Data Governance, Privacy, Data Sharing Challenges
Authors: Purohit Pankaj , Al Nuaimi Fatema , Nakkolakkal Safeer 
Published: May 2024

Executive Summary

Oil and Gas Company spends millions of $ on logging operations activity every year. Managing and tracking of well logs data from field acquisition through processing to interpretation has been a challenge, well log data delivery workflow was manual and not streamlined leading to disruption of the data flow and several data issues such as Timely availability, Quality, Completeness & Loss of data. These issues of Data Governance, Privacy, Data Sharing Challenges cause Geoscientists and Engineers to spend their valuable time on low level tasks such as searching, correcting, re-acquiring the data rather than focusing on their core tasks of analysis and interpretation.

Data Management initiated an in house developed automated, integrated, and comprehensive workflow in the form of Corporate Well Log Platform See Figure 1 and 2, to overcome these Data Governance challenges, save $ investment on logging operation activities which provided the right data timely to the business needs. Streamline the processes of tracking, quality checking, archiving, publishing, and managing the well logs is vital to any Oil company.

A controlled environment had provided Oil and Gas Company with the opportunity to enrich the data store & conduct major field reviews, carry out faster appraisal and future field development to meet company production target for economic growth of the country. This in-house developed Corporate Well Log has become an important tool as a source of providing valuable information related to sub-surface geology and hydrocarbon resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the management and tracking of well logs data from the field acquisition through processing to interpretation along with the business and data sharing challenges, process work-flow standardization.

The study findings suggest that automated, integrated, and comprehensive web-based workflow solution helps to overcome the challenges, saving approximately $7.5m. by securing $ investment and increasing the data completeness. Moreover, with the timely availability of quality data, completeness & Loss of data over the time cause Geoscientists and Engineers to spend their valuable time on searching, correcting, re-acquiring the data rather than focusing on their core tasks of analysis and interpretation. Data governance through automated processes ensures that important data assets are managed efficiently throughout the enterprise its life cycle while ensuring proper time management for the company.

The main results of this project are as follows: In-house e-well logs Solution development & IntegrationEstablishing Well Log Data Governanceworkflow mapping along the well log business processautomated Emails, Reminders, Dashboard, ReportsEnrich corporate well log data repository.

The novelty of current research specifies the significance for the implantation of well-logs data process automation for the first time in history of the Oil and Gas Company Group. By establishing such process of "Well Log Data Governance", Oil and Gas companies can enhance core business process of monitoring and preserve E&P data for future generation & field development. However, for achieving such operational excellence, there is a strong need for the automation of business processes and workflows.