The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has taken a step closer to the first UK Oil and Gas National Data Repository (NDR) for petroleum-related information that will be launched in early 2019. The NDR will house and publish the collection of UK petroleum-related information, such as well, geophysical, field and infrastructure data, thereby delivering added value and inward investment to the UK.

The NDR will be a critical piece of UK digital infrastructure providing definitive information which will help unlock the huge prize of the UK Continental Shelf’s remaining resources. The OGA will, by providing enhanced and trusted data on the widest possible terms, deliver extra value for the sector and help achieve MER UK.

The NDR will enable the OGA to discharge its newly commenced information and samples powers and ensure that the UK’s petroleum-related information is maintained and enhanced as a sustainable digital resource of valuable and comprehensive data, driving inward investment, new technologies and exploration activity.

The OGA has reached an agreement with Common Data Access Limited (CDA) (a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil & Gas UK) to operate the NDR for two-years, building on the existing service operated by CDA for over 20 years. The OGA has commenced a procurement process for the OGA operated NDR, with services expected to commence in 2021.

Nic Granger, director of corporate at the OGA said: 
“The NDR is key to delivering the opportunities offered by Vision 2035 – to add three billion barrels of production over the next 17 years. It provides a strong foundation to achieve our exploration and production goals, enhance collaboration, and drive innovation and learning as an industry.”

Simon James, chief information Officer at the OGA added: 
“The launch of the NDR will allow the OGA to further build on its highly successful policy of creating value by maximising data transparency and providing digital services and authoritative analysis to industry. It creates the conditions necessary for the application of new and exciting data analysis tools, such as machine learning and AI.”

CDA’s Chief Executive, Malcolm Fleming said, 
“For 25 years, CDA has been collaborating with industry to establish this unique collection of UKCS well and seismic information. We are delighted to be able to put the collection at the centre of the NDR so preserving data, sharing it between licensees and for disclosure it to all under open licence conditions. The NDR will ensure use of the broadest range of information in the search for oil and gas, an activity for which access to extensive top quality data is key.

“The Repository is expected to provide an invaluable resource to technology innovators looking to apply new machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to the demanding task of locating oil and gas deposits deep in the subsurface.”

The OGA continues to work towards its goal to make more data and information openly available to improve the commercial, operational and technical performance of the UK oil and gas industry.

The OGA Open Data Centre, which was recently upgraded and redesigned, provides user friendly and free access to a wide range of data. Users can view, map, style, chart, download and share data (under the terms and conditions set out in the Open Government Licence, unless otherwise stated).

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: OGA