Managing Subsurface Exploration and Production Data

The module is made up of 12 core topics that guide the student from the broad concepts of the industry and the wider field of Information Management to the specifics of seismic and well data and their use in the business.

The module’s Intended Learning Outcomes are stated below:

• Describe the upstream oil and gas industry, the activities that use and generate subsurface data and the associated costs and value of the data.
• Differentiate between data, information and knowledge and judge whether the difference is significant in different scenarios.

• Evaluate and articulate the scope and value of information management in the upstream oil and gas industry in the context of information need.
• Understand and convey the lifecycle of subsurface exploration and production data and related information management issues.
• Evaluate the organisational context for data management and relationships with other disciplines including Geomatics, GIS and Information Technology.

Learning Methods

The materials for the 12 core study topics are available in three formats PDFs, podcasts and interactive slide sets. These are the equivalent of lecture material. The students then build on those materials through set activities, set reading and further independent reading. Students are advised to progress at a rate of one topic (and the associated tasks) per week and this should equate to 7-10 hours per week and 150 hours in total. Some of the activities will require student interaction (e.g. discussions, debates) but it will be asynchronous interaction, meaning that the students do not need to be online at the same time.

There may also be a small number of live sessions (less than 5) than last about one hour each, for example a course induction webinar, guest lectures and an assignment question and answer session. These will be recorded where possible.

Assessment

The course is assessed by an individual portfolio. This type of assessment can include, for example, reports, plans, presentations and marks for participation in the activities.

Independent Study

As this is a university course, students must make use of their access to the university’s online library collections to expand their perspective and prompt critical reflection. Students who do not do so increase their risk of being unable to achieve a passing grade in the assessment.

Staff Delivering on This Course

The staff on this course are drawn from the Graduate Certificate Petroleum Data Management course team and all have research and/or professional experience in Information Management in the upstream oil and gas industry. They may also be supported by Associate Lecturer/s who provide additional input where appropriate whilst also working in the industry.