Twenty years ago, no one could have predictedhow much our lives would rely on data transmis-sion. Advances in communication technologyand data transfer have revolutionized the waypeople shop, access financial accounts, pursueamusements, converse, learn and interact withtheir world. Nearly every area of human activityhas been affected in some way by high-speeddata links, satellite transmission and communi-cation networks.

Technological developments in the last decadehave made data delivery faster, more secure andreliable, and increasingly convenient. The oilfieldexploration and production (E&P) industry has ben-efited from these improvements, perhaps morethan other industries, because of its global nature.Decision-makers often are at antipodal distancesfrom the assets they manage, but need updatedinformation, sometimes every hour. Ten years ago,it would have been inconceivable to believe thatdata obtained somewhere in the diverse oilfield

environment could be brought at great speed toany operator anywhere in the world. But today,data users in the petroleum industry are able tocall on an increasingly powerful array of tools,from direct communication links to private net-works and the Internet, to move crucial data any-where in the world.

This article describes how methods of datadelivery have evolved from simple point-to-pointdata transmissions to secure, multipoint Web-based systems that are easy to use. We will lookat how today’s data communication technologiesprovide efficient and secure data networking tohelp operators get the right information at theright time to evaluate their projects and makecritical, timely technical and financial decisions.Field examples are provided from each stage ofhydrocarbon production to illustrate the applica-tion and benefit of today’s evolving data commu-nication technology.

34 Oilfield Review

In-Time Data Delivery

Trevor BrownUnocal IndonesiaBalikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Thomas BurkeAlex KletzkyAustin, Texas, USA

Ivar HaarstadStatoilTrondheim, Norway

John HensleyPhillips PetroleumBartlesville, Oklahoma, USA

Stuart MurchieHouston, Texas

Cary PurdyPOSCHouston, Texas

Anchala RamasamyBP Amoco ExplorationAberdeen, Scotland

For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Ian Alderson,James Bristow, François Daube, Moira Duff, John Kingston,Mark Osborn and Richard Woods, Gatwick, England; JorgBarsch and Ariel Skjorten, Oslo, Norway; Richard Christieand Ian Falconer, Sugar Land, Texas, USA; Alain Citerne,Jean-Noel Mauze and Leo Osugo, Clamart, France; John Driggers and Jessica Latka, Sedalia, Colorado, USA;Claude Durocher, Balikpapan, Indonesia; David Harris and Tore Moe, Stavanger, Norway; David R. Houston, IBM Global Security Services, Austin, Texas; George Karr,Yogendra Pandya and David Scheibner, Austin, Texas;Herman Kat, TransCanada International (Netherlands) B. V.,Zoetermeer, The Netherlands; and Ken Landgren and S. Omar Alam, Houston, Texas; and Fraser Louden, Dallas, Texas. AssetDB, CMR (Combinable Magnetic Resonance),DataLink, DSI (Dipole Shear Sonic Imager), Enterprise,Finder, FloWatcher, FracCADE (Fracture Design andEvaluation), FracCAT (Fracture Computer Aided Treatment),

The Internet is facilitating new on-line activities such as shopping, banking and

entertainment. Now work with E&P data can also be performed through the

Internet. Soon, operators will need only a standard personal computer or

workstation, Internet connection and a Web browser to access, review, validate

and interact with each step of data acquisition, processing and interpretation.

GeoFrame, GeoSteering, GeoWeb, IDEAL (IntegratedDrilling Evaluation and Logging), INFORM (IntegratedForward Modeling), InterACT, InterACT Web Witness,LogDB, MAXIS (Multitask Acquisition and Imaging System),MDT (Modular Formation Dynamics Tester), PDSView,PetaSTAR, Platform Express, PowerPlan, PumpWatcher,Remote Command, Remote Witness, SDMS (Seismic DataManagement System), SeisDB, SuperVISION, TransACT,TRX, and WellWatcher are marks of Schlumberger.Communicator is a mark of Netscape CommunicationsCorporation. ECLIPS and RigLink are marks of BakerHughes. INSITE (Integrated System for InformationTechnology and Engineering) and INSITE-ANYWHERE aremarks of Sperry-Sun Drilling Services. Internet Explorer,Microsoft Office and Windows are marks of MicrosoftCorporation. Lotus Notes is a mark of Lotus DevelopmentCorporation. Open Works is a mark of Landmark GraphicsCorporation. POSC is a mark of Petrotechnical OpenSoftware Corporation.

Winter 1999/2000 35

stances. Regardless of the method used, it isimportant that the data be delivered wheneverand wherever they are needed. Decision-makersalso must be given the appropriate amount ofinformation and not be swamped with irrelevantdetails. This becomes a challenge as technologyevolves and the complexity and volume ofacquired data increase.

Advances in modern data-acquisition systemscoupled with the industry’s demand for moreinformation have created additional challenges inmanaging the wide spectrum of data types andformats (see “Classifying Oilfield Data,” page 40 ).Between the data acquisition and their final useat the oil company office, intermediate data pro-cessing and analysis can help ensure that thedata quality is the highest possible, and that allthe data can be used for the intended purpose.

FinderEnterprise

System

Select

Integrate

Validate

Load

Logs

Seis

mic

Prod

uctio

n

Geo logy

W

ells

> Finder Enterprise data management system.The Finder E&P database provides on-line storageof master corporate information, such as welllog, seismic and production data. Managers, scientists and engineers use this system as asource for correct, verified and approved datathat can be viewed, selected and retrieved at anytime for analysis and interpretation. Interpreta-tion results can be saved in the master database.

Data AcquisitionThe E&P industry probably has the mostwidespread range of data-acquisition technolo-gies and domains of any commercial activity.Data come from measurements that range fromthousands of kilometers or miles at the largescale to a few angstroms at the small scale—from sedimentary basins to the wavelength oflight absorbed by hydrocarbon molecules.

E&P data come from all stages of operations,spanning exploratory seismic surveys, throughdrilling and logging, to subsurface productionmonitoring. The measurements provide informa-tion on the formation and reservoir, as well as theongoing operations, and often are used to makecritical decisions. Frequently such decisions needto be made as soon as data are acquired, eitherat the acquisition site, or more often at a centraloffice or base location where all the requiredexperts are available. Reliable data communica-tion technology allows such collaboration tooccur with ease, thus facilitating more knowl-edgeable and better decisions. If the decisionwindow is small or immediate, then the operatormay need to transmit data in real time from theacquisition site and interact remotely with theacquisition process simultaneously.

For any given project, the service providers,decision-makers and partners are unlikely to belocated in the same place. Through multipoint,two-way communication, today’s technologyfacilitates “virtual” collaboration in such circum-

For operators who do not wish to perform post-acquisition data processing, analysis and interpre-tation in-house, service companies can providethese services in their data processing centers.

Data processing centers—At these centers,expert personnel with advanced software pack-ages extract the essential information from theraw data files and interpret the results, present-ing them in a meaningful format for decision-makers. Efficient data delivery is essential to theirwork. These data processing centers may belocated in the offices of the operator or a serviceprovider. Personnel at typical processing centersinclude log analysts and interpretation expertsqualified in the geosciences. The range of soft-ware applications available to them is extensive,encompassing borehole seismic data processing,geological analysis, borehole imaging, petro-physics, well testing, production engineering,signal-processing and interpretation functionality.

Data management centers—In the past, theintegration of data from the different domains(seismic, drilling, production, reservoir engineer-ing), either recently acquired or pulled from anarchive, has been a difficult and inefficient man-ual task. The Finder Enterprise system, developedby Schlumberger to provide all the elements ofan integrated data management and archive sys-tem, embraces every domain of the E&P industry(above). This system provides best-practice pro-cedures and one-stop shopping for all types of

required data. The ability to combine and corre-late reliable data among multiple wells anddomains further enhances the value of all thedata.1 Furthermore, an efficient data-management,archiving and retrieval system can help inter-preters exploit knowledge from data previouslyacquired and benefit from the experience gainedduring acquisition.

The Finder Enterprise data-management archi-tecture has been designed around the principaldata-management and data-access functions:loading, validation, editing and integration. Thesefunctions enable users to find, access and transferany oilfield data. The architecture comprises adata catalog covering individual master databasesand systems designed to register and synchronize

corporate repositories and master databases intoa well-organized environment. A description ofsome of its major components follows: • the Finder system—a comprehensive data

store for geology, and geophysics, productionand drilling data

• the LogDB archive—a comprehensive well-logarchival system

• the SeisDB archive—a seismic data-manage-ment system for archiving, viewing and restor-ing bulk seismic data

• the SDMS/PetaSTAR system—a seismic data-management solution for workstation-basedseismic data

• the AssetDB system—a record inventory man-agement system that allows oil companies tostore, organize and track a wide variety ofphysical E&P data assets.

As part of the Finder data-management sys-tem, the GeoWeb 3D viewing software enables adata user to view, verify, select and retrieve E&Pdata from a single point of entry (left). Using aWeb browser, data users can view and literally“dig” down into their LogDB original-format logarchive, their SeisDB seismic trace archivaldatabase and their AssetDB physical data man-agement system by launching applications withinthe Finder data-management system.

Data Delivery Technology During the last thirty years, there has been a con-tinual development of communication solutionsused to transmit oilfield data from the acquisitionsite to end users. These solutions have rangedfrom commercially available systems, such as thebasic programs using file transfer protocol (FTP),to custom solutions built by operators and ser-vice providers (see “Glossary,” next page). Eachmethod has evolved from previous ones, drivenby additional industry requirements and sus-tained by developments in communications tech-nology. Today, the common feature of all thesetechnologies is that they are based on the TCP/IPprotocol (see “TCP/IP Data Protocol,” page 44 ).

In general, today’s data transmission solu-tions can be grouped into three general modes inchronological order of their development: • point-to-point—only one sender and one receiver

regardless of the connection being utilized• multipoint data delivery using a private network• Internet-based multipoint data delivery.

36 Oilfield Review

Select requireddata

Select datarepository

Visualize andanalyze data

Launchdrill-downmodules

Well-based,third-party

applications

Geoscientist

AssetDB SeisDB

Databases

LogDB

Informationshopping bag

GeoWeb workflow. As part of an integrateddata management system, GeoWeb softwarecan be used to select, retrieve, view and verify E&P data on a local computer or work-station—providing a virtual information shopping bag to collect data for processing.For example, data can be loaded directly intoa GeoFrame system software application for advanced formation, petrophysics and reservoir analysis.

1. Beham R, Brown A, Mottershead C, Whitgift J, Cross J,Desroches L, Espeland J, Greenberg M, Haines P,Landgren K, Layrisse I, Lugo J, Moreán O, Ochoa E,O’Neill D and Sledz J: “Changing the Shape of E&P Data Management,” Oilfield Review 9, no. 2 (Summer 1997): 21-33.

(continued on page 38)

>

authentication—The process of identifyingusers, typically by user identification (user-id)and passwords, before they are allowed accessto computer systems or networks, typically byuser-id and passwords.

browser—A software program that runs on theuser’s computer, allowing connections to Webpages and services.

datagram—A message unit that contains sourceand destination address information, as wellas data, which is routed through a packet-switching network. Also referred to as apacket, frame or block.

digital certificates—An encrypted digital signa-ture used for authentication to prove the iden-tity of an individual, a provider of a service, aproduct vendor or a corporation. Digital cer-tificates are issued by a trusted organizationthat validates and issues certificates, oftencalled a “trusted authority.”

DropBox—A secure computer file locationbetween protected company intranets. It serves as a data exchange location.

e-business—Financial transactions performedthrough the Internet without paper, synony-mous with e-commerce.

encryption—The process of scrambling informa-tion so that a key held only by authorizedrecipients is needed to unscramble and readthe information again.

Ethernet—A popular networking system with a high transfer rate and several cabling schemes.

extranet—A technology that allows differentcorporate intranets to communicate for thepurpose of electronic commerce and collabo-ration. Those parts of an extranet outside the firewall contain their own set of securitysafeguards, allowing only limited access forspecific purposes.

firewall—A barrier established in hardware orin software, or sometimes both, that monitorsand controls the flow of traffic between twonetworks, usually between a private local area network (LAN) and the Internet.

freeware—Software made available at no costfor public use by the author. The PDSViewsoftware for displaying and annotating loggraphics on a PC is freeware fromSchlumberger.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)—The TCP/IP protocol used when transferring single or multiple files from one computer to another.FTP provides all the tools needed to look at

directories and files, change to other directo-ries and transfer text and binary files from onecomputer system to another.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)—A standard document-formatting languageused for creating Web pages and other hypertext documents.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)—Thecommand and control protocol used to managecommunications between a Web browser and a Web server.

HTTPS (Secure HTTP)—An extension to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) from Enterprise Integration Technology that allows Web browsers and servers to sign,authenticate, and encrypt a HTTP packet at the application layer.

Inmarsat—International Mobile SatelliteOrganization, an international cooperativethat provides worldwide communications tomarine, land and airborne operations througha network of geosynchronous satellites andland-based stations. Currently, more than 160countries use the Inmarsat satellite system.

Internet—The world’s largest computer net-work, consisting of millions of computers sup-porting tens of millions of users in hundreds of countries. The Internet is growing at such a phenomenal rate that any size estimate isquickly out of date.

intranet—A private corporate network that usesInternet software and TCP/IP networking pro-tocol standards. SINet and SOIL are examplesof intranets.

IP (Internet Protocol)— The set of specificationsthat regulate information packet forwardingby tracking addresses, routing outgoing mes-sages, and recognizing incoming messages in TCP/IP networks and the Internet.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)—The current system for digital transmission,allowing rates of 64 kilobits per second (Kbps)per line.

packet—A unit of data—containing addressinformation, data and error-checking informa-tion—sent over a network or communicationslink. Also referred to as a datagram, frame or block.

PKI (Public Key Infrastructure)—An encryptionscheme that uses two keys. In a data transac-tion, a public key, given to the sender, encryptsthe data before transmission. Upon receipt, thereceiver uses a corresponding private key todecrypt the transmission. Because the private

key is never transmitted or publicized, theencryption scheme is secure.

routing—The process of locating the mostefficient or effective pathway through a net-work to a destination computer. The networkor communications software commonlyhandles routing.

smart card—An identification and security card the size of a credit card, but with anembedded microprocessor that can store thedigital certificate and other relevant informa-tion such as frequently used passwords.

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)—A set of communicationprotocols used on the Internet (see “TCP/IPData Protocol,” page 44).

VPN (Virtual Private Network)—Originally a private network for voice and data based on security technology for transmission onpublic lines and connections. More recently,VPN is an encrypted private tunnel across the Internet.

VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)—A small satellite terminal used for digitalcommunications, from 1 to 3 meters (3.3 to 10 ft) in diameter. The VSAT is used bySchlumberger locations primarily in NorthAmerica for high-speed, up to 128 Kbps, communications from logging units to geosynchronous satellites.

Web browser—An application, such asNetscape Communicator or Internet Explorer,that permits users to look at hypertext docu-ments, follow links to other HTML documents,and download files to their computers fromthe Internet.

Web server—A hardware and software packagethat provides services to users’ computers running Web browsers.

WITS (Wellsite Information TransferSpecification)—An industry standard (API)protocol used to send and exchange informa-tion about ongoing wellsite operations.

WWW (World Wide Web)—One of the majorareas of the Internet. It is a hypertext-basedsystem for finding and accessing Intranetresources. Physicists at the EuropeanLaboratory for Particle Physics in Switzerlanddeveloped the original WWW concepts forexchanging scientific information.

XML (Extensible Markup Language)—A technology that allows the data on an HTML page to be described in terms of theinformation it represents.

Glossary

Winter 1999/2000 37

38 Oilfield Review

Security is a concern requiring custom solu-tions. Recently developed security firewalls anddigital authentication technologies allow opera-tors to collaborate with one another and withservice providers through private networks(below). The Schlumberger Connectivity Center(SCC) resolves many of the important networkrouting and security issues that arise when con-necting to external networks, both private andpublic. Web- and FTP-based data delivery and theSchlumberger Data Management Center areaccessible through the SCC.

Point-to-Point Data Delivery Point-to-point data delivery has been used inwell logging since the early 1960s and stillserves as a major data communication mode inthe oil field. Data are sent directly from theacquisition site through a communications link tothe data user’s or operator’s office (right).

The advantage of point-to-point data deliveryis that the data are “pushed” all the way to theirdestination without any intervention from thereceiving end. In addition, this technology isindependent of any other data delivery or com-

munication system. With recent systems, thesame data link is used for two-way communica-tions, allowing the operator in the office to be notjust a passive recipient of the data but an activeparticipant in an interactive acquisition process.

The easy-to-use InterACT Remote Witnesssoftware, designed for wireline logging, is aninteractive data delivery package that is used forpoint-to-point data communications. It utilizesrobust and efficient compression algorithms tomove large amounts of data in real time from theacquisition site to the client’s desktop. Digitalgraphics are displayed automatically in real time

Firewall Firewall

Operator 1

Operator 2

Operator 3

Operator 4

Operator 5

Operator 6

Extranet applications

SchlumbergerConnectivity Center

Helpdesk

> Schlumberger Connectivity Center (SCC). The hardware and software for the (SCC) were created toconnect operators and their partners to Schlumberger network-based information and data deliverysystems. The SCC provides authorized secure access to a variety of Schlumberger services through asingle, centrally managed connection. To ensure the security of all the resources within the Schlum-berger Information Network (SINet), all extranet applications are located in a secure enclave. Thesesecure enclaves are logically outside SINet, and therefore assigned IP addresses outside the SINetaddress range. The secure enclaves can be connected back to the SCC either through a dedicatedcommunication connection, such as a leased line, or through an encrypted connection through SINet.Web and FTP-based data delivery and the Data Management Center are examples of servicesaccessible through the SCC.

An

adri

ll

Schlumberger

Data services center

Operator desktopData acquisition site

> Point-to-point data communications. Thistransmission option pushes data from the acquisition site to the destination site such as an operator’s desktop computer (top) or the dataservices center (bottom). The communicationslink can be provided by a number of differentcommunications options, such as a direct phoneline, satellite link, or a dedicated ISDN line to the destination site.

and scrolled on-screen using the PDSView soft-ware (right). Graphics can be annotated, con-verted to commonly used graphics interchangeformat (GIF) and computer graphics metafile(CGM) formats or printed on a commercial plotteras they arrive.

The InterACT Remote Witness system alsoprovides powerful two-way communications utili-ties with the wellsite crew using the data chan-nel. Such utilities include “chat” applications thatpermit rig personnel to exchange audio messagesthrough computers equipped with a sound card,speakers and microphones. In addition, this sys-tem provides videoconferencing facilities that areused to connect service vessels, offshore rigs andremote land locations to the client’s desktop orlaptop computer. The InterACT Remote Witnessservice is one of the most widely used point-to-point data delivery systems in the industry.

BP Amoco initiated a program of remote wit-nessing during well logging acquisition on theirwells in the Andrews field in the North Sea usingthe InterACT Remote Witness communicationssystem.2 The InterACT system provided direct andimmediate interaction between the offshorewellsite data-acquisition team and the consul-tants in the Aberdeen and London offices duringlog acquisition for improved decision-making.

In describing the system’s value, a petro-physicist from BP Amoco Exploration, who workson high-value wells in the North Sea, reportsthat the use of the InterACT system on the BPAmoco Andrew platform fulfilled a number ofrequirements—not the least, from a safety per-spective—through removing the need for off-shore witnessing. In addition, it provided reliefin a restricted personnel environment. BP Amocofound it beneficial during production logging forthe reservoir engineer and petrophysicist to beable to discuss and influence the real-time log-ging program—such as reactions to unforeseenchanges in environment and the ability to makedecisions from onshore if required. By the sametoken, during pipe-conveyed logging, the loca-tion of formation tester sampling points could beconfirmed and the usual pressure responseschecked with modeled results, preventing anycostly reruns.

Real-time communication with the engineerthrough the InterACT chat tool is valuable duringprejob checks and rig-up to relay information ontool performance quickly. During one of the earlyruns of the Borehole Acoustic Reflection Survey(BARS) tool, the onshore tool expert and petro-physicist along with the data processor used thechat tool to check imaging quality and alterparameters during logging. Then they processedthe InterACT-transmitted data in-house providingthe answer product within 24 hours.

Unocal Indonesia pioneered using theInterACT Remote Witness system to help assestheir West Seno deepwater exploration andappraisal wells. Using the MDT ModularFormation Dynamics Tester tool pressure gradi-ents to look for matching sands, the operatorswere able to correlate zonal communicationbetween wells. The real-time data enabled oper-ators to guide the team at the acquisition site totake measurements where needed to help inter-pret the evolving picture of reservoir connectivity.The real-time data and interactive communica-tions allowed Unocal to successfully completethe difficult process of reserve certification.

Another major operator used the InterACTRemote Witness system to evaluate log qualitycontrol during a deepwater wireline logging opera-tion in Nigeria. During acquisition, the field engi-neer transmitted the logging data directly to theSchlumberger Center for Advanced FormationEvaluation (SCAFE) in Houston, Texas, by telephonefrom the rig in Nigeria. Both log analysts and tech-nical advisors from the operator and Schlumbergerwere present as logs arrived from the wellsite andwere displayed and printed in real time. Data fromthe CMR Combinable Magnetic Resonance toolenabled the operator’s log analyst to locate addi-tional zones containing hydrocarbons. The two-way communications channel provided by theInterACT Remote Witness system enabled the ana-lyst to advise logging engineers when enoughhigh-quality critical data had been acquired, mini-mizing the rig time needed for data acquisition. Italso saved a costly trip to Nigeria for the operator’sexperts and allowed them to continue their regularwork with a minimum of disruption.

> PDSView graphics software. This freeware application allows users to display and annotatewell log graphics on a PC. Its popularity in the E&P industry is a tribute to the great value ofthe digital graphics. Windows elements, such as the toolbar (top ), allow for a wide range of graphic annotations that include text inserts, callout boxes, re-editing and saving of theedited files.

Winter 1999/2000 39

2. Barber T, Jammes L, Smits JW, Klopf W, Ramasamy A,Reynolds L, Sibbit A and Terry R: “Real-Time OpenholeEvaluation,”Oilfield Review 11, no. 2 (Summer 1999): 36-57.

(continued on page 42)

The format and quality of E&P data havebecome as important as their acquisition andtransmission. The time and effort spent on dataacquisition and data delivery will be wastedunless the delivered data can be readily utilized.Data are truly delivered only after they havebeen integrated and stored where the operatorcan get them. Complex data previously pre-sented on paper are easily delivered in digitalformat. However, the increasing complexity ofdigital data has necessitated categorization anddocumentation of data types to ensure smoothdelivery and accessibility by operators. Severaldefault classifications have been implemented:• Basic data—This group contains data, usually

presented optically, used without modifica-tions by a broad spectrum of professionals.Basic data are limited in size and are suitablefor timely exchange and quick exploitation.

• Customer data—In this category are basicdata plus the essential minimum supplemen-tal information that support them. Customerdata are suitable for data storage andadvanced exploitation by specialists.

• Producer data—These data contain, in addi-tion to basic and customer data, other informa-tion meaningful to the producer of the data.Technical objects (such as tools, equipment,

processes, channels and parameters) are identi-fied by dictionary-controlled names. Registeringproper names and properties for objects is aprerequisite to an efficient data delivery system.Schlumberger maintains a public version of itsOilfield Services Data Dictionary (OSDD) on theWeb (http://www.connect.slb.com).

Data FormatsThe format of digital data can be broadly classi-fied into two categories: American StandardCode for Information Exchange (ASCII) andBinary. ASCII formats are generally simple, butcan be read by a wide range of software. Binaryformats generally have richer descriptions ofthe data, and are more appropriate foradvanced processing and long-term storage.

Graphical formats—A visual representationof digital data, graphical data are used to effi-ciently display large volumes of data in formsthat can be readily understood for simple inter-pretation or quality-control purposes. However,graphical data cannot be reused easily.Graphical data may be in hard copy (paper orfilm) or digital file format, but are essentially a“snapshot” of the data. Graphical data are gen-erated by applying a format description, presen-tation description or style sheet to the digitaldata; the resulting data may be in one of manycommercial or proprietary graphics formats.

Examples of graphical data file formats aregraphics interchange format (GIF), Joint Pho-tographic Expert Group (JPEG), tagged imagefile format (TIFF) and Picture DescriptionStandard (PDS). The two general types ofgraphical data formats are raster and vector.Raster files are composed of colored pixels thatcombine to produce a representation of thedata. Raster files cannot include objects such as lines or curves. However, raster files are gen-erally easy to view with a wide range of Internetbrowsers, word processors or other commer-cially available software. Vector files containobjects such as lines and curves with an associ-ated descriptive language. Although more effi-cient than raster files, vector files usuallyrequire viewer software specifically written foreach vector format. Both raster and vector filesmay be rendered into hard-copy prints or film.

Log ASCII standard—Originally released in 1989, The Canadian Well Logging Society’s(CWLS) Floppy Disk Committee designed astandard ASCII format for single-well log dataon floppy disks, known as the LAS format (LogASCII Standard). LAS consists of individual datafiles written in ASCII. It represents the well logheader and optical curve in digital form.Renowned for its ‘just-right’ mix of size, porta-bility, ease of use and accessibility, LAS has nowbecome an accepted method of rapid well logdelivery for E&P companies worldwide. Its sim-ple structure, with familiar spreadsheet-likecolumns of log data indexed to depth, makes iteasy to use or load into most application soft-ware. Its ASCII file structure assures that allcomputer operating systems can open and readLAS files. Most appreciated is the user’s abilityto simply open the file in any text editor andextract well information visually.

Log Information Standard—The LogInformation Standard (LIS) binary data formatwas produced on Schlumberger acquisition systems during the 1970s and 1980s. It was thewireline logging industry standard data formatuntil it was superceded by the Digital LogInterchange Standard (DLIS) in the 1990s.

Recommended Practice 66/Digital LogInterchange Standard—The RP66/DLIS stan-dard became an American Petroleum Institute(API) Recommended Practice (RP66) in 1991.The Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation(POSC) adopted the DLIS standard in 1992,triggering its development as a syntactic stan-dard for seismic, drilling and well logging. The DLIS standard proposes a data scheme thatpermits the storage, management and exchangeof quality data. By specifying equipment, tool,process and data, the format ensures the trace-ability required by the E&P industry.

Classifying Oilfield Data

1. Morgan JG, Spradley LH, Worthington GA andMcClelland IJ: “SEG Standard Exchange Formats forPositional Data,” Geophysics 54 (January 1983): 102-124.

2. More information about Practical Well Log Standardsand WellLogML can be found at the POSC Web site(http://www.posc.org).

40 Oilfield Review

Winter 1999/2000 41

It supports a way to classify data and conse-quently provides ease of data access. The DLISstandard also effectively conveys the data pro-ducer’s semantics for tool, equipment, process,channel and parameters through officialdescriptions stored in the specific data record.

The features and advantages of DLIS and LIS can be compared:• LIS allows only four-character names. DLIS

allows longer ones.• Every DLIS object has an origination identifier

telling who created the data and when, whereand how they were created.

• DLIS static data give much more informationabout the data acquisition environment andcalibrations than LIS data. The DLIS staticdata are self-describing and can be extendedwith new object types.

• DLIS can record data with complex struc-ture, such as packed waveforms and images.LIS cannot.

• DLIS can record data frames with differentsampling rates in one file. LIS can only recordframe rates that are multiples of the baseframe rate.

In comparing DLIS with Log ASCII Standard(LAS), some features and advantages of DLISand LAS are evident:• LAS has only static data about the well and its

associated parameters. Unlike DLIS, it con-tains no information about tools, equipment,calibrations or other attributes.

• LAS stores numbers as ASCII values andrequires about three times more storagespace than DLIS.

• LAS files can be opened with a spreadsheet or text editor. DLIS files require special software libraries. WITS (Wellsite Information Transfer

Specification) WITS was designed as a jointindustry effort sponsored by the InternationalAssociation of Drilling Contractors (IADC) andis the generally accepted protocol for sharingdata among various contractors on a rig.Standard records provide data on rig conditions,directional surveys, cementing, basic formation

evaluation and other common rig activities. In addition, there is provision for custom recordsthat allow proprietary data to be exchanged aslong as the data in the records have beenagreed on by the sender and the receiver. WITSis a suitable format for drilling data transmis-sion due to its ability to transfer depth-stampeddata efficiently and in real time.

SEG-Y—Currently, seismic field data arerecorded in a number of the Society of Explora-tion Geophysicists (SEG) formats.1 SEG-Yprovides a convenient, simple method for inter-changing data sets, as virtually all computersystems in the seismic industry have softwarecapable of reading this format.

WellLogML—A Future ASCII Data Format for the E&P Industry?The use of the Internet to exchange electronicbusiness (e-business) documents and technicaldata is growing rapidly. Organizations engagedin e-commerce are quickly converging on theuse of the extensible markup language (XML) asthe best way to exchange information. The XMLstandard—defined by the World Wide WebConsortium (W3C)—is a simple, easy-to-graspmethod of encoding information in plain text.Because of XML’s simplicity and broad industryappeal, a wide spectrum of tools is rapidly beingdeveloped to support its user community.Support for XML is even included in populardesktop tools like Microsoft Internet Explorer5.0 and Microsoft Office 2000.

Work has already begun on defining an XMLstandard for the E&P industry, called WellLogML.With WellLogML, borehole information such as well logs, coring information, and waveformand other data can be transmitted via theInternet and then displayed using a Web browser.WellLogML can be easily incorporated intoexisting log analysis software because there are several free XML parsers, editors and otherutilities available from companies such asMicrosoft and IBM. WellLogML is also an ASCIIformat, making it readily understandable.

Practical Well Log Standards—A New Industry InitiativePractical Well Log Standards is a current indus-try collaborative project, including Shell Inter-national Exploration and Production, Statoil,Norsk Agip, Norsk Conoco and Schlumberger,formed to establish standards for the creation of a clearly labeled well-log data set that isaccessible to a wide range of E&P professionals.2

The project leverages the work done on previousprojects, including OSDD and development ofPOSC standards. Expected benefits resultingfrom this project include the following: • reduced costs through process improvement• better data identification and characterization• improved data access• improved data loading efficiency• faster data preparation and acceptance for

data exchange or sale• increased accessibility and understanding

of logging data by nonpetrophysicists.Data consumers are overwhelmed by the

amount of data they receive. Currently thereare more than 50,000 different types of well-logtraces. However, most will agree that the num-ber of routinely used well-log traces is some-where in the neighborhood of 500. Additionally,the names of traces are complex and are chang-ing at an ever-increasing rate. These factorspresent several problems for data loading andacquisition, such as how to classify ‘useful’ dataand how to track the level of data processing.

The results of this confusion are lost data, lostinformation and lost revenue. It is not uncom-mon for purchased data to be—in effect—thrown away, because it would cost more tounderstand the data than it would to reacquirethe data. Field studies are repeated in theirentirety at significant cost, either because datafrom previous studies can’t be identified, or because data from the studies can’t be adequately understood, and because of a lack of confidence in the results, primarily due aninability to understand the archived resultsfrom the previous studies.

42 Oilfield Review

Similarly, Phillips Petroleum used the InterACTRemote Witness system at their offices inBartlesville, Oklahoma, USA, to follow theprogress of a logging operation in the Bohai Bay,offshore China. Platform Express and DSI DipoleShear Sonic Imager data were transmitted in realtime from the acquisition site using a wellsitesatellite link. The availability of the logging data inBartlesville allowed the operator’s expert to imme-diately see and interpret the resistivity and poros-ity logs to identify potential pay zones. These wereused to find the best pressure test and samplingpoints for a subsequent MDT tool run. The chatapplication of the InterACT Remote Witness soft-ware helped the operator communicate with thelogging engineer at the acquisition site.

Another example of a point-to-point data com-munication system is the InterACT RemoteCommand system designed for logging-while-drilling (LWD) and measurements-while-drilling(MWD) data acquisition. It is widely used in manydirectional-drilling operations because it providesremote real-time monitoring through the installa-tion of a duplicate Anadrill wellsite data-acquisi-tion system in an operator’s office. This systemreplicates the capabilities of the wellsite systemand allows the display and printing of both real-time and memory logs, including real-timeGeoSteering monitoring, correlation and analysisof directional data versus the well’s plannedtrajectory. Progress also can be checked againstinformation from offset wells. The InterACTRemote Command system utilizes the WellsiteInformation Transfer Specification (WITS), andprovides powerful communications utilities, suchas e-mail, chat and audio messaging, for two-waycommunication with the acquisition site.

Norsk Hydro’s Petroleum Technology Group inBergen, Norway used InterACT RemoteCommand data exchange to steer wells beingdrilled through the highly faulted formations ofNjord field in the North Sea. The meanderingwellbores are very difficult to navigate and real-time LWD and MWD data on the GeoSteeringscreen help track the bit and keep it within thereservoir. Typically, the operator drills throughfault blocks in the reservoir section and usesreal-time LWD data to determine if the wellboreis still in the reservoir, or above or below it afterentering a new block. The real-time data alsohelp pick the total depth of the well.

The LWD data are acquired on the Njord plat-form using the IDEAL Integrated DrillingEvaluation and Logging acquisition system, andthe data are transferred to a remote IDEAL acqui-sition system in the drilling office in Kristiansund,Norway. Here the engineer generates real-timelogs and numeric displays of LWD data alongwith the drilling mechanics data (left). Theresults are sent using a TCP/IP point-to-pointconnection over Norsk Hydro’s intranet directly tothe operations geologist’s personal computer (PC)in Bergen. This PC can also be used to archive thereal-time and memory logs from the LWD toolsuite. Digital graphics are sent from the rig to thegeologist’s PC and high-quality prints are made inthe office for daily meetings. These log graphicsare e-mailed to partners outside the network andcan be viewed using PDSView software.

Real-time drilling decisions require closecooperation and good data communicationsbetween the service team and the operator assetteam. In the southern North Sea, British Gas hascombined point-to-point LWD data delivery withforward modeling and interpretation to helpmake well-steering decisions. Accurate visual-ization of the formation character and structurerelative to the drill bit improves intricate drillingnavigation in horizontal wells. The INFORMIntegrated Forward Modeling program producessynthetic LWD logs that can be compared withactual tool readings to generate a map of the for-mation as it is being drilled.3

First, LWD data acquired at the rig site aretransmitted in real time to the data processingcenter, where a GeoSteering analyst using anIDEAL PC networked to a GeoFrame workstationupdates the forward models in real time basedon the acquired data (next page). The combined

Operator desktop

> Data delivery and GeoSteering services. Access to all the real-time measurements fromlogging tools (top), numeric displays (bottom right ), and toolface displays (bottom left )help the geologist evaluate the drilling program and position of the wellbore. The loggingdisplay shows real-time LWD data plotted against depth including gamma ray (green) intrack 1, phase-shift resistivity (red) and attenuation resistivity (green) in track 2, and for-mation density (red) and porosity (green) shown in track 3. Drilling mechanics data includerate of penetration (red) shown in track 1, and MWD turbine speed for washout detection(green) in track 4. The numeric display can show the actual numerical value (boxes) or asimple bar graph (upper right) of any time-based measurement, such as pump pressure,downhole weight-on-bit, bit inclination and azimuth, rate of penetration, downhole annu-lar pressure and equivalent circulating density. Alarms can be set on any measurement (red boxes). The directional driller uses the toolface display to see how well steering is proceeding. The Gravity Tool Face (GTF) display shows the orientation of the motorbend housing based on the MWD accelerometer readings. The GTF readings around 0°inclination mean the motor and bit are being steered upwards.

3. Allen D, Dennis B, Edwards J, Franklin S, Livingston J,Kirkwood A, White J, Lehtonen L, Lyon B, Prilliman J and Simms G: “Modeling Logs for Horizontal WellPlanning and Evaluation,”Oilfield Review 7, no. 4 (Winter 1995): 47-63.

system allows correlation of the actual LWDlogs with the forward-modeled logs, confirmingwellbore location. It also estimates formationdip and produces an updated structural model of the drilled sequence as the well progresses.

Finally, the driller or operator compares thisinformation with the geological and drilling con-straints to guide navigation. The latest real-timeresults of the GeoSteering screen correlation,image and petrophysical interpretations are dis-tributed in time for daily operations meetings.The operator also maintains a Web site, onwhich all results are posted immediately,enabling other offshore and onshore projectpersonnel to access the results.

In one well, the relative thinness of the reser-voir, lack of petrophysical contrast in the bedsand uncertainty in seismic depth conversion cre-ated a risk of drilling out of the reservoir. TheGeoFrame workstation was used to process the

azimuthal density memory data obtainedbetween bit runs (previous page, insert). Thishelped determine the formation dip, which wasused to update the map of the structural modelson the GeoSteering screen. These provided theanalyst with an unequivocal interpretation of therelative position of the wellbore in the formation.The decision was made to steer down to pene-trate the lower portion of the reservoir.

Point-to-point data communication also isbeing used for monitoring well stimulations and fracturing treatments. The SchlumbergerFracCAT fracturing computer-aided treatmentdata-acquisition system provides stimulationdata—pump rates, pressure and proppant con-centration—at the wellsite. However, thesemeasurements can be extended to remote loca-tions using a real-time data transmission (RDT)system. This system allows direct communica-tions between the wellsite data-acquisition

system and a remote FracCAT system located inan operator’s office or regional technology cen-ter. Here stimulation experts can monitor thetreatment parameters in real time, evaluatetreatment progress and participate in decisionsabout treatment design and execution.

A complete FracCAT system was installed ina Houston office, where operators such asCoastal Oil and Gas and Vastar Resources rou-tinely monitor treatments performed offshore inthe Gulf of Mexico. The RDT service allows oper-ator representatives to monitor and support thewellsite operations without requiring travel tothe wellsite, eliminating unproductive travel andwaiting time. For example, completion engineerscan monitor the evolution of a fracture treatmentusing the FracCADE fracturing design and evalu-ation software and advise the crew to adjust the pump rates and proppant concentrations foroptimum results.

Winter 1999/2000 43

Data acquisition INFORM screen

IDEAL

MWD/LWDsensors

Data services center

GeoSteeringscreen

GeoFrame workstation

> GeoSteering maps with forward models. Forward modeling produces synthetic LWD logs along the planned well trajectory that are compared with actual real-time LWD logs (upper right ) to help guide the drilling process.Pilot well or adjacent well data are used to build up one or more geologic columns to represent the expectedgeology of the well. The 3D structural model obtained from the operator is also combined with the petrophysicalcolumn and proposed well trajectory. Tool responses are predicted based on the expected layered formationsequence, wellbore inclinations, bed thickness and sensor measurement resolution. The insert (white box) showsthe azimuthal density image, processed on a GeoFrame workstation, used to determine formation dip.

(continued on page 46)

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) andInternet protocol (IP), generally mentionedtogether as TCP/IP, are protocols speciallydeveloped to allow cooperating computers toshare resources across a network. Since identi-cal functions are needed by many networkapplications, separate protocols have beengrouped together rather than being replicatedin each application. A “layering” strategyerected on several tiers of protocols is used innetworking technology. Each of these layerscalls on the services of the one below it (below).In this article, we consider the network suite ofprotocols to be divided into four basic layers.1

• Application protocol is the set of rules thatgovern software programs or services that usethe network, such as e-mail, Internet access ordata delivery packages. Both the commerciallyavailable FTP and the Schlumberger propri-etary TRX transmission software for digitaldata transfer are examples of services at theapplication protocol level. They both useTCP/IP to perform file transfers.

• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) isresponsible for breaking up the informationinto small pieces and reassembling the infor-mation back in the right order at the otherend. It also takes care of re-sending any pieceof information that for some reason may havefailed to make it to the receiving end.

• Internet Protocol (IP) is responsible for rout-ing the individual pieces of information totheir correct destination. IP is not involvedwith the contents of the information or how agiven piece of information relates to any otherone before or after it.

• Medium protocol is the standard for thephysical connection, which involves differenttypes of links such as Ethernet, SmallComputer System Interface (SCSI) andmodems among others.TCP and IP are built on “connectionless”

technology concepts so that direct connectionsbetween the sender and receiver are notrequired. TCP breaks down the information intosmall pieces called datagrams or packets. Eachof these datagrams is numbered sequentiallyand is passed on to IP to be sent individually tothe other end through the network. While thosedatagrams are in transit, the network doesn’tknow if there is any relationship between them.

For example, it is perfectly possible that data-gram 7 will actually arrive before datagram 6. Inorder to make sure a datagram has arrived at itsdestination, the recipient has to send back an“acknowledgement.” For example, sending adatagram with an acknowledgement of 1800indicates that the specific computer hasreceived all the data up to datagram number1800. If the sender doesn’t receive an acknowl-edgement within a reasonable amount of time,then TCP sends the missing datagrams again.

TCP/IP Data Protocol

Application protocol

TCP protocol

IP protocol

Medium protocol

E-mail, Internet access, data delivery software

Ensures that commands reach the destination protocol completely and as ordered

Provides the basic service of getting datato their destination

Manages the specific physical connection mode

Actual link

> Layered scheme of network protocols.

44 Oilfield Review

1. The details of the full International Organization forStandardization (ISO) reference model can be found inmost data communications textbooks, such as Halsall F:Data Communications, Computer Networks and Open Systems, 4th ed. Harlow, Essex, England: Addison-Wesley, 1998.

2. The term catenet, introduced in early publications on packet network interconnections, refers to the interconnected collection of packet networks.

PC #1

PC #2

PC #3

PC #4

PC #5

GatewayPC #1

PC #2

PC #3

PC #4

Gateway

Gateway

PC #2 PC #3PC #1

PC #5 PC #6PC #4

LAN A LAN B

LAN C

Gateway

To othernetworks

>Wide area network (WAN) constructed from three local area networks (LAN).Gateways or firewalls provide security between each component of the network.

10100011 10111001

Network ID Host ID

11111010 00010100

> A typical IP address with the network and hostidentification parts.

Winter 1999/2000 45

TCP controls the volume of data that is intransit at any one time. It is not practical towait for each datagram to be acknowledgedbefore sending the next one. On the other hand,a computer can’t just keep sending data or afast computer might overrun the capacity of aslow one to absorb data. Thus, each end indi-cates how much new data it is currently pre-pared to absorb through a “window” field ineach acknowledgement. As the computerreceives data, the amount of space left in itswindow decreases. When it goes to zero, thesender stops. As the receiver processes thedata, it increases its window, indicating that it is ready to accept more data.

TCP/IP is based on the “catenet” model, whichassumes that there is a large number of indepen-dent small networks connected together by gate-ways or routers (right).2 Datagrams will oftenpass through many different routers before arriv-ing at their final destination. In most cases,these networks are set up in such a way that allmachines physically located in certain buildingsor departments comprise what is called a localarea network (LAN), and then several LANs arelinked together through the catenet model toform a wide area network (WAN).

The routing needed to accomplish this is completely transparent. As far as the user isconcerned, the only thing needed to accessanother system is its “Internet address.” Thisaddress is a 32-bit number, usually written asfour numbers separated by decimal points, thatthe system administrator assigns to each com-puter in the network (right). The structure ofthis address indicates both the network and thehost computer within the network. The part thatindicates the network is called “Network ID”and the part that identifies the computerwithin that network is called “Host ID.”

46 Oilfield Review

Other data-acquisition providers in the oil andgas industry have implemented specialized point-to-point data delivery systems. For example,Baker Hughes developed the Remote Log DisplaySystem (RLDS) that runs off their ECLIPS data-acquisition system.4 It provides real-time log anddata transmission in one direction, from the well-site to remote workstations, where basic inter-pretations can be performed and presentationscustomized. Transmission is over a wide range ofcommunications channels from dial-up modemsto satellite links.

Intranet Multipoint Data Delivery A powerful alternative to point-to-point datadelivery is a multipoint-oriented system.5 Such adynamic system has been in operation in theUnited States at the Schlumberger data deliveryhub in Sedalia, Colorado for 15 years. Althoughthe transmission system and the server hardwareand software systems have evolved over time,the overall concept remains the same.

Schlumberger currently has nine such datadelivery hubs worldwide: Sedalia, Colorado;Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Muscat, Oman; Cairo,Egypt; Aberdeen, Scotland; Stavanger, Norway;Perth, Australia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; andCaracas, Venezuela.

The TransACT system is the name given bySchlumberger to the whole data delivery frame-work built around these hubs. This frameworkwas specially developed to allow secure and reli-able transmission, monitoring, processing, track-ing and delivery of oilfield data to clients,supporting final product creation (prints, tapes,CDs) and file filtering and format conversionwhere necessary (below).6

Complicating factors in the oilfield data trans-mission environment—real-time and post-jobdata transmission often across poor, low-band-width links—mean that off-the-shelf transmission

Schlumberger

Web data server

Data management center

Data delivery hub

SNIC-FTP server

Fax machine

Product deliverycenter

An

adri

ll

Data acquisitionsite

Express delivery

Data services center

Operator desktop

> TransACT framework. This data delivery framework provides a common data delivery system to all segments of the E&P industry, serving all forms of data produced, facilitating data integration and collaboration as appropriate on a global basis—thus making a positive impact on the workflow from thewellsite to production optimization. Data delivery starts at the data acquisition site (upper left), where the data are sent through the TransACT data deliveryhub to the operator desktop (upper right) or other destinations such as data services centers (middle left ) and data management centers (lower middle).The operator receives data through the Schlumberger Information Network (SINet) using one or more options including the Schlumberger Network InterConnect (SNIC) service, facsimile, product delivery centers and secure portals to the Internet such as the Web data server.

methods generally are not suitable. The TransACTdata delivery framework, uses custom solutions toprovide reliable and secure transmission capabili-ties from the acquisition sites, to increasethroughput using new data-compression algo-rithms and to function robustly, with error-recover-ability, particularly over low-quality links. Theproprietary TRX transmission software for efficientdigital data transfer, the protocol used in mostSchlumberger data transmission systems, is oneof these custom solutions.7

An example shows how the TransACT datadelivery system works. A logging engineer at awellsite using a Web browser can send a set ofinstructions—called “orders”—to the TransACTdata delivery hub (above). Once the order

is submitted and the data files are transmitted to the hub, the engineer is free to leave the wellsite. Authorized field engineers and locationmanagers can log onto the TransACT hub fromany location and at any time to monitor theprogress and status of deliveries. The hub thencarries out the order, redistributing data andgraphics files to clients, partners and other desti-nations as required through a variety of meansthat best suit the needs of the clients. TransACTdata delivery includes the following options:

SNIC—The Schlumberger Network InterConnect (SNIC) service is one of the most popu-lar data delivery options used in the TransACTsystem. It provides a connection between theSchlumberger Information Network (SINet), thewide area network (WAN) provided by Omnes,

> Acquisition-site data communications. The map shows Inmarsat service coverage (top) for allregions to approximately 70˚ latitude in both the northern and southern hemispheres. MAXIS MultitaskAcquisition and Imaging Systems logging trucks (bottom) maintain data communications to theSchlumberger Information Network (SINet) using connections through a variety of communicationlinks, including Ethernet, Inmarsat, VSAT, ISDN and cellular modems.

Winter 1999/2000 47

4. More information about ECLIPS can be found at theBaker Hughes Web site (http://www.bakerhughes.com).

5. Murchie S, Provost JT, Burke T, Karr G, Alam SO,Scheibner D and Citerne A: “Innovations in GlobalElectronic Data Delivery,” paper SPE 56686, presented atthe SPE Annual Technology Conference and Exhibition,Houston, Texas, USA, October 3-6, 1999.

6. For more information and the latest news on datadelivery, log on to the Schlumberger Web site(http://www.connect.slb.com).

7. Clark R, Danti B, Guthery S, Jurgensen T, Kennedy K,Keddie J and Simms D: “Building a Global Highway forOilfield Data,”Oilfield Review 5, no. 4 (October 1993): 23-35.

48 Oilfield Review

and the operator’s workstation. The data areplaced onto the SNIC system, which is a secureFTP server, and operators access it through adedicated private line between their networksand the SNIC system. Access control istwofold—first, the Schlumberger e-commercefirewall, which limits access to the systembased on IP address, and second, a user-nameand password, which also are also required toaccess the server.

Product delivery center—Often the operatorneeds prints, reports, films, CDs and tapes deliv-ered. These can be generated at a productdelivery center (PDC) located physically close to the operator and are delivered by surface mail or courier. The PDC produces faster deliveryand higher quality final products and reduces thetime required at the wellsite by the acquisitioncrew (below).

Archive—Schlumberger intranet communica-tion between the TransACT system and theLogDB database allows automatic flow andarchiving of data from the TransACT hub into theSchlumberger data-management system forarchiving and future retrieval of the data (above).

Fax—Digital facsimiles are widely used fordata delivery. Since the transmission originatesfrom a digital graphic file, the fax on the receivingend is of high quality. This digital faxing, or digi-fax, is popular because the client does not needspecial equipment. Besides, fax machines com-monly use continuous length paper, making themsuitable for well logs. The limitation of faxes isthat data cannot be reused or modified easily.

DataLink DropBox delivery—This deliverymode places the data onto a Web server in asecure enclave—virtually located outside theSchlumberger intranet—to be easily accessiblethrough the Internet. Operators are notified by e-mail when data arrive from the field. The opera-tors simply use their Web browser with anaccount name and password to retrieve the datausing standard HTTP or secure HTTPS protocols.This delivery option has the benefit of allowingnumerous users, including partners, to accessdata simultaneously from different locations.

> Product Delivery Center (PDC). This photographshows the busy Aberdeen PDC, which makesthousands of prints every year. These facilitiescan copy data to color prints, film, digital audiotape (DAT) and compact disk read only memory(CD-ROM) for final delivery.

Data delivery hub

An

adri

ll

Schlumberger

Web data server

Data management center

Data acquisitionsite

> The TransACT-to-LogDB data flow. Data management is an integral part of the log data deliveryframework. The TransACT data delivery system periodically copies log data files (DLIS and PDS) fromthe central data communications hub (lower left ) to the data management archive system using theTRX transfer protocol together with a descriptive text file. The log database receiver process thenuses the descriptive text file to import log data files to be scanned, loaded and archived. During theauto import, scan, load and archive process, the database system continually updates a HypertextMarkup Language (HTML) report (upper right ), which the operator consults from the central data communications hub.

Electronic mail—E-mail is often used toattach small digital graphics or minimum datasets. The maximum attachment size allowedvaries by company, but generally is on the orderof a few MB, which limits the use of this deliverymechanism. In addition, since e-mail messagesare not normally encrypted, data security couldbe compromised. E-mail is used to notify usersthat other more secure data delivery methodshave been used and successfully completed. Forexample, whenever a SNIC or DropBox datadelivery transaction is completed, an e-mail mes-sage is automatically sent to the user.

The TransACT framework is completely trans-parent to the data user. Schlumberger data aresent in a timely, efficient and fully traceable man-ner with minimal human intervention. Many ofthe tasks formally performed manually at the fieldacquisition site have now been transferred to andautomated by the TransACT data delivery hub(right). This has a large impact on both perfor-mance and efficiency. The compression andrecovery features provided by the TRX protocolensure that transfers are fast and reliable. Sincethe transfer proceedings are completely transpar-ent, the engineer can focus more attention on logquality control.

After the engineer generates the correspond-ing TransACT order, the data delivery hub auto-matically completes the required data deliveryprocess. A typical order may include data conver-sion, multiple format data delivery and anynumber of the available delivery methods (right).By the time the logging tool reaches the casingshoe, data transmission is finished. The deliveriesare completed within minutes with no interven-tion besides mailing the CD and hard-copy printsgenerated in the PDC to the operator.

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10,000

12,000Monthly Individual Orders

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1601999 Monthly Transfer Volumes in GBytes

Jan Mar May July Sept Nov

Jan Mar May July Sept Nov

> Statistics on North American TransACT activity. Graphs show the monthlynumber of data-delivery orders (top), and total volume of data transferred(bottom) by the TransACT data delivery hub located in Sedalia, Colorado. This hub handles all of the US market, both land and offshore.

Convert incoming data from DLIS into LAS format, filtering out all nonessentialchannels as indicated by the operator.

Deliver the LAS file to the operator's geologist in Houston through SNIC(automatic e-mail notification of file availability).

Deliver graphic copies of the log to three partners through the DropBox utility(automatic e-mail notification to partners). They can securely retrieve the logsthrough the internet using their Web browsers and the corresponding user-namesand passwords.

Fax a copy of the log to the operator's drilling office to quickly evaluate casingand cementing needs.

Send color prints of the logs, a CD containing the original DLIS file, the LAS-filteredfile and other digital graphics—such as quality control and crossplots—generatedin the Houston PDC to the operator's office.

Notify the Schlumberger Field Services Manager by e-mail after the abovedeliveries have been successfully completed.

Automatically archive all data in the LogDB database.

> A Typical TransACT order.

Winter 1999/2000 49

50 Oilfield Review

The user does not need a special application on his or her desktop computerto view and download data. Virtually everyone has a Web browser.

The data are made available to any authorized user. This is an improvement over the point-to-point data delivery mechanism, in which data arrive only at a single user’s system. Web delivery permits multipoint and simultaneous delivery anywhere in the network.

Firewall problems are avoided. Most operators have ports in their firewalls open to HTTP and HTTPS (encrypted) Web traffic. Data are not ”pushed“ to the user;instead the user ”pulls“ the data back through any firewalls that may be present.

Security of access is maintained. Web servers have standard authenticationand access control mechanisms. These mechanisms usually involveuser-names and passwords or digital certificates.

The user has full control of data delivery and timeliness is assured. If thedata arrive at the Web server in real time, the user can access the dataimmediately. If the user missed the real-time arrival, the data are still there and can be viewed at a later time.

The Web server can provide a single point of contact from multiple oilfieldservices, such as drilling, logging, fracturing and production, easily accessiblethrough a single interface.

> Advantages of Web-based data delivery.

Sperry-Sun Drilling Services also provides amultipoint data delivery system for a wide rangeof rig services and rig sensors including MWD,directional drilling, drilling fluids and pumpingservices. Their INSITE Integrated System forInformation Technology and Engineering soft-ware allows the operator to view and analyzedata in real time in a customized format at therig, or at the office and other remote locations.8

Real-time communications to third-party sys-tems using the Wellsite Information TransferSpecification (WITS) format are supported. Allthe information is contained within an OpenDatabase Connectivity- (ODBC-) compliant data-base. This allows standard commercial applica-tions such as Microsoft Office to have direct accessto the database to generate graphics and reports.

Service companies are not alone in develop-ing multipoint data delivery systems using pri-vate networks. Operators also are developingdirect links between drilling monitoring systemsand data management and interpretation sys-tems. One custom solution uses a single inter-face for operators and different drilling

contractors and service companies. As part ofStatoil’s research and development effort orga-nized in the Wellbore Positioning Project, theDrilling Automation in Real-Time (DART) systemwas developed to connect rigsite data-acquisi-tion systems directly to Statoil’s internal projectdatabase (left). The project objective is todevelop concepts for application integration andreal-time data exchange to enhance multidisci-plinary decision processing, and to enable effi-cient quality assurance and verification ofdifferent field operations.

Choosing a platform-independent solution forthe DART system makes it possible to integratediverse software applications by establishingstandardized on-line data communication andreporting formats. Statoil has finalized the firstworking prototype version of the DART systemcovering MWD and LWD data. An application fordownloading real-time and historical drilling datato the project database is in prototype testing atthe Statoil Gullfaks facilities in the North Sea.The Statoil DART approach is to be as open aspossible to enable a common platform for datatransfer and application integration to be estab-lished with service companies.

Schlumberger

ABC

DEF

XYZ

Other service providers

InterACT

Web Witness

RigLink

DART Link

Baker HughesInteq

Sperry-Sun

INSITE

Wellbore positioning

MWD QA/QC

Landmark

Open Works

WellboreMWD logs

> Drilling Automation in Real-Time (DART) system. Statoil developed direct linksbetween their data management and interpretation systems and drilling monitoringsystems. The DART system is now being used to connect rigsite data acquisitionsystems directly to Statoil’s internal project database.

IBM Global Security and Privacy Serviceshelped Schlumberger evaluate the risksinvolved in providing E&P data delivery over the Internet.1 A team explored the relationshipsbetween common Internet activities, such ascollaboration, production access, publishing ande-business, and the requirements of data deliv-ery in the oilfield environment. This led to anunderstanding of how the major Internet secu-rity hazards, such as information theft, program-ming errors and repudiation could impact datadelivery objectives.

The key security requirements of an E&P datadelivery system, in order of priority, were first,authentication, access control, and confiden-tiality, then data integrity and finally, systemavailability. With a good understanding of busi-ness needs, perils and security requirements,several technology and process objectives wereidentified to achieve a secure Internet datadelivery system:• verification of application security controls

including identification and authenticationand access controls on resources

• an acceptable customer enrollment and regis-tration process that protects Schlumbergerand its clients

• encryption of data to achieve confidentiality andintegrity requirements for data transmission

• formal policies and procedures with respect tooperations, administration and audit.

IBM’s process and policy recommendationswere organized using the framework provided by the British Standard 7799 Code of Practicefor Information-Security Management. The stan-dards in this code are especially valuable forinternational operations.

It is interesting to note that operators havewidely divergent policies with regard to datasecurity, with many companies foregoing datasecurity for efficiency. Many common deliverypractices, such as fax and e-mail, have developedover years as a matter of convenience and effi-ciency, but provide reduced security. In othercases, more secure data delivery options areoften overlooked. For example, when download-ing data from the web-based DataLink DropBox,operators are offered the option to use the moresecure, encrypted HTTPS, rather than standardHTTP. Many choose not to use the encrypteddownload, sometimes because of corporate pol-icy against using HTTPS. In time, data securitywill become as much a part of the oilfield cul-ture as safety, and industry-wide data securityprocedures will become the established practice.

Security for E&P Internet Data Delivery

Winter 1999/2000 51

8. More information about INSITE and INSITE-ANYWHEREcan be found at the Sperry-Sun Drilling Services Website (http://www.sperry-sun.com).

9. Bhatt D, Kingston J, Bragstad H and O’Neill D:“Interactive Exploration,” Oilfield Review 9, no. 4 (Winter 1997): 22-31.

Internet Data Delivery The increased popularity of the SchlumbergerDataLink or DropBox delivery option has led to thedevelopment of an integrated system of Internetdata delivery mechanisms. What makes these sys-tems particularly attractive is that they use widelyaccepted commercial technology, such as Internetaccess and Web browsers (previous page, top).Today, these Web-based oilfield data delivery sys-tems provide commercial-quality security such asencryption and user authentication used inInternet banking and e-commerce (see “Securityfor E&P Internet Data Delivery,” right ).

The InterACT Web Witness data-delivery sys-tem is designed to provide secure Internet accessto real-time logging data through a Web browser.From the IDEAL or the MAXIS wellsite acquisitionsystems, the data are sent in real time to a Webserver. Once the data are at the server, multipleauthorized users can access them simultane-ously, and each user can interactively customizethe visualization of the data from table listings,plots and displays choosing presentation param-eters such as scales, colors and units. This data-delivery mechanism can be deployed either onthe Internet or within an operator’s intranet.

Another example of an across-the-Internetdata delivery system is the SuperVISION servicethat helps operators monitor the progress of seis-mic data-acquisition projects.9 It provides opera-tors with a simple, efficient and secure method tolink to acquisition information such as reports,images, maps, on-line QC-displays and plots,seismic sections and test results—allowingstructured access to these results on demand, atany time of the day or night and anywhere in theworld. The system enables rapid decision-makingbased on acquisition data of the same quality asoperators would be able to see if they were actu-ally present at the acquisition site.

1. For more information about IBM Global Security and Privacy Services, see their Web site(http://www.ibm.com/security/html/consult.html).

Off the West African coastline, the Azobe 3Dsurvey performed by Geco-Prakla was under-taken by the Seisranger survey vessel just 5miles [8 km] from Port Gentil, Gabon in 1999(above). Acquisition commenced late inNovember and was expected to finish by the endof the year; however, the 550-km2 [212-sq mile]prospect was particularly difficult. Being close tothe shore, the water was relatively shallow andhazardous. There was the additional problem ofshipping and fishing in the vicinity of the vesselas it acquired the data. Debris—mainly pampasgrass islands—was continuously washed acrossthe survey area, striking the acquisition streamers.Meanwhile, strong currents aggravated prob-lems by making it more difficult to control acqui-sition equipment. Given these difficult workingconditions, the UK-based support geophysicists

were particularly interested in continuallyreviewing the available information and complet-ing the acquisition project as quickly as possiblewithout compromising data quality. There werefour pieces of critical information: • header plots to monitor cable depth, in order to

ensure optimal amplitude and frequencyresponse of the geological targets

• root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude plots tomonitor cable noise and ensure a good signal-to-noise ratio

• brute stacks, which provided an indication ofthe quality of the data being processed

• navigation and seismic coverage to ensuregood overlap with existing surveys in the areaand to determine whether infill shooting wouldbe required.

The navigation and seismic coverage plotsrevealed an area of incomplete coverage, proba-bly caused by vessel and streamer drifting in thehigh offshore currents (below). The speed atwhich the SuperVISION service helped the geo-physicists monitor these critical data ensuredthat remedial work was carried out immediatelyand did not require a subsequent and costlyrevisit to the area.

Elsewhere, the SuperVISION remote monitor-ing system is helping operators and contractorscollaborate on seismic processing by allowingearly processing results to be viewed on a Web-based browser at each step. On a NorthSea project, TransCanada is using theSuperVISION service to provide images of resultsof various velocity models on their prestack

52 Oilfield Review

Azobesurvey

site

Gabon

A F R I C A

> Location of a marine seismicsurvey in Gabon.

Sequence 1

Sequence 1Sequence 3Sequence 5Sequence 7Sequence 9Sequence11

Sequence 3Sequence 5Sequence 7Sequence 9

Sequence 11

> Seismic coverage plot. The map shows the ship’s position (white curves) and amount of survey coverage. The light area in the map (upper right) shows that early in the thirdsequence an area of incomplete coverage occurred. Strong currents that day most likelydeflected the survey vessel or streamers.

Wellsite

AcquisitionFront end

Acquisitionand controlsoftware

Central storage Data analysis Data analysis

Datamanagement

Operator engineering offices Schlumberger and third-party offices

Cable

Gauges

Data delivery

Firewall

> Multiple-user permanent monitoring data-delivery system. The architecture of the WellWatcher daily system enables multiple userswith a Web-browser application to display and analyze data from permanent downhole sensors. The data-acquisition system at thewellsite sends the data in a real-time continuous mode and in a near real-time mode on a scheduled basis or at user request. The twomodes are not exclusive. The data delivery system supports all the WellWatcher acquisition systems such as the WellWatcher, thePumpWatcher and multiphase FloWatcher systems.

Winter 1999/2000 53

depth migrations and to assess the effectivenessof postmigration processing. The Web-basedresults are faster than sending paper sectionsand provided the operator with the ability to eval-uate each model and phase of the processing.Herman Kat, a scientist from TransCanada, says,“SuperVISION is a good way to monitor seismicacquisition and processing, and offered easyaccess to data when required. It offers a muchbetter view of the available data than e-mailattachments. Data delivery through theSuperVISION system is a real step ahead.”

Effective data delivery also is important tolong-term reservoir management. Pressure,temperature and flow data from downholegauges installed permanently on the completionstring have been available for more than 20 years (see “Downhole Monitoring: The StorySo Far,” page 20). The value of these data can be increased with new systems to access ondemand downhole monitoring data and surfacemeasurements on the Internet (above). Real-time data acquisition and delivery to multipleusers through the Web-based WellWatcherdaily wellsite production monitoring and com-munication system can help operators exploitthese measurements to optimize reservoir andproduction performance.

BP Amoco and Reda Production Services havebeen using the WellWatcher daily system in theNorth Sea to monitor surface, downhole andelectric submersible pump parameters since thebeginning of 1998. The BP Amoco Forties fieldhas been producing since the early 1970s, how-ever during the last ten years, declining produc-tion has been maintained by secondary recoverytechniques such as gas lift and electric sub-mersible pumps. The Forties field has five plat-forms, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo.Most of the electric submersible pumps areinstalled in wells on the unmanned Echo plat-form, which was originally designed withoutprocessing facilities. Remote operation is per-formed from the Alpha platform.

Eight permanent monitoring systems withpressure and temperature gauges have beeninstalled on four platforms. Data from thesesystems are available to authorized BP Amoco,Reda and the WellWatcher engineers located inseparate offices onshore using the WellWatcherdaily Web-browser interface (below). Con-tinuously monitoring parameters such as intakeand discharge pump pressures and temperaturesin real time helps engineers remotely controlelectric submersible pump operation duringcritical startup after a shut-in period. For exam-ple, the ability to monitor electric submersiblepump parameters during power changes andstartup inrush surges avoids operating the pumpunder conditions that might lead to prematurefailure, costly replacement and unnecessary lossof production.

With the availability of real-time data, wellengineers can also correctly differentiate com-pletion problems from pump problems, and thusplan effectively for remedial work. Reservoirengineers can monitor reservoir performance inreal time under static and flowing conditions.Unplanned shut-ins give them the ability to con-duct buildup analysis and observe the effects on

other wells across the reservoir. The electric sub-mersible pump operator can quickly evaluate anypotentially adverse operational condition andadvise on the maintenance of optimal parame-ters for the ‘well system’ asset, thus assuringcontinuing cash flow for all parties.

Operators often seek custom data-deliverysolutions for specific needs. The Norwegian oilcompanies, including Amoco Norge, BP Norge,Norske Shell, Norsk Hydro, Phillips PetroleumCompany Norway, Saga Petroleum and Statoiltogether with the Norwegian PetroleumDirectorate agreed in 1998 to set up a privateextranet called the Secure Oil Information Link(SOIL) (next page). The objective was to facilitatedata exchange more easily throughout the life ofa field as these operators work closely togetherwith service companies. Making individual con-nections between all involved parties is not con-sidered a good solution for efficient data delivery.Before SOIL was established, data would be sentto operators either on tape or by transferring datato the operator’s server using dedicated lines.

Transferring large files, such as seismicdata, through the Internet can be problematicdue to bandwidth limitations and link stability.

File transfers through dedicated lines raiseissues related to both the additional workneeded to establish these lines as well as net-work security. A custom solution like the SOILextranet can provide better bandwidth, link sta-bility and security than the Internet, while stilllinking business partners. Such a network pro-vides a big advantage for data-delivery systemssuch as the SuperVISION service used to monitorseismic data-acquisition and processing projects.In 2000, two new state-of-the-art secureSuperVISION gateways have been installed toprovide data-delivery communications betweenSchlumberger and its clients. One of these gate-ways is dedicated to serving clients through theSOIL network. This server is located at the at theOslo Solutions Center, Norway, where SINet islinked to the SOIL network. The other gateway,serving clients through the Internet, is located atthe Schlumberger Connectivity Center (SCC) inHouston, Texas.

Petrolink Services Ltd. have also been provid-ing data-delivery systems in the North Sea sincethe early 1990s, and have been widely used bymajor operators. Since then, Petrolink hasexpanded their services worldwide. Although notdirectly involved with data acquisition, they arecontracted by operators to manage data trans-mission from the wellsite to the operator’sonshore offices. They offer rapid postacquisitiontransmission of all wellsite data from any land oroffshore site to any location in the world usingdial-up and fixed-link satellites, microwave, radioand regular telephone networks.10

Today, these systems consist of secure Webservers connected to the Internet running LotusNotes software. This program enables data to beautomatically presented for both uploading anddownloading through the Internet using abrowser that provides encrypted data exchanges.Data are held as individual records within astructured database, enabling the user to sortthem by date, record type, rig or well. With pri-vate networks the Web server can be connecteddirectly to a wellsite or other remote location,permitting operators to interact directly with theserver and upload data that can be accessed overthe operator’s own intranet. Alternatively, theserver can be connected through a firewall toanother server with a direct connection to theInternet, to allow data transmission and accessto anyone with the correct security profile.

54 Oilfield Review

> Electric submersible pump witness display. The electric submersible pump witness display-menu (top) identifies the field, well and all available data channels and the time of displayrange for the selected field and well. The display selected in this example shows the electricsubmersible pump intake pressure (blue) and temperature (red) taken every 10 sec over aone-hour interval. A zoom feature enables the operator to expand any area in the chart tolook at details of the parameter-monitoring history. 10. More information about Petrolink Services Ltd. can be

found at their Web site (http://www.petrolink.co.uk).

Winter 1999/2000 55

Baker Hughes Inteq also has a browser-basedsystem—using multiple secure Web serversaround the world—called RigLink, that facilitatesdata communications between the wellsite andremote displays in the operator’s office. LikeRigLink, the INSITE-ANYWHERE system allowsusers to view information available from Sperry-Sun’s INSITE real-time data analysis system withan Internet connection and a Web browser.

Balancing Security and UsabilityThe evolution of electronic E&P data deliverymechanisms will continue to be driven by a mix-ture of market needs and technological growth.The Internet will play a larger and more complexrole, and two features—usability and security—will dictate its growth for oilfield data delivery.Although usability and security usually have con-flicting implications—the more secure a givensystem, the more complex and cumbersome tooperate and vice-versa—the industry will finditself striving for an optimum resolution.

In addition, as corporations become moreaware of electronic security issues, the data-delivery infrastructure must provide technologicalsolutions to allow remote expertise and decision-making to be performed securely. Examplesinclude the use of user names and passwords tolog into data repository sites, and the use of

encryption, especially when data must move overthe Internet. More sophisticated methods ofauthentication—such as Public Key Infrastructure(PKI) and smart cards—are employed for moreadvanced systems.

Most operators’ networks are usually pro-tected by an e-commerce firewall. As a result,transactions are more secure. Each firewall willblock all incoming unauthorized file transfers anddata deliveries from an outside network unlessspecifically programmed to accept such transac-tion by means of poking a “hole” in it. This alter-native is generally not accepted by mostInformation Technology (IT) organizations, giventhe security breach that it implies.

Technology advances in the field of VirtualPrivate Networks (VPN) indicate that soon VPNwill be the option of choice to work around thisproblem. Through such technology, firewalls willbecome more “intelligent”—rather than justblindly rejecting all incoming transactions, andthey will prompt the originators of the transmis-sion to identify themselves.

Identification or authentication can be donethrough “digital certificates”—a digital incarna-tion of the passport for virtual travelling—issuedby a trusted agency in a form of a lengthy stringof digital characters. Like real passports, digitalcertificates contain certain characteristics that

allow the firewall—the immigration office of thevirtual world—to verify that they have not beentampered with. In this way, firewalls can ensurethat a trusted individual, generally an authorizedemployee, is originating the incoming transac-tion, and grant access to the network. The mostsecure and convenient way to store a digital cer-tificate is within a smart card, and it probablywon’t be long before a smart-card reader isincluded in all commercial computers.

Since the information must still travel throughnonproprietary links, it will be necessary to usecodification or encryption to ensure its integrity.In this arena, PKI technology is expected be themost commonly accepted option. Here, each indi-vidual will be issued—once again by a trustedagency—a personal and digital “private key,” ofwhich only one copy exists. The agency also willmake available through the Internet a matching“public key.” The public key is used by anyone toencrypt data, which once encrypted can beviewed only by the holder of the matching privatekey. One convenient and practical place to storethe private key will be in the smart card.

Down the Data HighwayThe last few years have been rich with manycommunications and data-delivery developmentsin every domain of the E&P industry. The world israpidly assimilating advances in Web-basedtransactions that are modernizing the way wework together. Browser-based delivery interfacesare impacting much of the decision-critical work-flow. Optimizing the flow of data to those whouse it is one way to increase operating efficiencyand reduce cost.

Advances in communications technology aredriving the shift from an asset-centered to anexpert-centered—or decision-centered—workprocess, facilitating collaboration, integration,knowledge capture and, as a result, superiordecision management. In an upcoming article inthe Oilfield Review, we will complete the dataservices story by showing how advanced dataintegration and interpretation platforms are com-bined with 3D-visualization technology to helpoperators and service companies make moreinformed and knowledgeable decisions in thedomains of reservoir evaluation, developmentand management. —RH

Norsk Hydro

Phillips Petroleum Schlumberger Well Services

KvaernerOil and Gas

Services

Statoil, USA

SOILSecure Oil Information Link

Statoil, Norway

> Norwegian Secure Oil Information Link (SOIL) network. The Norwegian SOIL network is abranch network linking together oil companies and service providers within the Norwegianoil industry. This high-speed extranet provides an infrastructure for secure communicationsand data services. Examples are secure e-mail, directory services, secure Web services and e-commerce.