--> Abstract: Information Management Evolves!, by Stephen Ashley; #90105 (2010)

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AAPG GEO 2010 Middle East
Geoscience Conference & Exhibition
Innovative Geoscience Solutions – Meeting Hydrocarbon Demand in Changing Times
March 7-10, 2010 – Manama, Bahrain

Information Management Evolves!

Stephen Ashley1

(1) SIS, Schlumberger, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Digital Oilfield is now firmly established as a reality as the industry moves beyond initial pilot implementations. Information Management is recognized as an important foundation for realizing the value of the digital oilfield.

The Digital Oilfield is however driving significant growth in the amount of information being recorded and a similar growing demand from the business for quality information to support and enable more integrated technical applications and work flows. If not managed appropriately, this growth of information will reduce the ability to quantify and manage the impact of information on the business, increasingly leading to information bottlenecks in key business processes and technical work flows.

Supporting and enabling the digital oilfield will dictate a move away from the traditional information management model of solely providing effective capture, management and provision of access to information. It will require a much increased focus on leveraging the value of information assets through a tighter integration of data, information, process, technologies and people and a move towards greater automation of information management processes.

By learning from other industries and focusing on some key information management aspects, Information Managers will be able to meet the challenge provided by the digital oilfield and transform the way information is managed in the future. The proposed key aspects discussed include;

  • Effective Management Processes - to build credibility and formalise business input
  • Capability - develop the digital engineer and be the link between the business and IT
  • Application of Lean techniques - reduce complexity, variation and low value work
  • Data Quality Management - apply Six Sigma to reduce defects and drive automation
  • Enabling Technologies - that deliver quality information in the context of the user

This approach will increase information management credibility, provide greater management clarity, enhance the value of information assets, enable and automate process, foster cross functional collaboration and provide business intelligence.