Leading Utica E&P Automates Master Well Data Management Companywide

The operator is a private exploration and production company focused on acquiring, developing, producing and operating natural gas and oil properties in the Utica Shale. In terms of asset size, it is one of the largest privately held E&P companies in the US with net production that averaged 2.1 Bcf equivalent per day in Q2 2023.

Given the scale of its operations and diversity of business information systems, the operator faced a growing data management challenge that included well header data that was inconsistent across business functions and lack of standardization for key data elements (e.g., well names, API number, well status). Multiple, competing versions of the truth and reporting solutions that varied across land, drilling, accounting, and production resulted in an information sprawl with inconsistent levels of data quality, creating the potential for poor business decisions based on inefficient, inaccurate, or wrong version of data.

Opportunity

A golden record is a centralized, single version of the truth that has been normalized, standardized, and quality assured to eliminate any missing or inaccurate data. The operator wanted to create a golden well header to aggregate 64 master data elements managed separately in 7 systems of record, including range/section/township, lat./long, ground elevation, spud date, AFE, pad details, operated/non-op well, operator name, unit, well name, API number, lateral length, measured depth, true vertical depth, rig release date, and production well status.

The envisioned golden well header would be built up as data elements are generated throughout the well life cycle, from the initial parcel data and spud date through drilling, completions, and production operations. This would allow lateral length, for example, to be added to the golden well header from GeoGraphix where it is calculated after the well has been drilled.

Importantly, by creating a golden well header, the operator would eliminate multiple versions of the truth for many data elements, including well name that varies from system to system and user to user, by designating the company’s proprietary well information database,  as the single source of truth and pushing master well data out to other systems. By designating Peloton WellView as the single source of truth for well status, the operator would also provide each department with up-to-date and accurate information that impacts every facet of the organization, including land and owner relations where quickly knowing of a shut-in is crucial for meeting obligations.

Solution

The operator partnered with Stonebridge, a leader in energy master data management (MDM) to manage the implementation of its envisioned golden well header. Stonebridge also deploys fit-for-purpose energy MDM technology with its cloud-based EnerHub platform offering more than 50 pre-built connectors to energy data sources (EnerLink), a robust MDM and data quality solution (EnerCore), and data views, analytics, and self-service reporting (EnerAct).

Leveraging Stonebridge’s extensive energy industry experience in digital transformation, the operator would establish the business case and value for EnerHub by implementing EnerLink and EnerCore in a proof of concept project then scale up to include other systems. Once implemented, the MDM and data quality solution would bring disconnected systems of record together to create a golden well header updated each day, enabling automated distribution of high quality master data to the entire organization for more timely and informed decisions across land, geology, accounting, and production.

Applying automated data quality checks and business rules specific to the operator, EnerHub would also enable the operator to manage MDM and data quality by exception by alerting data stewards to potential issues with web-based dashboards and instant messages.

Approach

In a 3 week POC, Stonebridge implemented EnerHub’s connectivity and MDM modules, EnerLink and EnerCore. This included 3 information systems: WellView, Aries, and the operator’s proprietary well database. The POC quickly demonstrated how the EnerHub platform addresses current data management challenges at the operator’s by creating a partial golden well header with merge rules, automated quality checks, and writeback of master well header data to systems of record. While relatively small in scale, the POC also created the organizational “buy in” for master data management and data quality initiatives needed for companywide digital transformation.

Following its proven project management methodology, Stonebridge scaled up implementation of the EnerCore and EnerLink solutions in 4 phases.

Discovery

Building on the results of the POC, Phase 1 of the companywide implementation focused on defining the requirements for expanding and configuring the EnerCore module to support additional data sources and business rules. This included an evaluation of current systems, people, and master data elements, data ownership by system, and profiling outputs for Well Header data. A tailored governance model was also documented to fit the operator’s business systems and organization prior to project execution.

Execute

Phase 2 focused on matching and merging data from multiple systems to create a golden well header centrally managed in EnerCore.

Stonebridge performed source system data mapping and created EnerLink data connectors for business systems not included in the POC. These included ArcGIS, GeoGraphix, ProCount, and Quorum Land. Phase 2 also implemented a unique well identifier (UWI) to match and merge well records across the operator’s business systems. The operator is now able to create a new well in the operator’s proprietary well database with a UWI and manage golden well headers in EnerCore.

Additionally, Stonebridge helped the operator establish data stewardship and data remediation processes before proceeding to writeback implementation.

Integrate

Phase 3 focused on synchronizing well attributes across all EnerLink connected data sources: the operator’s proprietary well database, WellView, Aries, ArcGIS, GeoGraphix, ProCount, and Quorum Land. Because EnerLink connectors can be configured to provide bidirectional integration between EnerCore and systems of record, the operator’s golden well header can be written back to subscribing databases. As a result, publishing systems can contribute designated master data elements across the well lifecycle to create a unified master well record from many data sources, standardized and quality controlled according to the operator business rules. In turn, systems of record and other (non-publishing) business systems can consume the golden well header with data writeback spanning land management, geology, drilling, completions, accounting, and production.

Enable

Following well master integration, Stonebridge led user acceptance testing as part of its organizational change management process to align data consumers, data stewards, and governance. Concluding this final project phase, the operator and Stonebridge formally reviewed key solution components and operational support procedures to ensure the continuous flow of high quality well data across the organization.