structure stored in the geodatabase114of the system. Each spatial data entry202comprises geospatial information202aand attribute information202b, as explained above and detailed further below. The geospatial information202aof each data entry202can be interpreted by the PostGIS extension117of the expert system100to accurately place a corresponding spatial feature on the map400served up to the end user through the interactive user interface500. The PostGIS extension117can interpret shape information stored as part of the geospatial information202ato provide geometry to the mapped feature. The attribute information202bcan interface with modules118to120to produce reports responsive to a user query.

Tabular data entries204are also contained within the asset data200. The tabular data entries204are crosslinked with one or more specific spatial data entries202such that the tabular data can be tied to a specific spatial feature. For instance, a tabular data entry204can represent a qualitative assessment of the grass planted on a berm, e.g., an assessment report output from the environmental module119and tied to the berm-specific spatial data entry202. The qualitative assessment is related to that spatial feature, e.g., the berm, in the abstract sense that the assessment is on the quality of grass planted at the berm. However, the assessment may represent an analysis of multiple disturbance sites within a common geospatial location that have used a common grass type on berm constructions. Thus, the tabular data entries204, while tied to at least one spatial data entry202in one data structure200, can also be crosslinked across multiple data structures of multiple geodatabases114representing multiple distinct disturbance sites. Alternatively, the assessment may be conducted at a single disturbance site that has multiple containment features with a common grass type, e.g., berms with grass Y. In such an example, each of the containment features, e.g., each independent berm, has a unique geospatial location within the site but a common feature has been assessed among them, e.g., the quality of grass Y growth. Thus, the tabular data entries204can also be crosslinked to multiple spatial features202within the same data structure200.

For purposes of discussion and the sake of clarity,FIG.3is a simplified version ofFIG.2, illustrating an asset data structure300and the interaction with modules118-120in expert system100.FIG.4is an illustrative example of a map400of the asset data structure300ofFIG.3that can populate a display window as part of the interactive user interface500(FIG.5). The map400is one option in which an end-user can interface with the asset data through the expert system100, as will be explained in more detail below. The map400is a digital twin of the disturbance site from the real world, e.g., the map400replicates the real world oil and gas operation at a given disturbance site, with the oil and gas assets mapped according to the real world locations thereof.

At the highest level, the asset data structure300defines a geospatial location A301. Depending on the operator and specific uses of expert system100, the geospatial location301can define a state only or a specific city or county within the state. Thus, geospatial information202aof the geospatial location301can be used by the various modules118-120to create a backdrop on which the geodatabase114operates. For instance, if the geospatial information202afor geospatial location301defines the site as being in county A in Colorado, the regulatory module118can automatically pull the federal regulations pertaining to the operation as well as any specific state and county regulations relevant to that location. In this scenario, the regulatory module118can ignore other state-specific regulations, for example, those pertaining to Texas, since the operation is located only in Colorado and thus only subjected to Colorado law in addition to federal law. Similarly, the regulatory module118, based on the geospatial location301, knows only to pull regulations applicable to county A and ignore other Colorado county regulations. Thus, from the start, the geospatial location301provides the backdrop with which the modules118-120can begin to pull information relevant to that specific location only for the system100to work with and use. Alternatively, where an operator has multiple operations within a single state, the geospatial location301may be set to the state level, e.g., Texas. In this manner, the regulatory module118can pull all Texas-specific and federal regulations to create the backdrop. Thereafter, the geospatial information for each specific disturbance site302located within the larger geospatial location301can be used by the regulatory module118to filter out inapplicable regulations based on the location data. In some cases, the regulations may be the same for each of the multiple disturbance sites within a larger geospatial location. However, in other cases, there may be regulations imposed at the local level that will only be applicable to those disturbance sites within the locality. In these cases, the specific geospatial information of each disturbance site302provides the next level of filtering for the regulatory module118to filter out inapplicable regulations based on the precise location of the disturbance site. In essence, the modules118-120immediately begin interpreting the data to create a dynamic backdrop on which the system100operates.

The disturbance site302is the precise location, contained within the broader geospatial location301, where the oil and gas operation is located. The map400displays the disturbance site302and sets the outermost disturbance limits302a, which define the boundary of the disturbance. The spatial features at the disturbance site302are contained within the disturbance limits302a. The geospatial information is unique for each disturbance site301. Additionally, a unique location ID may be assigned to each disturbance site302. The location ID may come from historical records or be newly assigned to the site. Thus, assigning the location ID to each disturbance site302can ease future regulatory reporting requirements where such ID had been relied upon in the past, and provides for familiarity and consistency between the expert system100and historical records and regulatory reports.

Contained within the disturbance site limits302aare all the spatial features representing the assets present at the real-world oil and gas operation. The geospatial information for each spatial feature data entry defines the precise location of the feature within the disturbance site limits302a. The shape information (e.g., point, line or polygon) for each spatial feature data entry allows the PostGIS extension117to provide geometric attributes to the feature on the map400.

The asset data structure300categorizes spatial features based on the type of asset the features falls within. For example, the asset data structure300includes a lines category306, a well machinery category308and an infrastructure category310. Each asset category308,308and310generates an asset layer in the map400that includes all spatial features falling within that category. The map400displays these asset layers as a single, common asset layer mapped over the appropriate assets.

For instance, in the example illustrated inFIGS.3-4, the geospatial information for the secondary containment334spatial feature sets the feature in the southwest corner of the disturbance site302, which corresponds to its actual location in the real-world. The shape information stored under the geospatial information for secondary containment334feature would be listed as a “polygon” which allows the PostGIS extension117to provide the geometric attributes to the feature rendering its final form, as shown on map400.

Continuing with the secondary containment334example, tabular feature data entries, such as output348from the operational module120can be crosslinked to the spatial feature334. The output348informs the operator of a need tied to the secondary containment334feature. In the illustrated example, the output348is an identified maintenance need. By crosslinking the output348with the spatial feature334in the data structure300, the map400spatially represents the output348proximate to spatial feature334, e.g., the system100can place an icon, such as a triangle, close to or on top of the spatial feature to inform a user viewing the map there is some outstanding need tied to that spatial feature. For example, map400indicates a need by placing output348near the secondary containment334feature. An operator of the system100can view the output348by selecting the icon, e.g., the triangle in the illustrative map400, to view details on the output348which informs the operator of, for example, a maintenance need at spatial feature334. With this information, a field operator at the disturbance site302can readily identify, locate and fulfill the outstanding maintenance work required for spatial feature334based on the details provided in output348. Upon fulfillment, the operator can update the system100to indicate fulfilment, which will thereafter remove the maintenance need348from the map400. Information on the fulfillment can be stored within the overall system to maintain accurate records of work completed at the disturbance site302.

FIG.5ais a first view of one example of an interactive user interface500according to aspects of the present invention. The interactive user interface500presents the data stored in system100in a workable and user friendly manner. The user interface500presents an interactive map of the disturbance site502with the spatial features mapped thereon. The disturbance site502includes all things above and below ground within the limits of the bolded line502, delineating the outer limits of the disturbance site. The interactive user interface500includes a display window520and a tab window522. The display window520is populated with the map524representing the digital twin of the asset data structure, e.g., the map400populates display window520as a digital twin of the asset data structure300.

The tab window522of the user interface500includes a legend504to inform the user of the meaning of the various symbols and lines displayed on the map. For instance, each icon501indicated on the interface500informs the user that there is a “pipeline point” that is a “riser” at that exact position. The user can thereafter select that point to view additional attribute information by clicking on an icon501in the display window520of the user interface500. For instance, when a user manipulates their cursor to select or “click” on the point506, a secondary display window508(FIG.5b) pops up. The secondary display window508presents the attribute information for the selected spatial feature. The information presented in the display window508will depend on the feature selected, as will be explained in more detail below.

The user interface500also has content filtering means510(FIGS.6a-6b) accessible in the tab window522. The content filtering means510allows the user to customize the view of the user interface500by turning off or on certain asset categories511. Specifically, the content filtering means510will inform the map524populating the display window520. The asset categories511correspond to the spatial data entries202and tabular data entries204for the asset data structure200. The content filtering means510can be a simple check box512that allows the user to turn on and off the selected assets based on category type511. For instance, inFIG.6a, all asset categories511have been selected, meaning the display window520of the interface500displays all the spatial and tabular features entered into the system100for that specific disturbance site502. The user can deselect certain categories, e.g., production lines and berm containment, by deselecting those asset categories511using the content filtering means510. By deselecting certain asset categories511, the system100removes the asset layer of those features from the display window520. The asset categories511that remain selected are mapped into the common asset layer to present the map524in the display window520. As can be seen inFIG.6b, a user has deselected “production lines” and “berm containment” using the content filtering means510so the display window520no longer maps the spatial features, i.e., assets, falling under either of those categories. CompareFIG.6a, which shows an outline representing the “berm containment” spatial features and numerous lines representing “production lines,” withFIG.6bwhich no longer presents these features in the display window520.

FIG.7is another exemplary view of a secondary display screen508accessible via the user interface500. The secondary display screen508presents the user in the display window520with the attribute information514for a selected feature. The attribute information514is dependent on the feature selected. For instance, the feature selected inFIG.7is the disturbance site502and thus the attribute information514provides the user with information about the overall site, including ownership and location of the site, type of operation (e.g., disturbance), and other information that is applicable to the entire location. The display window also informs a user of any attachments516that have been linked to that feature. The attachments516may be any type of multimedia attachment, such as a photo or video. For instance, the attachment516attached to the disturbance site502in the secondary display window508features a photograph of the operator's identification sign (FIG.8) that would be found at the entrance of the site and has useful information pertaining to the operation as well as emergency contact information.

FIG.9is a first exemplary view of an operator interface according to the present invention. The operator interface600has an operator map602that populates an operator display window601. The operator map602displays one or more disturbance sites502that are controlled by a common operator for a given geospatial location. Note, the map602ofFIG.9is zoomed out significantly such that all the disturbance sites502owned by a single operator can be viewed. The operator display600also includes an assignment window603for assigning and tracking the progress for various workorders604, e.g., maintenance need348from the above example, from the one or more modules118to120. The operator interface600filters the workorders604based on whether the operator has assigned the workorder to a field worker. For instance, in the operator interface600displayed inFIG.9, there have been ninety-seven assigned workorders606and zero unassigned workorders605.

The operator interface600also displays a number of total completed workorders608. For any workorders604that must be completed within a specific time or by a certain date, the operator interface600has a time sensitive workorder display610. In the example provided inFIG.9, the time sensitive workorder display610is set to a weekly reporting basis, i.e., “Items Due this Week.” An operator may change the reporting basis to a larger or smaller timeframe depending on the specific needs. The time sensitive workorder display610includes a count option612and a list option614. When the count option612is selected, the time sensitive workorder display610informs the operator of the total number of workorders604that are due within the set timeframe. When the list option614is selected, the time sensitive workorder display610will present a list of all the workorders604that are due within the set timeframe.

The operator interface600also has a monthly reporting display616that can alternate between a monthly count618and a monthly assignment620. The monthly count618merely shows the total number of workorders604that have been completed in the timeframe set whereas the monthly assignment620provides a list of the completed workorders604within the same set timeframe.

In another aspect of the operator interface600, there is a means for filtering the workorders604displayed on the operator map602. In one variation, the filtering means622can be based on the field worker to whom a workorder604is assigned. For example, using the field worker filtering means622, an operator can select “M&E Oilfield Services & Trucking” which causes the operator map602to display all the disturbance sites502with a workorder604assigned to M&E Oilfield Services & Trucking. In another variation, the filtering means624can be based on the type of activity involved in the workorder, e.g., maintenance need, inspection, corrective action, etc. For example, an operator can select a “Corrective Action (post-reclamation, aka final stabilization initiated)” filtering option and the operator map602will display all corresponding workorders604that involve that type of activity, regardless of which field worker has been assigned the workorder. In preferred embodiments, the operator interface600includes both the field worker filtering means622and the activity type filtering means624. Further, the filtering means622and624preferably function cooperatively so that an operator can use both filtering means at the same time to arrive at the desired results.

FIG.10is a first exemplary view of an assessment display interface that may be accessed via the operator interface600. The assessment display interface630can display one or more outputs from the modules118to120. The assessments display630provides a tabulated list of assessment types632and a map634for displaying one or more disturbance sites502for a given geospatial location that are controlled by a common operator. An operator can select one of the assessment types632from the tabulated list which will then present the operator with results636for the selected assessment type632directly in the listing.FIG.11is a second view of the assessment display interface630after selection of an assessment type632has been made. The results636displays a listing of all the completed assessments for the selected assessment type632for each of the various disturbance sites502controlled by the operator. For example, inFIG.11an operator has selected the “Topsoil Stockpile Present” assessment type632awhich will produce a list of all the results636responsive to that assessment type. From the results list636, the operator can thereafter select an individual result636afrom the list which will cause the map634to zoom in to the disturbance site502for the selected result636a. Information regarding the selected result636awill be displayed as a listing in the results636and in a popup display window638in the map634over the disturbance site502pertaining to the selected result. If the operator changes selection, e.g., selects the result636b, the map634will change its view to the disturbance site502that is linked to result636b. In this manner, an operator can easily switch between results636responsive to the selected assessment type632with the map634continuously updating to display the disturbance site502corresponding to the selected result.

FIG.12is a further alternative view of the assessment display after selection of a result. An operator can click on the result636a, which causes a functions window640to pop up. The functions window640offers the operator various functionalities to select from, such as exporting the individual result636aas a geographic JavaScript object syntax (“GeoJSON”) file or comma-separated values (“CSV”) file. JSON is a conventional text-based format for representing structured data based on JavaScript object syntax. JSON is conventionally used for transmitting data in web applications (e.g., transmitting data from the server to the client so it can be displayed on a web page, or vice versa).

In further embodiments of the expert system100, a rating system may be implemented with the assessment results636. In this manner, an operator can send out daily reports if the results of a particular assessment indicate a low or falling quality at the disturbance site or any other type of ongoing performance failure at the disturbance site resulting a low grade assessment.

FIG.13is a first exemplary view of an assignment interface according to the present invention. The assignment interface700includes a display window701and a tabulated window703. The display window701is populated with a map702and the tabulated window703includes an assignment list704. The assignment interface700has means to create new assignments706. The interface700also has means for an operator to filter the active assignments708in the tabulated assignments list704. The assignment filtering means708can allow an operator to filter the active assignments based on a variety of different characteristics, e.g., status, due date, assignee, priority of assignment, etc. The map702displays the active assignments710and the active field workers712at that time. For instance, each solid circle on the map702represents an active assignment710while each circle containing initials represents an active field worker712at that location. In this manner, an operator can send out assignments to the various field workers based on their current proximity to the disturbance site that requires work.

When an operator has successfully created an assignment through the assignment interface700, the operator interface600updates automatically to include the newly created assignment. In this manner, the assignment interface700and the operator interface600cooperate together. Further, to the extent an end user has been assigned one or more assignments, the interactive user interface500will display the assignment, e.g., output348, proximate to a corresponding spatial feature depending on the details provided by the operator when creating the assignment.

While many of the inventive concepts have been described herein in relation to oil and gas operations, the inventive concepts as a whole are not limited to any one particular industry. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are equally applicable to other industries that may have a “living” infrastructure tied to a specific geospatial location. For example, the disclosed inventive concepts could be applied to a database constructed for a power plant, chemical processing plant or other type of infrastructure projects that is subject to ongoing regulatory compliance in an everchanging regulatory scheme.