Objective
The project aims at the construction and demonstration of a database system for European outcrop data, including location, acquisition and analysis datasets. This system will allow for any interested party to have easy access to outcrop data which are checked for completeness and quality. All stored data can be made available to any interested party in a standard compatible format. It is expected that parties interested in the utilization of this database will range from oil companies (for reservoir studies) and R&D institutes (for research) to national geological surveys (for management) and universities (for research).
The database will be able to accommodate all data identified as relevant for the description of reservoirs and in future prospects within basins. The database will be structured in such a way that future extensions of data types are possible.
The execution of Phase I, II, III, IV and V have resulted in a number of documents, in bound format submitted as Technical Report Nr. 1, 2, 3 and 4 to the CEC:
- The Software Project Management Plan version 1.0 (Phase I);
- The Software Quality Assurance Plan version 1.0 (Phase I);
- The Software Requirements Specifications (Phase II);
- Global Software Design document (Phase III);
- Detailed Database Design document (Phase III);
- Data Acquisition documents, containing a description of the outcrop data acquisition and processing activities of both TUD and DGU (Phase IV).
- Data Loading documents, describing the example datasets from TUD and DGU in a format, by which they can be loaded into the system (Phase V);
- Draft Data Acquisition manual, in which recommended practices and procedures are described for the actual collection and processing of reservoir analogue outcrop datasets (Phase V).
- Draft User Manual of the first release of the software (Phase V);
- Draft Business Planfor Commercialization (Phase V).
The project has initially focused on specifying the requirements of the database system in terms of data items, that need to be managed by the system, the input procedures, quality control and in what way and format the data in the database need to be available for potential users.
The results of this brainstorming have been written down and discussed in a number of meetings between the partners in the project or externally funded projects. In additional data collection campaigns DGU and TUD have complemented and restructured the available data from these projects following the initial requirement specifications, while TNO focused on providing input on the basis of their own expertise and transforming these needs into specifications, on which the database system can be implemented. The final approved requirements have been organized into a Software Requirements Specification document. On the basis of this document a global and detailed design of the system have been made, while at the same time a prototype of the system has been constructed. The design is based on existing products, i.e. Unix as operating system, Oracle for the database, Uniface (and when needed C) as programming environment and Motif for the user interface. For the user interface, data model, data access and data storage important E&P standards are adhered to as much as possible (POSC E & P Style Guide, POSC data model, TIFF/GIF image formats). The prototype has been rebuilt into a first release of the software, which has been tested by loading the available datasets from TUD and DGU. The system is currently installed at the TNO facilities. Installation and user manuals are available for installation at potential user sites.
Modern field development and reservoir management increasingly require detailed and accurate geological models of the subsurface oil and gas reservoirs. The description of reservoirs in terms of architecture and reservoir properties is encumbered by the fact that the density of quantitative data over the whole reservoir area is usually insufficient to develop accurate models.
Geological descriptions, measurements and statistics of surface exposures (i.e. outcrops) are an increasingly important source of these vital data.
However no overview exists of all available data, the completeness and quality are poorly controlled and data are not available in a standard, directly accessible format.
The useful and innovative parts for this project for the construction and demonstration of a database for outcrop descriptions are :
- a detailed overview can be obtained of all available quality controlled data in Europe on certain reservoirs, formations and basins;
- outcrop data which are generally difficult to access will become available in a standard format;
- relevant data available from e.g. the national geological institutes in the member countries of the European Community and from various universities can be obtained from a single source.
The project consists of two main types of activities i.e.:
- development of the outcrop database management system;
- standardization of data collection procedures.
Both activities are planned in five phases.
Phase I is an information planning with respect to organizational requirements and the definition of the system boundaries of the database facility. Also the design of a Software Project Management Plan and a Software Quality Assurance Plan is part of this phase.
Phase II is an information analysis with respect to functional, data and user interface requirements. This phase will result in a Software Requirements Specification. Phase III is a construction phase, resulting in the design, reiterative construction and testingof a skeleton system, starting with the definition of the database. Phase IV is the construction of an operational database system including initial data loading. It also includes the acquisition and reorganization of datasets, such that they are suitable for loading into the database. Phase V is the actual operation, demonstration and evaluation of the database.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
DEM - Demonstration contractsCoordinator
2600 JA Delft
Netherlands