Why the future lies in national data centres

Abstract

Many countries around the world own E&P data, the value of which has not up to now been fully realized. It’s an issue that Schlumberger has been addressing with its concept of national data centres. Sergei V. Gmyzin, head of natural resources regulation and oil and gas complex development, Administration of Yamal-Nenetz Autonomous District, Russia, and Brice Bouffard, manager information management, Schlumberger Information Solutions, explain the background. National data repositories (NDR) of E&P data are to be found in some form or other in most countries where there are, or have been, significant oil and gas operations. It is the belief at Schlumberger that many of these NDRs could be the source of substantial untapped value if the data available were to be fully exploited and made available to E&P companies. Typically NDRs are simply storage places for data, effectively the vault where E&P data is gathered and archived. They are usually operated by an official agency representing some level of government, e.g. national, state, provincial or regional, which is seen principally as custodian for the E&P data assets. Such agencies may not of course be completely static, and their role may include: ■ to manage and preserve all data generated from oil and gas E&P activities in the geopolitical region; ■ to report to government regulatory agencies; fulfill the industry’s legal obligation to track and report activities and to archive reserves information; ■ to assist in promoting investment in the country’s oil and gas industry by making data of known quality accessible to prospective new investors; ■ to provide a central repository of knowledge for the geotechnical community at large, including oil companies, government and universities; ■ to manage technical publications on the country’s petroleum resources.