Conversion of Pipeline Alignment Sheets into GIS to Aid in Linear Referencing (Stationing)

Conversion of Pipeline Alignment Sheets into GIS to Aid in Linear Referencing (Stationing)

Bass-Trigon Software LLC, now part of American Innovations, designs and develops software for integrity management, risk assessment, pipeline compliance, and corrosion data management. The company also offers engineering services and field computer solutions for the petroleum and natural gas pipeline industry.	Original Pipeline Alignment Sheet Drawing
In order for Bass-Trigon to perform high consequence area identification of pipeline systems, there was a need for uniform and accurate pipeline information. The pipeline information, obtained from Bass-Trigon's customers, resided in either hard-copy formats or in various computer formats such as AutoCAD. Bass-Trigon approached DDS to help them with converting these different datasets into one uniform pipeline coverage so that linear referencing could be performed within the ESRI Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment.	Pipeline Alignment Sheet in AutoCAD Pipeline Alignment Sheet in ESRI ArcView
The data sources provided by Bass-Trigon included a mix of AutoCAD drawings, ESRI .shp files, and large format hard-copy alignment sheets. Additional data sources used on the project were supplied by DDS, Inc. and included high resolution aerial imagery and Public Land Survey (PLS) data.
The hard-copy alignment sheets were scanned using DDS's large format scanner. The images were then georeferenced to ground control spatial data using a minimum of 8 to 16 points control points. The pipeline features were then digitized and attributed in ArcGIS. For the AutoCAD drawings, only the pertinent layers were converted into .a shp file format and attributed accordingly. A spatial adjustment was performed using PLS and aerial imagery as control to ensure additional data accuracy. Adjacent features from the digitized maps, along with the features from the converted AutoCAD files, were edgematched and checked for errors (overshoots, undershoots). Those errors were then fixed using sophisticated analytical tools. The final deliverable to the client was ArcGIS geodatabase coverages.	Converting and Normalizing Datasets from Different Sources Registering Drawings with Limited Control into a Real World Coordinate System Ability to Analyze Critical Information within a GIS Environment
The delivered GIS files aided Bass Trigon in the completion of linear referencing (stationing) for the pipelines. This was useful for collecting and storing information regarding pipeline facilities; both inline and physical inspection histories; regulatory compliance information; risk assessment studies; work history events; and geographic information, such as environmentally sensitive areas, political boundaries (e.g., state and county), right-of-way boundaries, and various types of crossings. DDS Website	Helping you make better decisions through information... Digital Data Services, Inc.

Digitizing Contours, Faults, Dips and Strikes from USGS Special Series Geologic Maps

Digitizing Contours, Faults, Dips and Strikes from USGS Special Series Geologic Maps

Samson Investment Company is a privately-held independent exploration and production company. Samson’s oil and natural gas activities originate from their headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma and include most major oil and gas regions in North America.
The purpose was to provide Samson with vector representations of contours and faults as depicted on two USGS Special Series Petroleum Reserve maps. Samson used this data for analysis of petroleum production and potential well site locations within the Petra software environment.	Digitized Map Information in ArcGIS 3D Surface File Created from ASCII XYZ Table
The data sources included two 36"x40" USGS Special Series maps; Professional Paper 163, Plate 6 and Plate 7. Additional control used by DDS included Public Land Survey (PLS) data and aerial imagery.
DDS obtained the USGS maps by borrowing the maps from the USGS Map Library in Denver, Colorado- which is conveniently located across the street from DDS's main office. DDS created high resolution images by scanning the maps on a large format color scanning device.  The maps were georeferenced into their proper spatial location using a minimum of 8 points as the control. DDS digitized the structure contours into an editable vector format and z-values (elevation values) were assigned to the contour lines. All faults, dips and strikes, and escarpment features were digitized and separate GIS coverage files were created. Two different data sets were created supplied to the customer; an ASCII .xyz file and ESRI .shp files.	Researching and Obtaining Out-of-Print USGS Petroleum Maps and Converting the Information into GIS. Georeferencing Map Information with Limited Control on the Source Documents. Supplying Information in Multiple Formats for a Variety of CAD and Mapping Software.
By converting the paper maps into an intelligent GIS file, Samson was able to easily update their working field maps within the Petra Environment. DDS Website	Helping you make better decisions through information... Digital Data Services, Inc.

Petroleum Well Database Update

Petroleum Well Database Update

IHS offers products and solutions for all aspects of oil and gas asset management workflow from strategic planning through exploration, production and delivery.
IHS approached DDS with a need to populate over 3.5 million petroleum well locations with their appropriate surface elevation values. The IHS Well Database it is the largest, most comprehensive U.S. well database, accounting for virtually every well drilled and produced back to 1859.	The IHS Well Database Well Data in ArcGIS
The data sources provided by IHS included a Microsoft Access database. This database contained the latitude and longitude values of each well, the well API number, and production information.
Using ESRI GIS geocoding technology, DDS converted the database into GIS features based on the latitude and longitude values contained in the table. The 10 meter National Elevation Dataset (DEM Data) was loaded into the ArcGIS workspace and a spatial join was created linking the well data to the elevation dataset. By doing this, DDS was able to automatically assign the wells an elevation attribute based on their spatial location. The data was exported out of GIS and converted back into the Microsoft Access format.	Comparing and Analyzing Multiple Spatial Datasets File to File Translation and Conversion Geocoding of Spatially Referenced ASCII Files
The delivered database now contained a field titled "elevation" with the appropriate surface elevation shown in feet. This well information is used by Geologists, Engineers, and GeoTechnicians in the comprehensive understanding of a well's history, along with complete details on surrounding wells. This analysis is typically performed in a Geographic Information Systems environment. DDS Website	Helping you make better decisions through information... Digital Data Services, Inc.

Petroleum Well File Document Scanning & Retrieval

Petroleum Well File Document Scanning & Retrieval

El Paso Exploration and Production Inc., is one of North America’s largest independent natural gas producers.
El Paso E&P approached Digital Data Services, Inc. (DDS) for assistance in the electronic archiving of over 549 banker boxes containing original documentation related to producing and non-producing wells. These original documents were being housed at El Paso E&P’s Denver, Colorado office- which was relocating to Houston, Texas. One concern was transporting the boxes of the original documents to Houston. If something were to happen to those files in transit, their valuable data could be lost.	The Online Custom Document Retrieval System The Document Search Interface
The documents provided by El Paso E&P for digital conversion included over 362,000 small format documents and 6,880 oversized drilling reports on various types of media.
DDS initiated the project by developing a custom tracking system in Microsoft Access to insure that the whereabouts and status of each banker box. DDS provided daily status reports about which boxes were scanned, which were waiting for production, and which boxes were in production. At the suggestion of DDS, the files were also organized into an online document management system which enabled the user to perform multiple search criteria such as well number, operator name, county, and vicinity.	The Ability to Manage Large Amounts of Information within Multiple Facilities Simplify the Archiving and Document Retrieval Process Allows for Accessibility of Information Between Multiple Locations
Within days of scanning, the documents were accessible online through the document management system and were protected from potential disaster. The document management system also provided them with other benefits- the data could now be retrieved quickly and efficiently. The electronic archiving and retrieving was quite an advantage over having original paper documents residing in one central location.	Helping you make better decisions through information... Digital Data Services, Inc.

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