Kansas Geological Survey, Open File Report 97-14
Digital Petroleum Atlas Annual Report 1996
The world-wide-web and the publish as-you-go design of the
prototype Digital Petroleum Atlas Project provided immediate and
ongoing technology transfer activities. The DPA model appears to
provide an efficient method of technology transfer to the
geographically dispersed high technology petroleum industry. The
pages that comprise the DPA are among the most visited on the Kansas
Geological Survey web site and usage continues to grow
(Figure 2,
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/PRS/usage/
past_stats.html). Periodic email updates provided to
interested operators and individuals have been well received. The distribution of
the email update continues to grow and currently reaches 40
companies, organizations and individuals. As part of technology
transfer efforts, seven formal talks and papers were presented to
local and national meetings (Table 2). A paper to
be published in COMPUTERS AND GEOSCIENCE uses the Digital Petroleum
Atlas as a primary example of new forms of on-line publication (Carr
and others, in press). A copy of this manuscript is available on-line
as DPA topical report
(http://www.kgs.ku.edu/PRS/publication/OFR96_37/abstract.html).
A paper on the application of the Internet for providing natural
resource information and technology is to be published in the
PROCEDDINGS OF THE GEOSCIENCE INFORAMTION SOCIETY (Carr and others,
in press)
Table 2.-- Formal presentations that resulted
from the first year of the Prototype Digital Petroleum Atlas Project.
Selected abstracts are included in
Appendix A.
In addition to verbal feedback, a number of email comments were
received from oil and gas operators that indicate that the product is
meeting a need. Included are selected email comments from operators
(names and affiliations removed).
"The digital petroleum atlas is one of the few worthwhile petroleum sites on the internet. You are demonstrating what can be done with the Web. We need more states to start doing what you are doing. Until we see more products like this the small independent will not be on the internet."
"I think the Kansas O&G database is great and wish the project much success. I wanted to know when monthly well and field data would be available. Also will injection data also reside in the database eventually? Have you thought about writing Java applets that would plot data various ways and do decline analysis."
"I really like the direction you're taking with the Digital Petroleum Atlas. This is the kind of information I've been hoping for from KGS and PTTC. Can't wait for you to start on other counties (like Lane and Ness for example hint, hint). Keep up the great work."
"This service is very useful and saves a great deal of time."
"You have done an excellent job! Love the feature, keep up the good work."
The Digital Petroleum Atlas was designed to be a dynamic product with the constant addition of new information and ideas. Within this changing environment all defined tasks of the one-year prototype DPA were completed. The only significant modification is elimination of a widely distributed CD-ROM version of the DPA. The growth of the Internet and the power and dynamic nature of the web format does not justify a published CD-ROM version. However, a modified CD-ROM version can be easily produced on request. In using the DPA, oil and gas operators and the interested public propose many of the ongoing changes and additions. The prototype DPA project was completed within budget and cost sharing was in excess of 20%.
Results from the one-year prototype Digital Petroleum Atlas Project have significantly exceeded expectations. A follow-up project was proposed to expand the breath of plays, fields and reservoirs covered, enhance the included petroleum technology, expand the geographic coverage beyond Kansas, and improve the navigation and search technology for access to DPA technology and information.