Practical Well Log Standards
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Sponsors
Phase II of this project is expected to be sponsored by Phase I sponsors and
member companies, including oil companies, well log data acquisition
companies (including LWD companies) and well log interpretation/processing
software/database companies.
Terms
In order to complete phase II as outlined, a funding level of approximately
$100,000 is anticipated. This covers approximately 90 person-days of effort for
POSC and contract/industry expert personnel. This also covers funds for
travel and expenses for hosting work group and public review meetings in
both the United States and Europe. No capital expenditures are budgeted
for the project.Individual sponsor funding requirements will be determined,
depending on the number of sponsors and on whether Phase II is prioritized
sufficiently high to be funded at least in part by membership fees. All intellectual property rights for this project will remain with
POSC.
Sponsor Benefits
Project sponsors have direct participation in the project thus setting priorities,
providing input on values, helping to set business value, etc. Additionally,
project sponsors will have access to the deliverables in advance of the public release.
Project Description
This project is designed in phases. The first phase covered standards for approximately
60 well logging
tools. (For counting purposes only, logging tools that record multiple well log traces or
curves are counted, but those tools that record one or only a few
curves are grouped together.) The first phase
concentrated on curves acquired during a well site logging operation; i.e. on acquisition
curves as opposed to processed curves. Curve attributes defined
included: Curve references (including their characteristics and structure), assessment of
business value and acquisition tool attributes. Tool attributes defined
included: tool string name, tool string description and generic tool string name.
(Illustrations of attributes and reference values can be found in the Phase
I results.)The intent of the second phase is to add the equivalent of another
60 tools. These will be split between additional ‘new/current technology
tools’ and ‘older technology’ tools with the objective of providing
coverage across all tools that produced data likely to be used by oil companies
for formation evaluation purposes. Phase II will also address key composite
curves and CPI data sets. (Note: these are the simple data sets produced for
generalist usage, not full petrophysical curve sets.)
Phase II will complete the building of the Web-based source for easy access
to tool and curve data. Procedures will be implemented for service companies to
add information for new tools and for a moderating group to enhance the generic
industry classification data.
It is expected that the Phase II of the project will require funding of
approximately $100,000. This phase, as outlined, is anticipated to last
approximately six months with early deliverables available after three months.
Third and succeeding phases will address other well logging and related activities,
as determined by the interested parties. Each succeeding phase will also have a
short duration and modest cost.
Overall Objectives:
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reduce costs through process improvement
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increase data knowledge
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improve data access by supporting context views
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improve data loading efficiency
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reduce time for data preparation and acceptance for data exchange/sale
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increase accessibility and understanding of logging data by non-petrophysicists.
Phase II Objectives:
Use and refine the business rules for sorting curves into defined classifications
defined in Phase I.Define standard attributes for an additional 60 logging
tools using the techniques developed in Phase I:
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curve type attributes would include: Property type reference values (including
their structure), assessment of Business Value, acquisition tool attributes
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tool attributes would include: tool string name, tool string description,
generic tool string name
Provide curve classification standards to enable easier use and sharing of
petrophysical data across the industry.
Business Impact
Log data consumers are over whelmed with the amount of data they are receiving.
Currently there are over 50,000 different types of well log curves; yet,
most will agree that the number of commonly used well log curves is somewhere in the neighborhood of 500. The main objective of this project will be to clarify, simplify and standardize this complex
environment for the expert and non-expert alike, focusing on the most-used,
most-valuable types of curves.
The benefits from this entire project will include:
- Reduced costs
Globally, a huge amount of resource is wasted in maintaining local database load lists and naming convention initiatives which inevitably become outdated as soon as they are created. A centralized, responsive mechanism as proposed by this project will be far more efficient.
- Reduction in lost data, and, by implication, lost information and lost revenue. It is not uncommon for purchased data to be, effectively, thrown away because it would cost more to understand the data then it would to reacquire the data. Field studies are completely redone at a significant cost because:
- Data from previous studies can't be identified
- Data from the previous studies can't be adequately understood
- Lack of confidence in the previous results primarily due to the inability to understand the archived results from the previous studies.
- Improved data interchange
- At the organizational level - data purchases, trades and sharing of data on JV projects
- At the database level - data transfer between long-term storage and the short-term working (project) environment
- Improved data usage within your organization
- Better communication of the usefulness of the data from the acquisition contractors
- Generic naming will enable non-expert users to find and understand results from petrophysics groups. For example, geophysicists will easily be able to identify the appropriate
curves to use in generating a synthetic seismogram. Similarly, geologists will be able to easily identify
curves suitable for correlation and the construction of stratigraphic and structural cross sections.
- More effective use of technology from software suppliers
- All too frequently both databases and applications are delivered to customers without sufficient guidance for using them in the most effective way. The
organization of data, which is what this project addresses, is a key factor in getting the most out these technologies.
This project, by concentrating on the high-value curve and well-log attributes, should help anyone who is involved with loading, maintaining and using well-log data, irrespective of the technology they are using (assuming it has basic support for attributes).
Project Deliverables
The emphasis is to make sure deliverables are accessible and directly useable. We will use Web-based
access to ensure that the industry can get to needed information and also to facilitate frequent updating to keep the standards current.
Phase II of the project will:
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Use and refine business rules for sorting curves/tools/services into defined classifications
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Compile and enhance well log curve list for additional designated tools and
other data sets. (The additional tools to be determined by the Project Steering Committee.)
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Define additional generic names for curves and services (tool suites) for
POSC to maintain and distribute as part of the industry standard.
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Distribute expanded and enhanced proposed industry standards (generic names) to project participants in agreed format.
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Provide immediate access to new tools/curves; release enhanced industry standard
classification information on a pre-defined schedule following a simple peer
moderation procedure.
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Maintain a project database of reference and work-in-progress information.
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Produce usage examples and/or sample queries to demonstrate the
usability of defined standards.
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Distribute recommendations to POSC membership and invite public review
of material.
Impact on Current POSC Specifications
Prior to Phase I, generic names for logging services had not been part of the POSC reference
value set. This project is defining curve classifications in
more detail and with more scrutiny than the earlier set of curve classifications
defined by POSC. Most importantly, this project will develop a peer
reviewed set of classifications. The prior POSC values did not undergo such a review.
Changes will have to be made to the POSC well log curve classifications and the classifications defined for logging
services will have to be added. The attributes for well log curve classifications will also have to
be added to the POSC classifications.
Roles
POSC will serve as project manager using the POSC open process to ensure
completeness and fairness in the development of new and revised specifications.
POSC employees will perform technical work supplemented by the active participation
of sponsor companies. POSC will consult with industry experts for leadership
and guidance. Member participants will contribute to technical reviews
and be actively involved in presentations and technical workshops. Dave
Camden, Flare Consultants, will act as the Technical Project Leader under
contract to POSC. POSC will maintain and publish the specifications added to or refined
by this project.
Last modified: Nov. 26, 2001. Send questions and comments
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