From 880,000 Unstructured Legacy Files to Petrophysics-Ready Well Data
One of the Gulf region's largest oilfields held a vast legacy digital estate — 880,000+ files, including thousands of LAS/DLIS log files and scanned well images, in a largely unstructured state. HDS delivered a fully catalogued, composited and petrophysics-ready well dataset in one of the most comprehensive well data programmes in our history.
The Challenge
The client's corporate database and shared file systems contained over 880,000 legacy digital E&P data files accumulated over decades of giant field production — including 7,500+ LAS/DLIS/LIS well log files, 16,500 scanned analogue well log images, tens of thousands of reports and Office files, and hundreds of thousands of TECHLOG exports. The 'as-is' state was complex: data gaps, duplications and incomplete well-to-data linkages made the estate difficult to use for reservoir analysis.
The Solution
HDS performed a full data discovery and 'as-is' assessment, then conducted comprehensive metadata extraction and well-linkage across all file types. During the pilot phase, HDS delivered a detailed map of duplications, analogue data cataloguing requirements and log curve data gaps — enabling the client to make informed decisions about scope before full project commitment.
The programme extended into a full well data curve compositing and merging project, including:
Verification and cataloguing of over 250,000 curve records from both digital (LAS/LIS/DLIS) and analogue scanned image sources
Full curve metadata capture: start/stop depth, units, run dates, log type and descriptors
Depth matching and environmental corrections applied to create petrophysics-ready composite logs
Complete provenance and audit trail maintained for every data value delivered
The Outcome
The delivered dataset was independently assessed as "very good" quality. The project took over a year to complete across multiple phases — but produced a genuinely analysis-ready well database that directly supported the client's reservoir management and development planning programme.