~~ Saudi Geophysical ~~ Saudi Arabia

	Saudi Aramco
	Well Log: Digitizing and Editing Project
	Core Description Digitizing

Saudi

Aramco's legacy of technical records stretches back to 1933. An estimated 26 million pages of many types have been generated and subsequently stored within the organisation since that time. Rapid access to the information contained within these legacy documents with a degree of confidence and ease can make a crucial difference to the E&P decision making process, saving vital time and money.

Historically, locating, maintaining, sharing and disseminating this hardcopy data has proved to be laborious and time consuming. Consequently, in 1998, Saudi Aramco decided to embark on an ambitious electronic data management project to index and scan these heritage documents with the combinecr- objectives of achieving a quantum leap in accessibility, creating a comprehensive catalogue and inventory whilst facilitating a significant reduction in physical archive space.

	Key benefits
	Improved decision making due to faster and more accurate access to data
	Increased access and availability of data
	Dramatic improvement to storage and management of larger data volumes
	Enhanced Disaster Recovery
	Business change requirements successfully addressed
	Improved data security and audit capabilities

	SpectrumiTech advantages
	Ability to deliver multifaceted EDM solution on time and within budget
	Experience of working with E&P Data, its associated technology, processes and protocols since 1986
	Experienced project team to establish scope, budget and schedules and organise catalogue, collation and scanning teams to work in situ with local Saudi Aramco project team

In October 2002 Spectrum, in association with its local business partner Saudi Geophysical, was awarded the contract to provide all the equipment, staff and expertise necessary to undertake all data collation, rationalisation, cataloguing, scanning and associated services as sole supplier to Saudi Aramco.

By mid-November 2002 a stand-alone operational facility, eventually employing over 50 staff , was established within the Saudi Aramco Storage Centre in Dhahran.

Spectrum is using scanning, indexing and quality control software running on an independent Local Area Network (LAN) installed and maintained by Spectrum. This Spectrum LAN has no physical link with any existing Saudi Aramco networks to ensure the security and integrity of Saudi Aramco's data.

Saudi Geophysical has provided and installed a number of scanning sub-systems comprising:

Continuous feed, large format (AO+ ), colour scanners to capture materials such as maps, seismic, welllog displays and report enclosures.

ADF A3/A4 monochrome and colour scanners to capture conventional smaller sized documents such as reports, photographs and figures.

Following scanning, indexing and QC checks, the images are passed to a central RAID server for interim storage before being uploaded to the Saudi Aramco Document EDM system.

Spectrum's approach has offered Saudi Aramco a flexible system that can be easily expanded to handle other types of unstructured non-E&P data.

As Saudi Aramco's data capture requirements expanded, Spectrum established additional scanning and index sub-systems with various other departments and locations throughout

Saudi Aramco including facilities such as Ras Tanura.

Summary

Proven procedures and a wealth of previous experience have ensured that a fast and very cost effective data conversion operation has been achieved.

With the completion of this major project, geoscientists and many other staff in Saudi Aramco are now benefiting from quick and easy access to a variety and depth of information that was previously difficult to achieve.

The success of the project has been facilitated by the creation of a high quality web enabled electronic data library using a single database model from the converted hardcopy data, resulting in greater efficiency and cost savings for Saudi Aramco.