Kansas Geological Survey, Open File Report 97-14
Digital Petroleum Atlas Annual Report 1996
The traditional role of scientific and technical publication is to
formalize and record scientific and technical results in time, and to
transfer technology to potential users
(Kerkhof, 1994). Over the past
century and possibly even in the previous decade, the paper report,
journal, monograph or book was the fastest and most efficient method
to disseminate, validate, and archive research and technical results.
Today, traditional channels of scientific and technical communication
are being challenged by the shear volume of publication, the
increased unit costs, the relatively decreased resources of academic
and industrial library systems, and the rapidity of technical change
(Okerson, 1992). In addition, the
growth of networks, storage servers, printers, and software that make
up the Internet is rapidly changing the world from one in which
research organizations, publishers and libraries control the
printing, distribution, and archiving to a world in which individuals
can rapidly and cheaply "publish", provide access and modify
scientific results on-line. These changes offer significant
challenges and opportunities to the various participants and
traditions of scientific and technical publication
(Denning and Rous, 1995).
Another drawback of traditional published scientific and technical
results is the limitation of paper (cost and space) causing incomplete documentation of the research
process. As a result it is often difficult to replicate or
modify traditional paper-published research
(Claerbout, 1994). The purpose
of reproducing research is to transfer research products to the user,
to validate research results, and to facilitate extending the
research to better fit user needs. Reproduction of research is a
fundamental problem in technology transfer in the earth sciences.
This problem has been attributed to loss of steps along the research
pathway (Claerbout, 1994). Lack
of access to theory, methods, data, or results may form a missing
step in the earth sciences. For example, it is not common practice to
publish detailed production data, well logs, and analyses that formed
the basis of a reservoir or field study or map. With the increased
publication costs these data are at best archived. The result is a
finished product that is difficult to replicate, validate, or modify
to new needs or opportunities. The resource investment required to
reproduce published research may take many months and forms a barrier
to technology transfer of fundamental, regional or site specific
petroleum research. This barrier is a significant impediment to
merging results from disparate scientific fields into research
solutions for societal and industrial problems and for providing
timely scientific information for policy decisions. The shortening
life cycles of technology and the increased needs for
cross-disciplinary research require a change in the unit of research
from the published paper to an easily adapted technologic
solution.
The
Midcontinent Digital Petroleum Atlas radically changes
traditional models and approaches to generating and disseminating
petroleum field, play and basin studies
(Carr and others, in press). The
Digital Petroleum Atlas (DPA) is an electronic publication that is
available on-line over the world-wide-web. The DPA is designed to
provide easily adapted technologic solutions and to be a dynamic
product that is constantly evolving with new structure, research
results, and data. Through complete and flexible user access to both
the interpretative products and the underlying reservoir and well
data, the DPA alters the relationship between interpretative result
and data.
The first year of the DPA Project developed a prototype for a
digital atlas of petroleum fields and reservoirs in Kansas. A very
limited number of reservoirs in Kansas were included in the prototype
project, but the goal is to expand beyond the prototype atlas to
include all significant reservoirs representing the major plays in
the Northern Midcontinent (Figure
1a). The Northern Midcontinent as defined for the DPA includes
all of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, the Williston
basin portion of Montana, and the Denver-Julesburg basin of eastern
Colorado (Figure 1b).
The DPA was constructed using standardized templates and
navigation tools to give the product a consistent look and feel.
Active links, graphical user interfaces and database search
mechanisms provide a product with which the reader can interact in
ways that are impossible in a paper atlas. The DPA also contains
forms of publication that can only be displayed in an electronic
environment. These electronic only forms of publication include:
searches based on user-defined geologic, engineering and production
criteria; hypertext search and manipulation functions to generate
customized maps and plots; and access to animated products (e.g.,
exploration histories through time). Electronic products such as the
DPA are far more efficient tools for rapid technology transfer and
resource sharing. The DPA can use available digital materials to
create on-demand products that better fit user-defined needs.
Primary products of the prototype atlas are on-line accessible
digital data bases covering two significant petroleum plays in
Kansas. The regional databases are supplemented with selected
geological field studies in each play. Digital imagery, digital
mapping, relational data queries, and geographical information
systems are integral to the field studies and regional data sets.
Data sets have relational links to provide opportunity for
history-matching, feasibility, and risk analysis tests on
contemplated exploration and development projects. The flexible
"web-like" design of the atlas provides ready access to data, and
technology at a variety of scales from regional, to field, to lease,
and finally to the individual bore. The digital structure of the
atlas permits the operator to access comprehensive reservoir data,
interpretative products (e.g., maps and cross-sections) and to
customize the products to their needs. The atlas is accessible in
digital form on-line using a World-Wide-Web browser as the graphical
user interface.
Regional data sets and field studies are free-standing entities that are made available on-line through the Internet to users as they are completed. Technology transfer activities commenced in the early part of this project, providing data information sets to oil and gas operators, government and research organizations and other interested individuals prior to the full digital atlas compilation.