Society of Petroleum Engineers

SPE 26257

The Development and Implementation of a Drilling Database:

A Case Study
K.C. McCammon and W.M. MacKinlay, Conoco Inc., and D.L. Yoder, DRD Corp.
SPE Members

Copyright 1993, Society of Petroieum Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Petroleum Computer Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.. 11-14 July 1993.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper,
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ABSTRACT and generates a wide range of reports and graphics to

Conoco has been using a drilling database to track costs
and optimize operations for the past 5 years. This paper
discusses the evolution of the database, field and office
implementation, system usage and features, and the current
impressions and future plans for the system. It also
provides recommended guidelines based on Conoco's
experience.
Drilling cost reduction has become increasingly important
in today's economy. Key factors in reducing drilling costs
are optimizing operations, benchmarking, and utilizing
manpower to its fullest potential. Before decisions
affecting performance are made, information needs to be
gathered and analyzed in an efficient manner. A database
combined with engineering analysis programs can provide
the tools necessary to quickly perform the advanced
analysis that is vital to compete in the current economic
environment.
To accomplish these objectives, Conoco has been using a
drilling database system worldwide for several years.
Work on the database system was initiated in 1988 as a
joint development effort between Conoco and DRD
Corporation. The system has developed into a database
system that captures a broad scope of drilling information
assist in the optimization of drilling operations.
INTRODUCTION
In 1988, Conoco's drilling engineering department
recognized a need for a database to assist with well
planning, project costing, and benchmarking. At that
time, data received in the office from the drilling operation
was in the form of hand written daily reports. The need
to capture this information in an electronic form was
apparent. Conoco surveyed the market, and contracted
with DRD to develop and customize a database system to
meet Conoco's needs.
Conoco recognized early that the database must be easy to
use, reside on an IBM compatible personal computer, and
capture enough data to provide for advanced engineering
analysis. Reporting and graphical functions were needed
to access the operational, cost and inventory data.
Throughout development, challenges were encountered
while attempting to meet the needs of offshore and onshore
operations in both international and domestic locations.
These varied installation sites and environments require the
system to be configurable in both networked and single-
user installations.

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 2 The Development and Implementation of a Drilling Database - A Case Study
The system was introduced in a series of field tests, and
was quickly installed worldwide. This aggressive
development and implementation plan was characterized by
growing pains, and a steep learning curve. Today, the
system is used in various locations throughout the world.
This paper outlines the learning process over the past 5
years. It will address the evolution of the database, field
and office implementation, system usage and features, the
current impressions and future plans for the system, and
recommended guidelines based on experience.
EVOLUTION OF THE DATABASE
In late 1987, Conoco began evaluating the need for a
drilling database to assist with optimizing drilling
performance. A search of the literature and discussions
with other operators revealed that Conoco was trailing its
competitors in the application of computer technology to
the drilling environment. As a result, Conoco formed a
project team of engineers and field operations personnel to
address this issue. Their task was to define the objectives
for a drilling database and recommend an implementation
process.
Engineering focused on a system that could capture and
retrieve drilling data for use in project planning and
optimization. Management wanted the system to be a time
saving tool to aid drilling foremen in their reporting
process. In addition, the system had to be "user friendly"
so that personnel with no computer experience could
operate it.
In January 1988, the project team proposed the following
prioritized objectives for the database system, called
OERICS (Drilling Engineering Rig Inventory Computer
System):
• Reduce reporting time and eliminate
repetitious paperwork for the drilling
foremen.
• Provide drilling supervisors and engineers
the ability to evaluate drilling costs.
• Provide the drilling department a detailed
vendor evaluation of service cost and job
time. This includes a detailed account of
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SPE 26257
trouble and lost time incurred by the
vendor.
• Provide easily accessible well offset data,
data for mud system evaluation and
engineering support.
• Utilize a fully relational database and basic
SQL commands.
• Incorporate a "user friendly" design that is
completely menu driven.
• Provide features to transfer data between
databases.
• Minimize the amount of time required to
enter data by providing choice lists,
automatic calculations, and defaulting
data.
Following an evaluation of the options, the
recommendation was to modify an existing commercial
database system to meet Conoco's specific needs rather
than develop a system in-house. An examination of the
available commercial databases led to the selection of
ORD's WELLPLAN system for Conoco's use in April
1988;
The decision to use ORD was based on their willingness
to work with Conoco on its specific needs. Advanced
engineering programs were also available from ORD that
could be integrated into the database system. A target date
of mid 1989 was set for delivery of a complete system to
Conoco.
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
Original Release. and Field Trials
Throughout the remainder of 1988, Conoco and ORO
worked to complete the modifications to ORD's database
system so field trials could begin. As scheduled, in
January 1989 Version 1;0 was released for field testing.
Field trials by rig foremen helped the system development
team locate arE:~as for system improvement. To meet the
aggressive dev1elopment schedule, the development team
 SPE 26257 K. McCammon and W. MacKinlay - Conoco Inc., and D. Yoder - DRO Corp. 3

began correcting the problems found during field trials
while completing the original design specifications. The
system was frequently revised to resolve problems and to
include changes to increase the operating speed and
simplify data entry.
Because of the numerous problems with early versions of
the system, frequent system releases to the field, and since
the time savings objective was not met, negative views
began to develop. In an attempt to resolve these problems,
Conoco and DRD worked together to thoroughly test new
versions before releasing them to the field. The current
database system is the result of this cycle of review, test,
and rework. Refer to Figure 1 for a timeline of system
development.
assist the user, or if a system problem is found, corporate
level support or DRD is notified.
Corporate Level Support
Currently support on the corporate level is supplied by one
person located in the central drilling technology section.
This person's responsibilities include:
• Determining corporate software
development requirements. This includes
coordinating and prioritizing enhancement
requests within Conoco, and then
coordinating the development with DRD.
• Testing "beta" software.

Worldwide Implementation
Worldwide implementation was aggressive with the first
• Distributing the software and revised
manuals.
international installation in late 1989. This installation
brought about some unexpected problems. For example,
early versions of the system did not support the European
• Assisting with software installation when
requested.
date format or A4 paper. There were also unexpected
memory problems due to loading international keyboard
drivers.
• Recommending backup and data security
procedures.

Throughout 1990, the aggressive pace was maintained with

the introduction of the database to several more locations.
• Providing telephone and on-site support.

By the end of 1991, the system was installed in most

Conoco locations worldwide. To date, the majority of
• Providing and/or coordinating training.

Conoco offices are using the software.
Typical System Setup
Most of the data is input into the database in the field by
the drilling foreman on the rig. After the foreman has
entered all pertinent information, a "transfer file" is
created. This transfer file contains information extracted
from the database for the specified time period. Normally
this is one day, but it can be any length of time. Then the
transfer file is sent electronically to the office. The
communication methods for sending files vary throughout
Conoco based on the office situation. After the data is
"uploaded" into the office database, current database
reports or graphs can be generated.
Support
Adequate database support requires efforts on a corporate
level, local operations level, and from DRD. Typically,
database users will contact the local level support, called
a point contact, for help. If the point contact is unable to
• Publishing a quarterly newsletter to keep
users informed. Problems with the
software, suggested uses for the program,
and future plans are included.
• Evaluating other software packages that
may enhance the system's abilities.
• Providing support to users with modem
communications, hardware configurations,
DOS, and with general personal computer
related questions.
Operations Support
Adequate technical support in the local operations offices
is vital to the system's success. Those offices with strong
local support have experienced less frustration using thf
system, and have benefitted the most from the database.

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 4 The Development and Implementation of a Drilling Database - A Case Study
The best results have been in those locations with
designated support personnel familiar with drilling,
personal computers, and modem communications. Usually
an additional support person from the computer department
is required. The amount of time required by the local
support personnel varies with the size of the operations
office and the level of usage of the database system.
To provide adequate technical support locally, the point
contact requires more training than the database end user.
The point contact must be able to install and configure the
system for the location. In some cases, it is helpful if the
point contact is familiar with modem communications and
Novell networks.
The point contact is responsible for assisting local training,
trouble shooting any problems, maintaining the local
database, and functioning as the local primary contact for
the corporate support person.
The drilling point contact develops office procedures to
ensure that the data is entered correctly and completely.
One suggestion is to request that the engineers check all
data from the rigs in their area.
Training
Training is an important issue that is frequently
overlooked. Everyone who will use the system should be
trained. Training is most successful if it occurs
immediately before the user begins to use the system.
Users need to learn the most efficient way to enter data
and how to extract data in reports or graphics for analysis.
It is important that all users understand the importance of
entering the data correctly and completely.
SYSTEM USAGE AND FEATURES
Conoco currently uses the database to accomplish the
following tasks:
• Generate daily reports, end of well
reviews, and trend plots.
• Optimize operations through lost and
trouble time analysis.
• Track rig inventories and costs.
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SPE 26257
• Perform engineering analysis with
integrated engineering programs.
The database contains the drilling. data screens and
predefined reports listed in Tables 1 and 2. The database
system includes features to facilitate data entry, browse the
database, obtain reports and graphics, and to perform data
analysis. Listed below are a few features:
• The system uses a commercially available
relational database package.
• Where applicable, the program presents
the user with predefined choice lists speed
data entry and minimize errors.
• Data from previous days and previous
wells can be brought forward to use as a
starting point for today's entry.
• Automatic retrievals and calculations are
included to assist the user.
• The system includes several data entry
screens that can be skipped or removed
without a code change.
• The engineer can query data in the
database and generate custom reports and
graphics.
The system provides both predefined and user-defined
reports. The predefined reports address commonly used
reports and those which require extensive data processing.
User-defined reports are created by selecting, restricting,
and sorting the data. This can be useful for exporting to
other packages such as spreadsheets or presentation
graphics.
In addition to analyzing the data using the database
features, the data can be analyzed using the integrated
engineering programs. To use the integrated engineering
programs, the engineer retrieves the necessary data from
the database:. and performs the required engineering
analysis using the appropriate engineering program. This
procedure reduces repetitious data entry.
 SPE 26257 K. McCammon and W. MacKinlay - Conoco Inc., and D. Yoder - DRO Corp.
CURRENT IMPRESSIONS AND FUTURE PLANS
During the past year, Conoco has been investigating
database requirements throughout the company. The
effectiveness and usability of the database was evaluated.
The conclusion was positive, and Conoco continues to use
the database. Several offices have collected enough good
data to effectively use the system for offset analysis. The
system has proven to be an excellent tool for tracking
costs.
Conoco is striving to reduce the amount of data that must
be entered by the foreman and stored in the database.
This can be accomplished several ways. First, we must
determine what data is really needed in a database. The
data must be useful in the future. Since we are also using
the system for reporting, we must carefully look at what
data needs to be reported. During the development of the
system, enhancement requests requiring the addition of
new fields to the database were not thoroughly evaluated.
It is now apparent that too much data was being collected.
Second, the database system should be able to
electronically load any data that is available in electronic
form. Survey data is an example. The database should be
integrated with other database or engineering applications
so that data can be transferred electronically from one
system to another. This decreases the amount of data, and
time required to complete a task.
The system is continuously improving with users from
around the world providing feedback that is used to
establish new enhancements. The development and
maintenance of the database has been very complex and
expensive.
RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES
The following are a few of the items we have learned
during the development and implementation of the database
system.
• Establish in the very beginning what
functions you want the database to
perform. Collect only the necessary data.
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5
• Inform all users about system
development, and clearly define and state
system goals.
• Train all users before they begin using the
system. Refresher courses are helpful to
assure that the system is used optimally.
• Reduce the amount of support needed by
.sta,ndardization. This includes:
communications, directory structure, and
all procedures related to using the
database.
• Schedule frequent visits from the corporate
support person to discuss system needs
and features with the users.
• Ensure that each location
knowledgeable point contact.
has a
CONCLUSION
Conoco recognizes that the data available during the
drilling process represents a valuable asset. In 1988, a
database development and implementation process was
initiated to electronically capture this information. This
process has taken considerable effort and money.
Although the database has reduced the amount of time to
analyze data, the drilling foremen have not saved time on
daily reporting. In fact, the tendency was to request more
onsite data be gathered with the computerized database
system. The motivation for higher quality daily reports
also created additional work. Conoco is presently
streamlining reporting by collecting only the data that can
be used to improve drilling operations.
The drilling supervisors and engineers use the system's
predefined reports to quickly evaluate costs. Statistics,
such as time and cost distributions, are updated daily
through modem communications with the field. This
information is used for continuous improvement through
benchmarking. The database also reduces the time
required for end of well reporting.
The database system is used to optimize drilling operations
through lost and trouble time analysis. Engineers quickly
 6 The Development and Implementation of a Drilling Database - A Case Study SPE 26257

evaluate drilling trends and mud systems. Data entered in

the database is used for engineering analysis through
integrated engineering programs. Vendor evaluation
features have not been added.

A drilling database system must be aligned with the long

range needs of the company. Databases can be used to
generate daily operations reports and analyze performance.
If large amounts of miscellaneous reporting data is needed,
the information that is not valuable for analysis should be
handled differently. By looking ahead, it is possible to
determine what needs to be accomplished with the data so
the maximum value of the data can be realized.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors wish to thank the management of Conoco Inc.
for their support and permission to publish this paper.
The authors also acknowledge the efforts of the many
database system users that helped shaped the system into
a useful tool.

278
DATA ENTRY SCREENS INCLUDED REPORTS INCLUDED
IN THE DATABASE SYSTEM IN THE DATABASE SYSTEM

Daily Daily Drilling

Activity Completion
Water Base Mud Mud
Oil Base Mud Weather
Survey Afternoon
Pit Volumes 7 Day Cost Summary
Shows Shows
Daily Costs and Rig Inventory Feature Recap
BHAlDrillstring Inventory
Bit Runs Detailed Activity
Casing Cost Summary
Cementing Safety
Shale Shakers Casing and Cement
Hydrocyclones BHA Performance
Comments Transfer
Personnel Survey
Safety and Environmental Activity Summary
Weather Activity by Section
BOP and Wellhead Activity by Class
Well Information Bit Performance Summary
AFE Plan Cost Bit Hydraulics Summary
Directional Plan Bit Performance Detail
Plan Data Bit Hydraulics Detail
Rig Information
TABLE 2
Geology

TABLE 1

279
 T1ME LINE FOR MAJOR RELEASES

January '88
Project Initiated
January '89
Version 1.0
April '88 Released
Work Began W/DRD

Late '89
First Internatiorlal
Field Release
September '90
Version 1.24
Released

May '91
Version 1.25
Released January '92
Version 1.26
Released

January '93
Version 4.0
Released*

.. Switched to DRD's commercial version numbering sequence.

280 Figure 1