Practical Geodesy

Think the Earth is round? Think again. Actually the Earth – land and sea – is continuously changing shape, influenced by factors such as its rotation, gravity and tectonic movement. Our Practical Geodesy work supports the description of the definitions of coordinates for describing locations on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

In order to improve our industry’s surveying capability, IOGP develops and maintains specialist tools and resources.

EPSG Dataset

The EPSG Geodetic Parameter Dataset is a collection of definitions of coordinate reference systems and coordinate transformations. These may be global, regional, national or local in application. To learn more visit www.epsg.org.

The Dataset is maintained by IOGP members through the Geodesy Subcommittee of the Geomatics Committee. It is distributed publicly at no cost as both an online (www.epsg-registry.org) and offline (www.epsg.org) resource, both requiring acceptance of the Terms of Use.

Guidance Notes

Several IOGP’s short documents give guidance to the industry on geodetic topics:

• Guidance for industry:
  • 373-01 Geodetic awareness. A brief overview of coordinates and their reference systems.
  • 373-03 Contract Area Definition. A guide for exploration managers and lawyers in hydrocarbon exploration companies who negotiate for licence acreage and for licencing authorities.
  • 373-05 Coordinate reference system definition. A guide on terminology and best practice.
  • 373-23 Web Mercator. A guide on the use of the Coordinate Reference System Web Mercator.
• Guidance for geomatics professionals:
  • 373-04 Use of the ITRF.
  • 373-13 Coordinate Transformation evaluation and use.
  • 373-21 Grid Convergence
• Guidance for working in specific areas
  • 373-10 Coordinate Transformations Offshore Norway
  • 373-17 Coordinate Transformations in the Gulf of Mexico
  • 373-20 Coordinate Reference systems for the Arctic
  • 373-22 Geodetic referencing in Iraq

We are also the custodians of UKOOA Report: Guidance notes on the use of coordinate systems in data management on the UKCS.

Information about Guidance Notes on other Geomatics topics may be found on other pages of this web site.

Geo-information (which includes location, coordinate and geo-code) accounts for about 80% of exploration and production data. Much of this information is stored in a variety of applications, databases and formats, including the widely used Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Common geography provides an extremely powerful means to integrate E&P information in support of business decision-making for exploration, new business, construction, field development and decommissioning – in fact every aspect of the upstream life-cycle. We develop industry guidelines, good practices and specifications regarding the use of this data.

Shell Standard legend

IOGP’s Executive Director, Gordon Ballard, has welcomed Shell’s offer to release these documents to industry and is pleased to make them available for download:

• Shell Standard Legend – Red
• Shell Standard Legend – Green

In addition to the standard documents Shell also makes available files to support the Shell Standard Legend. These are available from the Esri Style gallery:

• Shell Standard Symbology Red Oil (Shell standard)

• Shell Standard Symbology Green Oil (industry standard)

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, neither the IOGP nor any of its members past present or future warrants its accuracy or will, regardless of its or their negligence, assume liability for any foreseeable or unforeseeable use made thereof, which liability is hereby excluded. Consequently, such use is at the recipient’s own risk on the basis that any use by the recipient constitutes agreement to the terms of this disclaimer. The recipient is obliged to inform any subsequent recipient of such terms.

Since its publication in April 2011, the Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) has become the de facto industry standard for delivering seabed survey data in geographic information system (GIS) format.

Historically, geographical features interpreted from seabed survey data have been delivered in unstructured CAD files. This has made the management, integration and exchange of the survey data and interpretation of results difficult. To address these issues the IOGP Seabed Survey Data Model (SSDM) Task Force was formed in 2010 to define a standard GIS data model for delivery, management and exchange of seabed survey data. In January 2017 IOGP successfully released an updated version of the model (SSDM V2) incorporating the industry feedback received so far.

Version 2 of the SSDM package may be downloaded here (21 MB). The zip will unpack itself into the following structure:

• 1_Change_Log
• 2_Data_Dictionary
• 3_Data_Model_Templates
  • 2a_GIS
  • 2b_SeabedML
• 4_Data_Model_Guidelines
• 5_Symbology
• 6_Metadata
  • FGDC
  • ISO19139
• 7_ Feedback_Form

The IOGP reports supporting SSDM Version 2 are also available directly via the IOGP library:

• Report 462-01 – Guidelines for the use of the Seabed Survey Data Model
• Report 462-02 – Guideline for the delivery of the Seabed Survey Data Model

Other useful documentation:

• Report 462-03 – Interface between pipeline data models and the OGP Seabed Survey Data Model. The Report provides guidance on the interface between the SSDM and the current version of the industry following pipeline data models: Pipeline Open Data Standard Relational (PODS Relational), Pipeline Open Data Standard Esri Spatial (PODS Spatial) and the ArcGIS Pipeline Data Model (APDM).
• The SSDM Version 1 launch presentation (used at ESRI Petroleum User Group in April 2011).

The IOGP P6/11 seismic bin grid data exchange format defines the following parameters for a 3D seismic survey:

• Coordinate Reference System (CRS) and coordinate transformation parameters between global and local geodetic CRSMaster bin grid definition/coverage
• Bin grid origin and increments
• Scale factor of the bin grid
• Nominal bin width
• Full fold definition/coverage

Since the creation of the original P6 format in 1998, Geographic Information System (GIS) has become a common application used by operators to manage, analyse and map geo-information. GIS enables integration of geo-information of which seismic positioning data is an essential component. The requirement to be able to visualize and use seismic bin grid definitions and data in GIS has become increasingly important for:

• Seismic positioning QC (is a bin grid in the correct geographic location relative to surrounding seismic surveys, wells, permits etc?)
• Improved spatial understanding of seismic coverage
• Linking survey outlines to documents to enable map based search for seismic acquisition and processing reports

With this in mind, IOGP has developed a GIS data model for the storage and visualization of seismic bin grid definitions that is based on the new IOGP P6/11 seismic bin grid exchange format.

The P6 GIS Data Model package may be downloaded here. The zip will unpack itself into the following structure:

• 0 – Data dictionary
• 1 – Guidance note – Report 483-6g
• 2 – Data Model template
• 3 – Symbology
• 4 – P6GML
• 5 – Example dataset
• 6 – Presentation
• 7 – Feedback form

Crisis response teams tackling the 2011 Japanese Tsunami disaster and the 2010 Haiti earthquake were helped by access to information generated by a space technology known as ‘Earth Observation’. This view from space can also help the oil and gas industry – and not only in a crisis.

Also known as ‘remote sensing’, it involves using earth-orbiting satellites or dedicated survey aircraft to obtain timely access to information about the status of the surface of the Earth.

The advantages of this technology – both onshore and offshore – include:

• Establishing historic baselines for new developments to minimize health and safety risk exposure to people carrying out routine monitoring operations.
• Allowing timely and effective decision-making during an emergency response

Other applications could include:

• Sea ice monitoring
• Environmental baseline mapping
• MetOcean parameters mapping and derived modelling.

OGEO Portal

The OGEO Portal, supported by the Earth Observation Subcommittee, creates a platform designed to allow an improved communication between the service providers and the oil and gas companies. To find out more go to http://www.ogeo-portal.eu.

The IOGP’s Geophysical Operations Subcommittee monitors and identifies the need for industry guidelines or standards for exploration, development and production related geophysical operations, with the objective of recommending good industry practice to improve the safety, quality and efficiency, and to develop new guidelines and standards as required. Specific areas of interest include:

• Positioning for geophysical operations, especially seismic surveying, on- and offshore
• ‘P’ geophysical position data exchange formats (P1, P2, P6)
• Drilling hazard site and development route geophysical surveys
• Geophysical instrumentation such as Multibeam Echosounders, Sidescan Sonar, Sub-bottom Profilers and Magnetometers, where they are used for seismic and drilling hazard site surveys.

We promote continuous improvement in the quality of geophysical data used to assess drilling or development risk due to shallow / seabed hazards and also in seismic positioning, in support of increasingly demanding geophysical objectives and the developments in acquisition techniques necessary to achieve them.

We maintain the following IOGP Geomatics Committee guidelines and data exchange standards through regular reviews and document updates in accordance with the IOGP requirements, either in direct control or through temporary Task Force(s):

P2/11 V1.1 supporting material:

• Sample OGP P2/11 V1.1 file

We are also the custodians of several legacy positioning formats:

We liaise and cooperate with other IOGP subcommittees, task forces, industry groups and other stakeholders on matters of mutual concern.

More information regarding new P1/P2 is available here and on new P6 – here, and here.

Please send any P formats feedback to lks@iogp.org.

March 10, 2016, Webinar slides:

• IOGP Hazard Survey Guidelines and Technical Notes (PDF)
  
• IOGP P-Formats (PDF)

We monitor and identify the need for industry guidelines or standards for survey and positioning operations and recommend good industry practice to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of these operations and to develop new guidelines and standards as required.

We also maintain the following IOGP Geomatics Committee guidelines and data exchange standards through regular reviews and document updates in accordance with the IOGP requirements, either in direct control or through temporary Task Force(s):

• Guidelines for GNSS positioning in the oil and gas industry IOGP Report No. 373-19
• P5/94 Data Exchange Format – Pipeline Position Data
• P7/2000 Data Exchange Format for Well Deviation Data

We liaise and cooperate with other IOGP subcommittees, Task Forces, industry groups and other stakeholders on matters of mutual concern.

The purpose of this Guidance is to provide geoscience software developers and users with recommended industry best practice to evaluate the capabilities of their software with respect to establishing and maintaining geospatial data integrity.

GIGS is a process developed in response to significant concern and user experiences of violations of  geospatial integrity of data when using geoscience software, resulting in incorrect results, inconsistent understanding and misleading information for the user community.

The Guidance comprises six items, downloadable below:

1. ‘Part 1 – Guidelines’ IOGP report number 430-1, describing the GIGS process. This guidance note is supplemented by a companion MS PowerPoint slide pack (with notes) explaining the GIGS process and business benefits
2. ‘Part 2 – Software Review’ IOGP report number 430-2, containing a software review checklist to enable structured testing of geoscience software. This software review document is supplemented by an MS-Excel spreadsheet version (ZIP or RAR) of the checklist, intended to facilitate the execution of a geoscience software review and capture its results
3. ‘Part 3 – User guide for the GIGS Test Dataset’ IOGP report number 430-3. This user guide supports a series of data files to be used for testing of the algorithms and data exchange capabilities of the geoscience software. The test dataset is included.

Send your feedback to lks@iogp.org.