Saudi Geophysical Consulting (SGC) and SpectrumITech, a division of UK-based Spectrum Energy and IT, have been awarded an extension of their current data management contract with Saudi Aramco. Spectrum has been providing in-house data management services to Saudi Aramco’s Exploration Data Management Division since 2002—as outlined in Tawfeeq AlFaraj’s presentation at the IQPC Bahrain conference (page 7 of this issue). In an extension to the ongoing project, Spectrum and SGC will provide similar services to the Saudi Aramco’s Drilling and Workover (DWO) and Reservoir Description Divisions (RDD) through to late 2007.
26 million documents
Saudi Aramco’s records go back to 1933 and comprise around 26 million technical documents of many types. In the past locating, maintaining and disseminating this hardcopy data proved ‘laborious and time consuming’. In 1998 Saudi Aramco embarked on an ambitious electronic data management (EDM) project to index and scan these documents with the objectives of creating a comprehensive catalogue and inventory and significantly reducing the physical archive space.
Indexing
Spectrum’s proprietary scanning, indexing and quality control software runs on various Spectrum-maintained networks within Saudi Aramco. These networks are physically isolated from Aramco’s own networks for security and data integrity.
Scanners
A number of scanning sub systems have been installed comprising continuous feed and A0 format scanners to capture large format materials such as maps, seismic and well log plots. A3/A4 monochrome and color scanners capture smaller documents such as reports, photographs and enclosures. Indexing, cataloguing and administration is performed on Spectrum’s workstations. Following scanning, indexing, and QC, images are uploaded to the Saudi Aramco EDM system.
Unstructured data
Saudi Aramco now has a flexible system that can be expanded to handle other types of unstructured non-E&P data such as engineering documentation, facilities management, financial, maintenance and technical plans and drawings. The solution is now extending to other departments and locations throughout the huge Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran and within other Saudi Aramco facilities such as those at Ras Tanura.
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