GP-408

2D/3D Geodetic Surveying,

Geographic Information Systems
&
Seismic Survey Planning /QC

Khalid Amin Khan

Deputy Chief Geophysicist
Research & Development Group
Oil & Gas Training Institute
Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd.
Islamabad, Pakistan

Email: aminkhan@ogdcl.com
Tel: 9258156, 9258691-96 Ext 290, Fax: 9258152, Cell: 0333-5149988
 Contents
1. Navigation Workflow
- Positioning Data
- The Electronic Workflow Cycle
- Survey System Overview
2. Surveying
- Theodolite Surveying
- Global Positioning Systems
3. Geodesy
- Topography, Geoid and Ellipsoid
- Ellipsoid
- Projection Transformations
- Datum Shifts
- Geodetic Transformations Network
4. GIS Mapping
- Map Projection
- Map Layers
- Line Attribute Settings
5. Satellite Imagery Georeferencing
- Raster & Vector Graphics
- Georeferenced Imagery
6. Designing & Modeling
- 2D Seismic Profile
- 3D Seismic Shot & Receiver Grid
7. Quality Control
- Inversion
- Comparison
8. Additional Tools
- Geodetic Transformations & Datum Shifts
- Geometric Tools: Distance, Angle, Offset Point, Intersection,
Interpolation
9. Project Management
- Project Database
- Project Explorer: Accessing the Data & Processes
Appendix
A. Survey Field Computations
B. Data Types, Formats and Directories
C. Data Transmittal: Exploration Department to Field Crew & vice versa
D. Output Input Language (OIL & Visual OIL)
E. Research Paper: Integrated Geo Systems
F. Web Resources
Last Updated: January 2009
 Keywords

• Surveying
Survey Field Computations: Theodolyte, DGPS, RTK-GPS

• Geodesy
Geodetic Projections Transformations & Datum Shifts

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Map Generation

• Seismic Survey Planning

Seismic or any Geophysical Survey Designing & Modeling

• Project Management
Integration of Project Data Component & Data Connectivity
Module 1
Navigation Workflow

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Navigation and GIS Data

¾ Workflow

¾ Electronic Workflow

¾ Software Systems for Electronic

Workflow
1.1 Positioning Data
Any point in 3D space is defined by three components X, Y and Z.
Navigation data defines the position of an object anywhere on Earth,
therefore the three position components are:
• X-Coordinate (X)
• Y-Coordinate (Y)
• Elevation (E)
A navigation dataset may contain position information for multiple objects
and each object may have multiple nodes or elements. Thus it is necessary to
assign a unique Name ID to each object and a Node ID to each node of the
object. Thus a navigation data structure can be represented by:
Object 1
Node 1: X, Y E
Node 2: X, Y E
Node 3: X, Y E
:
Object 2
Node 1: X, Y E
Node 2: X, Y E
Node 3: X, Y E
:
:

As our main interest is in navigation data of seismic lines, thus our objects
are seismic lines and their pickets are object nodes. A typical navigation data
record structure is given by:

Seismic Line Name, Picket Number, X, Y, E

In the above record each piece of information is considered as a field and the
comma as delimiter. There are several file formats for navigation data
storage and formatting tools are available to convert between these formats.

The navigation data is displayed by GIS in the form of graphics lines, circles
or symbols of different colors. As navigation data does not contain these
graphical attributes they are assigned at run time. A GIS data on the other
hand contains position data as well as graphics attributes.
 1.2 The Electronic Workflow Cycle
Due to increased exploration data volume, manual data entry is discouraged.
The flow of data between different departments of an E&P company must be
in an electronic digital format. This enables a highly efficient electronic
workflow environment. In this context the navigation data workflow is
summarized below.
O F F I C E

Integrated Geo Systems

H E A D

Survey Software: Designing

C R E W

Survey Software: Modelling Field Surveying & Data Acquisition

E L D

Survey Software: Comparision Survey Software: Field Computations

F I
1.3 Survey System Overview

Main Features

• GIS – Online Mapping

• Field Traverse Computations
• GPS Connectivity
• 2D Survey Design
• 2D/3D Survey Modeling
• Quality Control: Inversion & Comparison
• Geodetic Transformations & Datum Shifts
• Geometric Tools
• Project Management

Complete Survey System Data Processing

Raw Data Input Existing Data from Database
Manual Entry/Electronic Transfer (Seismic Lines, Concessions, Wells & Cultural Information)

Editing Designing
Raw Data Error Checks

Angular Errors
Corrections (HA) if

errors > max limits

Traverse Computation
then
Modelling
check raw data Line Name
Linear Errors Start-End (X,Y)
Corrections (X,Y,E) Start Picket Number
Picket Number Increment
Picket Interval
Inversion Line Length & Azimuth
Compare Pkt to Pkt Interval & Azimuth

Final Navigation Data Modelled Navigation Data

Comparision of Final & Modelled Data

Report
 Survey System – Data Flow Quick Reference

Read Data From Instrument Call Existing Data & Toposheets

from GIS Database
Open & Save Raw Data
Data from Instrument Designing
Editing Design New Survey

Raw Data
Transfer Data to Field Data Editor Transfer Data from GIS Interactive Planning Interface

[.NAV] Field Data [.KDP] Design Parameters File

Open & Save Field Data Open & Save Design Parameters File

Raw Data Editor Modeling Model Data GIS Map

Control Polnts Manual Data Entry Generate Model Data
Correct Data from Design Parameters Save Design Parameters

Save Traverse Report

Traverse Data Error Graphs
Traverse Compute Elevation Graph [.DPR] Design Parameters Report
Correct Data Traverse GIS Map
[.TRV] Traverse Report 3D Map

Navigation Data
Join - Sort - Insert Final Line GIS Map

Save Final Navigation Data Save Model Navigation Data

[.DBO] Final Navigation Data [.DBO] Model Navigation Data

Inversion Compare
Check Picket to Picket Compare Model & Final (real)
Interval & Azimuth Data Coordinates
[.INV] Inversion Report [.CMP] Comparison Report
Survey System – Data Flow Block Diagram

.NAV .KDP

Field Computations Designing / Modelling

.TRV
(Traverse Report)

.DBO .DBO
(Real Field Data) (Model Data

Quality Control

.CMP, .INV
(QC Reports)
Module 2
Surveying

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Conventional Theodolite Survey

¾ Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

¾ Differential GPS (DGPS)

¾ Real Time Kinematics GPS

(RTK-GPS)
2.1 Theodolite Surveying
Theodolite is a device which measures horizontal and vertical angles of a
line passing through two points (A & B). The horizontal angle is measured
with respect to North while the vertical angle is measured with respect to the
horizontal plane. The theodolite is positioned over point A with known
coordinates (X,Y,E). Its telescope is set to point towards the unknown point
B and then the horizontal and vertical angles are measured. In addition the
distance between the two points, called plane distance, is also measured.
These measured values are used by a set of trigonometric equations to
compute the coordinates of the unknown point.

The theodolite is then moved to the point B and now it would point towards
another unknown point C & the angles are measured. In this way the
traverse continues from point to point.

The traverse is considered open traverse if the coordinates of the two end
points are not known and it is considered as close traverse if the coordinates
of the two end points are already known.

The difference between the computed and already known values of

coordinates and azimuth of the two end points is used to apply linear and
horizontal corrections to the traverse data.
2.2 Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
GPS is a set of 30 satellites launched by US Department of Defense to
provide accurate navigation data for military and civil applications. Similar
navigations systems are being established by Russia, China and European
Union. Thus in general the GPS is also referred as GNSS (Global Navigation
Satellites System).

GPS provides easy of usage and a higher degree of accuracy over the
theodolite. Raw GPS data also needs to be processed as it contains errors
due to the following:

• Selective Availability: Induced error by US Military

• Ionospheric Fluctuations

To remove these errors the GPS is used in two modes:

• Differential GPS (DGPS)

• Real Time Kinematics GPS (RTK-GPS)

In both modes two GPS units are used one fixed at a known point called
base and the other in the field called rover. The base continuously measures
the coordinates of the base point after fixed intervals of time. The difference
between the measured and known values are the corrections at that time.

The difference between DGPS and RTK-GPS is that in the former the
corrections are applied latter during post processing while in the later the
corrections are sent to the rover in real time through a radio-modem link.
Module 3
Geodesy

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Geoid

¾ Spherical & Grid Coordinates

¾ Projection Transformations

¾ Datum Shifts
3.1 Topography, Geoid and Ellipsoid

• Topography: The physical terrestrial surface of Earth.

• Geoid: Equipotential gravity surface. The density below higher elevation

points is lower as compared to the density below lower elevation points,
thus maintaining an isostatic balance.

• Ellipsoid: Imaginary surface smoothly approximating the geoid.

Topography

h H
Ellipsoid N
Geoid

It can be seen in the figure that

h=H+N

Where

Ellipsoid Height (h)

Geoid Height (N)
Orthometric Height (H)
3.2 Ellipsoid
The geoid also has undulation therefore an ellipsoid of revolution is
modelled over the geoid. The spherical coordinates (Longitude and Latitude)
refer to the ellipsoid.

An ellipsoid is represented by the following parameters:

• Semi Major Axis (a)

• Semi Minor Axis (b)
• Flattening (f) or Inverse of Flattening (1/f)
• Eccentricity (e)
• 2nd Eccentricity (e2)

If any two of the above parameters are given, the rest can be computed. In
geodesy, usually a and b or a and 1/f are given to define the ellipsoid.

b
a
3.3 Projection Transformations
The earth is sphere, having spherical coordinates in the form of geographic
latitudes and longitudes. These latitudes and longitudes are originally co-
ordinates of an imaginary ellipsoid fixed on the surface of the earth. To
measure distances and areas on earth’s surface the spherical coordinates
have to be mathematically transformed into Cartesian coordinates.

Projection Systems

In order to prepare maps on flat paper we must project these spherical co-
ordinates onto a geometrically shaped object, like cylinder and cone, for
conversion into grid (Cartesian) coordinates. The figure below shows conic
and cylindrical projections.

After projection of coordinates we can define the XY coordinates in meters

by taking a point as origin and measuring the X & Y distance of each point
from this origin.

The most common projections are;

• Lambert Conic Projection
• Universal Transverse Mercator Cylindrical Projection

In order to have better control, each projection system is divided into several
grids or zone, having their own predefined origins.
A projection system has the following parameters which define the origin of
the zone/grid and the scaling factor:

• True Latitude of Origin

• True Longitude of Origin – Central Meridian
• False Easting or Westing
• False Northing or Southing
• Scale Factor

True Latitude and Longitude are the coordinates of the zone/grid origin on
ellipsoid and False Easting/Westing and Northing/Southing are the projected
grid coordinates of the origin. The origin is not located at any corner of the
zone but usually located in the centre. These grid coordinates of the origin
my have non-zero values.

Each projection algorithm produces a little stretched map, therefore it is

shrinked to the original scale by multiplying the projected coordinates with
the scale factor.
3.4 Datum Shifts
On different parts of the earth different ellipsoids, like Everest, Hayford,
have been modelled and fixed. These ellipsoids are called local ellipsoids.
The origin of these ellipsoids with respect to the centre of gravity of earth,
the orientation of their axis and their size represent a datum. If we want to
map two different areas on the same map we must bring their data to the
same datum. For this international ellipsoids like World Geodetic System
1984 (WGS 84), have been defined. We have to shift our spherical
coordinates from the local ellipsoid to the international ellipsoid. The
mathematical process for transforming coordinates from one ellipsoid to
another is called datum shift.

The datum shift transformations involve seven parameters as shown below.

Datum Shifts
Difference in Size (S)
Difference in Origin (dX, dY, dZ)
Angular difference in Axis (dA, dB, dC)

Usually only three parameter shifts are applied as axis of most ellipsoids
have the same orientation therefore no angular shifts are required. Similarly
the size difference between two ellipsoids is resolved through the ellipsoid
major axis.

Commonly used datum shift algorithms are;

• Molodensky Transformation (3 Parameter Shift)

• Bursa-Wolf Transformation (7 Parameter Shift)

To determine datum shift parameters between two datums several control

points, having known coordinates with respect to both datums, are required.
Their coordinates are converted into 3D Cartesian coordinates with respect
to earth’s centre of gravity. Then a regression is applied to determine the
shifts for each parameter.
3.5 Geodetic Transformations Network
Practically there is a need for transforming data from one projection to
another as well as from one datum to another. IGS has a powerful Geodetic
Engine, which can transform co-ordinates from one datum to another and
then project them to any grid system. The Figure below shows the IGS
Geodetic Engine Transformations Network.

Local Ellipsoid International Ellipsoid

Datum Shift

S (Scale)
dX, dY, dZ (Origin)
dA, dB, dC (Axis)

Projection Transformations Projection Transformations

Lambert Conic Projection Universal Transverse Mercator Lambert Conic Projection Universal Transverse Mercator
Cylinderical Projection Cylinderical Projection

Geodetic Projection Transformations and Datum Shift

Question ?

IF
(Long-1, Lat-1) = (X1, Y1)
AND
(Long-2, Lat-2) = (X2, Y2)
THEN
(Long-1, Lat-2) = (X1, Y2)

TRUE FALSE

78°
- 100 17' 145
330 60° 500 000 24" 072
060 53' 000 0E 76° E 7E
E 0" 64° E 72° 0'0"
E 0'0" 68°
0'0" E
E 0'0"
E E

37°2'24" N 4139537 N

36°0'0" N
4000000 N

Long = f (X)
Lat = f (Y)
Long,Lat = f(X,Y)
32°0'0" N

3500000 N

28°0'0" N

3000000 N

24°0'0" N

23°34'12" N
2630022 N

Cylinderical Projection
UTM Zone 42 Everest 1830

Scale: 1: 10000000 K-tron GIS Vector Engine

Integrated Geo Systems
Module 4
GIS Mapping

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Map Input Datasets

¾ Map Settings

¾ Map Errors

¾ 3D View
4.1 GIS Mapping
Data Formats Support
• Navigation Data (.DBO)
- Seismic Lines Navigation Data
• Geographic Vector Data (.KGD)
- Cultural Information: Administrative Boundaries, Roads, Cities
- Concession Boundaries
- Wells
- Contour Maps
• Geo-referenced Satellite Imagery (Raster Data) (.GRF)
- Satellite Imagery
- Scanned Toposheets

Data Loading Menu Commands

• All Data Types: Navigations, Vector & Imagery

GIS > GIS Data > [Add] Imagery
[Add] Vector
[Add] Navigation
- Multiple Files can be loaded.
- Any Loaded file can be removed by selecting the file and pressing the
[Remove] button.
Important

• When loading multiple .DBO files all must have the same projection system.
• When loading .DBO & .KGD files together the Map Projection Setup, for .KGD files, must be the
same as the already projected data in .DBO files.
- The .DBO date is usually in X,Y Grid coordinates (already projected)
- The .KGD data is in Lat-Long and is converted to X,Y Grid coordinates according to the Map
Projection Setup.
GIS Setup Menu Commands

• GIS Map Attributes

Setup > GIS Map > Map Grid
General: Receiver Lines
General: Shot Lines
Design: Receiver Lines
Design: Shot Lines
Traverse Map
• Map Projection System
Setup > Technical Parameters > GIS Map Projection System

GIS – Important Setup Parameter

Parameter Large Area Maps Small Area Map

Grid Interval Large Small

Picket Interval Large Small
Picket Annotation Interval Large Small

Color Attributes

Design Lines Light Colors

Field Lines Dark Colors

GIS Map – Navigation & Geographic Data with Different Projections

Most Important – Mapping Problems

Always remember this golden rule in identifying the type of error in a map or
navigational dataset.

• Field GPS / Theodolite Error

- Error Magnitude: 1 - 10 Meters
- Cannot be detected from a navigational dataset or map. Can be found from
Traverse Report or GPS Control Points Data.

• Datum Shifts Error

- Error Magnitude: 100 - 1000 Meters
- Can be detected from a map by plotting seismic lines from two different
surveys.

• Projection Transformations Error

- Error Magnitude: 100 - 1000 KMs
- Can be clearly detected on a map when two datasets are plotted on two
different corners of a map.
Module 5
Satellite Imagery &
Georeferencing

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Raster & Vector Graphics

¾ Georeferenced Imagery
5.1 Georeferencing
Georeferencing is the process of assigning real earth coordinates (in some
Projection System) to each pixel of the image. Before georeferencing the
image must be orthorectified in the desired projection system. Practically
each pixel of the image is not assigned coordinates but only the four corners
of the image are assigned real earth coordinates. From this information the
coordinates of each pixel can be easily computed.

Xd, Yd Xc, Yc

Xa,Ya Xb, Yb
Module 6
Seismic Survey Design

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Design 2D Profile

¾ Design 3D Shot & Receiver Grid

¾ Model Data
6.1. Designing & Modeling

Manually Designed Map Computerized Designed Map

Designing Menu Commands

Step A (Optional): If the input Navigation data is not in the required

Projection System then convert it using the following menu command.

• Tool > Geodetic > File Transformations>

- Select the Input & Output Datum – Ellipsoid - Projection
Parameters
- Select the Input & Output File Names
- Press ‘Convert’ button

Step B: (Optional): The GIS Map Projection System can be changed using
the following menu command.

• Setup > Technical Parameters > GIS Map Projection System >
- Select the desired Projection System

Step 1: Load the existing Geographic & Navigation Data

• Geographic Vector Data

GIS > GIS Data > Vector > [Add]

• Navigation Data
GIS > GIS Data > Navigation > [Add]

Step 2: Designing a New Seismic Line

• GIS > Design >

- Click-Drag-Click on the Map Area to Draw a New Line

You can view the Line Length (Distance) & Bearing in the Tool Bar.

- You can also enter the desired Line Length & Fix the Distance
using the Check box in the Tool Bar
Step 3: Modeling

- After Click & Drag in the Designing window the Modeling Window is
automatically displayed.
- You can also reach this interface by using the following Menu Command

• Model > 2D Profile

- Enter Design Parameters:

Line Name
Starting Picket Number & Interval
Picket Interval
Number of Pickets
- Save the design Parameters using the ‘Save Design Parameters
File’ button in the Tool Bar. The can be retrieved back by using the
‘Open Design Parameters File’ button in the Tool Bar.
- Press ‘Generate Model Data’ button to generate X,Y coordinates
for all model pickets in the line
- Press ‘View GIS’ button to view the Modeled line on the GIS
- You can also save the Model Data by using the ‘Save Model Data’
button in the Tool Bar.

• Repeat Steps 2 & 3 for designing each new line.

Important !

• Complete Lines Names should be defined in the designed parameters.

Example: Line Name: 20062-TBG-01

• File Names must be consistent. This would help in Project

Management.

Example: File Name: TBG-01.KDP

Module 7
Quality Control

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Comparison of Model & Field

Data

¾ Inversion of Field Data

7.1 Quality Control
Inversion

Checking of Real Field Data against the Design Parameters

- Picket Interval
- Azimuth

Comparison

Comparison of Real Field Data with the Model Data

- Comparison Radius - Model & Field Data Picket Difference

Menu Commands

• Model > Compare

- Select the Field & Model Datasets
- Press ‘Compare’ button

• Model > Inversion

- Select the Field Dataset
- Press ‘Inversion’ button

Note: Comparison & Inversion can be done simultaneously by selecting the

‘Include Inversion’ check box in Comparison Tool Bar.

Menu Setup Commands

• Setup > Technical Parameters > Error Criterion

- Comparison Radius – Model to Real Picket Difference Tolerance
- Picket Interval Tolerance
- Line Interval Tolerance (for 3D)
- Azimuth Tolerance
Module 8
Additional Tools

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Geodetic Tools

¾ Geometric Tools
8.1 Geodetic Tools
These tools can be used to convert data between different projection systems
and datums.

Menu Commands

Convert a single point

• Tools > Geodetic > Calculator
- Select Input Coordinates System
- Enter X,Y or Lat-Long Pair
- Press ‘Compute’ button

Convert a complete Navigation Data file

• Tools > Geodetic > File Transformation
- Select Input Coordinates System
- Select Output Coordinates System
- Select Input Navigation Data File
- Assign Output Navigation Data File
- Press ‘Convert’ button

8.2 Geometric
These tools can be used for the following applications
- Distance Computation
- Azimuth Computation
- Offset Point Computation
- Compute Intersection Point
- Interpolate a Point

Menu Commands

Calculator
• Tools > Geometric > Calculator

File Operations
• Tools > Geometric > File Offset Shift
• Tools > Geometric > File Interpolate
Module 9
Project Management

At the end of this module you would be

able to understand

¾ Project Database

¾ Project Explorer
9.1 Project Management
The Project Management integrates all Project Data Components as well as
all applicable process and provides an Integrated Project Explorer through
which all Data Components and Processes can be accessed. The Project
Manager makes it more convenient to manage multiple files through a single
project manager database.

Making a Project

Step 1: Create a New Project and assign it a Name

• File > Project > New

• File > Project > Save

Step 2: Load existing data: Old Seismic Lines, Concession, Wells, Time
Contour Map and Cultural Information.

• Project > Geographic Data > Vector

• Project > Geographic Data > Navigation

Step 3: Enter General Information and Technical Parameters such as Map

Projection System.

• Project > General Information / Technical Parameters >

- Project
- Units
- GIS Map Projection System
- Error Criterion
Step 4: This is the most important step in project definition, where we assign
the Line Names and Data File Names for the whole project.

• Project > Define Data Components

- Assign Line Names
- Assign Design Parameter File Names
- Assign Model Data File Names
(Add M in the Prefix to differentiate from the Field Data Files)
- Assign Raw Field Data File Names
- Assign Output Data File Names

After this step the Project Explorer would be updated with all the 2D
Seismic Line Names under the 2D Profile category.

Step 5: In the Project Explorer click on the Project Name at the top and
select GIS Map. A Map with background data (old seismic lines, concession
boundary, cultural information etc) would be displayed.

You can display / hide the available data layers using the Layer button on
the Tool bar or using the following menu command.
• Project > Project GIS Layers

Step 6: In the Project Explorer click on a Line Name that you want to
design/model and select Model. The 2D Profile Parameter Input Interface
would be displayed.

Display the GIS Map

• Window > GIS Map

Enter the Design Mode

• GIS > Design
- Click to assign the Start Picket
- Fix the Line Length in the Tool Bar Distance textbox
- Click again to assign the End Picket
After the second click the system automatically jumps to the 2D Profile
Parameter Input Interface with the Start and End Pickets coordinates already
picked from the GIS Interface.

Step 7: Enter the following Design Parameters and press ‘Up’ button on the
Tool Bar to update the Project Database.
- Line Name
- Starting Picket Number & Interval
- Picket Interval
- Number of Pickets

Repeat Steps 6 & 7 for designing and modeling each new seismic line in the
survey.

Step 8: Save the Project Manager Database

• File > Project > Save
Project Datasets Definitions Interface

NAV KDP

TRV
Field Computations NCR Designing / Modelling
ELG
EDR

DBO DBO
(Field) (Model)

Quality Control

CMP
INV
Appendix – A

Data Types, Formats & Directories

Data Type Format Directory

Navigation Data .DBO \IGS\DAT\DBO

- Old Seismic Lines
- New Modeled Lines
- New Field Lines

Geographic Vector Data .KGD \IGS\DAT\KGD

- Concession Boundary
- Wells
- Time Contour Map
- Cultural Information
Administrative Boundaries
Roads
Rivers
Cities

Design Parameters .KDP \IGS\DAT\KDP

Raw Field Navigation Data .NAV \IGS\DAT\NAV

Reports .TRV, .CMP, .INV .. \IGS\DAT\Reports

Project Manager Database Files .KPM \IGS\DAT\Proj

Appendix – B

Data Transmittal
Precision Matrix: 2D/3D Seismic Surveying System

Head Office to Field Crew

Concession Boundary .KGD Floppy/CD

Old Seismic Lines .DBO Floppy/CD
Design Parameters Files .KDP Floppy/CD
Project Manager Database File .KPM Floppy/CD

Field Crew to Head Office

Project Status Report .PSR Print Out (Landscape, Font Size: 10)
Traverse Report .TRV Print Out (Landscape, Font Size: 8)
Navigation Coordinates Report .NCR Print Out (Portrait, Font Size: 10)
Raw Field Data .NAV Floppy/CD
Final Navigation Data .DBO Floppy/CD
Traverse Report .TRV Floppy/CD
Appendix – C

Output Input Language (OIL & Visual OIL)

OIL - Output Input Language is an interpreter-based language developed for defining data formats. It was
originally developed as the internal language of Integrated Geo Systems (IGS) for import and export of
data to and from IGS based applications. As the name indicates OIL was specially designed for reading and
writing data in a variety of formats, but with its increased usage and keeping in view the real industry
problems, more operators and mathematical functions were added. This gave OIL the power of
mathematical calculations, the backbone of data processing.
In the nutshell OIL can be used for writing programs for data formatting, processing algorithms, logically
sorting long lists of data, and generating reports. Its commands summary is given in its online
documentation. OIL is freely available from the web. (See Appendix F). A commercial Microsoft
Windows based graphics front-end for OIL called Visual OIL is also available.
OIL – Advantages
• Special commands to handle Data I/O.
• Platform/Operating System independent language. The main aim of OIL is to handle data, which
may be available on different systems running under different operating systems, therefore OIL
code must run under all available operating systems.
• Easy to learn. The main audience of OIL is geoscientists, thus to write a program in OIL needs no
previous programming skills.
• OIL code execution architecture allows separate code files for input and output formats, which
are independent of each other. This unique feature avoids rewriting of the same code. If we have
5 types of inputs and want to encode each of them in 5 different types of outputs, then in a
conventional language (BASIC, C and FORTRAN) the number of programs required for the
task would be 5 * 5 = 25. On the other hand in OIL the same task can be accomplished by
writing 5 + 5 = 10 programs.
\

• OIL code runs under an interpreter, which does not require compilation of source code. This has
two advantages; the programs are much smaller in size then EXE programs and the original source
code is available for modifications and customisation.
• Built in command line execution, job mode execution and IGS (Interactive Utility Management
Tool) IUMT mode execution power. All programs need input of parameters from the user. OIL
enjoys the benefits of three worlds; command line mode, job setup mode as well as interactive
user input mode, but all this is independent of code writing. No special code is written to handle
the three user input modes instead the program would automatically behave according to the mode
in which it is initiated.
• Originally OIL is written as the data handling language of IGS. Programs written in OIL
automatically include all IGS Rules and no special code is required to interface these programs
with IGS based applications. On the other hand it can also work completely independent of IGS.
During execution OIL checks the IGS. If IGS exists IGS Rules would be followed while
execution of the programs, but if IGS is not present then programs would be executed without
IGS Rules. This feature is enabled or disabled during run time and therefore no programming
effort is required to enable or disable it while writing code.
Appendix – D

Integrated Geo Systems (IGS) - Research Paper

Khan, K.A., 2000, Integrated Geo Systems - A computational environment for integrated
management, analysis, and presentation of petroleum industry data, in T.C. Coburn and
J.M. Yarus, eds., Geographic Information Systems in Petroleum Exploration and
Development: AAPG Computer Applications in Geology, No.4, p.215-226.

(See Appendix E to download PDF file.)

Appendix – E

Web Resources

• Geodetic Projections & Datum Shifts used in Pakistan

http://www.ktronworld.net/techcenters/geodetic/geodetic.asp

• Coordinate Systems Overview

http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/coordsys/coordsys.html

• UTM Projection System

http://www.gis.state.ga.us/Clearinghouse/FAQ/proj/proj.html

• World Geodetic System

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Geodetic_System

• Precision Matrix Website

http://www.ktronworld.net/search.asp?q=survey

• OIL Website
http://www.ktronworld.net/search.asp?q=oil

• Visual OIL Website

http://www.ktronworld.net/search.asp?q=visual oil

• Integrated Geo Systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_Geo_Systems
http://www.ktronworld.net/techcenters/research/research.asp