It's okay to be a bit extra at times. Extra data, extra solutions, extra guacamole at Chipotle. We like having options when it comes to our everyday lives, but also in regards to much more complex matters - like Full Field Optimization. The planning processes surrounding this aspect of the Oil and Gas industry involves a large amount of information coupled with an even heftier amount of time spent coming up with a single solution. If it was possible, wouldn't you want to not only be able to cut down on this commitment of resources - but also gain extra insights and solutions in a fraction of the time it would typically take to produce a single solution?
Hopefully, the answer was a resounding yes.
Truth is, we think so too.
Integrated Geomancy operates within the realms of extra. This surplus comes in two distinct forms, both of which set this application apart and offer more value to the user, team, and organization relying on it. This added benefit refers to scenarios and supplemental data.
The Geomancy Project Structure
Before diving into why these features are so important, we should first discuss the structure of a typical Integrated Geomancy project. This toolset is designed to store input data, output data, and settings inside of an overarching project infrastructure. At the highest level, projects contain everything from data to scenarios to results and settings.
Speaking of data, the only information necessary for establishing a project is a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), a polygon feature class representing the Study Area, and a name with which it will be referenced from here on out. This is stored at the project level, along with any supplemental data. Purely optional, supplemental data is often referred to as constraints as it aides planning in better mimicking real-world environments and situations for the area and circumstances in question. Once data is added to a project, scenarios may then be created with the intent of generating results for asset placement and optimizations based on the data selected by the user.
All results produced are stored within the project in relation to the applicable scenario. Likewise, data that is specified for inclusion in a scenario is not modified at a project level - allowing the underlying data to remain pristine.
Scenarios: What If, Then
Now that you have more insight into the basic structure of a project within Integrated Geomancy, it may be easier to see the value in approaching processing based on scenarios. These instances allow you to run through a case from start to finish - better yet, data selection to generating full results - without having to upload data each time, redefine the area of interest, or guess at what settings and measurements were used to produce a solution.
We like to look at these cases as What If situations. Rather than spending inordinate amounts of time reworking an analysis to include a piece of data you wish to have added earlier or to modify a setback or even to scale down the Study Area to one of more precise focus, you can do so in a fraction of the time while maintaining results you've gathered from previous scenarios.
Examples of common questions concerning Full Field Optimization planning a scenario can be created to reflect might include:
Will development in the Study Area impact neighboring residential areas?
What is the recommended route when bypassing all waterbodies?
How will the route of a Pipeline Gathering System change if it can be tied into existing infrastructure?
How might the route change if it is not permitted to cross that roadway?
Can the railway be avoided between proposed Well Pad Sites?
What if we want to work on only one portion of the overall Study Area right now? What does production for this area look like? (Hint: Specifying a sub-area for the scenario as long as it is still inside the boundaries of the full area defined in the project is allowed.)
These are just a few, of course. Every project your organization will work on will come with its own hurdles, specifications, and hypotheses. These will change. However, the need to have a flexible approach that still retains records in a user-friendly manner is an asset that extends far beyond the reach of questions we ask our decision engine.
More Data, More Accuracy
While having the ability to tailor solutions is ideal, having as accurate a representation as possible of the climate in which you are working may be of utmost importance. We introduce this within Integrated Geomancy through the inclusion of supplemental data, or constraints. It should be noted again that this information is not required for a project like a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) or Study Area are, but is purely extra.
Supplemental data that is encouraged to be added includes anything from Anthropogenic to Infrastructure to Wildlife. For example, Anthropogenic can include Cultural Resources, Political Boundaries, and even Populated Areas. Each data type is weighted by the decision engine based on defined standards that may range from varying degrees of consideration to absolute avoidance (i.e., NoGo). With the possibility to include data representing 11 different categories - approximately 71 specific data types in all - projects can reflect a diverse landscape in which to model the development of a field.
By allowing users to add this type of data to a project for consideration in an area's constructability, Integrated Geomancy has the power to address routing and siting in both greenfield and developed projects. It also gives you the power to decide for yourself if this information is important in the scheme of things - which may be more exciting than allowing a little extra into our lives.
Integrated Geomancy is an Add-In for ArcGIS that enables Oil and Gas professionals to better plan the placement and routes of assets like Pipeline Gathering Systems, Transmission Pipelines, Well Pad Sites, Access Roads, and more. The toolkit takes a comprehensive approach to the planning process, allowing teams to build a model of the area in which construction will take place - incorporating data like elevation, environmental zones, populated areas, etc. More information and examples of the application in use can be found at www.geomancy.io.