Clients have two primary concerns about the delivery of their valuable oilfield operational data:

• Convenience. Clients need a solution that reduces the amount of time and effort required to get the data used in their critical decision-making processes.

• Security. Clients want the peace of mind resulting from their confidence in the data delivery technology’s capability to safeguard their proprietary data.

Baker Hughes has introduced WellLink Desktop, a data delivery system, to address both of these issues by providing totally automatic data delivery to the client’s computer — without requiring any manual effort. WellLink Desktop automatically delivers specific well data, securely and reliably, directly to a client’s desktop.

This application provides security via its encrypted data transfer scheme, and locking the application to a particular client and designated computer assures additional safeguarding.

The WellLink Desktop application automatically delivers new data, encrypted for security. (Images courtesy of Baker Hughes.)

Streamlining the data delivery process

Some systems require access to an Internet Web site or an internal network. After accessing the network, users then must search through large amounts of data to find their specific data of interest. After the data have been identified and selected, transmission begins. However, users must wait until the data are downloaded to a desktop prior to use in their applications.

Other oilfield data delivery systems sacrifice security and reliability for convenience. Typically, these systems deliver data via e-mail, a less secure and unreliable method due to file-size restrictions and spam filters.

This new system delivers data the client needs, enabling quick and accurate performance of reservoir definitions and management of risks. It eliminates the time required to search through volumes of data and to manually download the files of interest.

Challenges to efficient and reliable data delivery

The transfer of static or completed datasets to personnel located offsite from the well location is essential in supporting asset management.

Examples of static data files include:

• Vector files of compiled data values such as DLIS, LAS, SEGY, or text;

• Well log graphic plots such as .CGM, Meta, .TIF, .PDS, .EMF, or .BMP; or

• Well or drilling report files such as .DOC, .PDF, and .XLS.

Historically, data transfer has been supported by courier or helicopter transport of the data on physical media; FTP transfer to an internal distribution center; e-mail attachments sent from the wellsite or from a data distribution center; or data posting to a Web site, accessible through the Internet, requiring log-in to download data files.

This schematic shows the workflow offered by WellLink Desktop.

E-mail attachments, often used for data delivery, have several liabilities, including:

• File size limitations and sometimes rejection by e-mail servers;

• Recognition by IT departments that e-mail attachments can convey viruses, worms, and other hazardous files. Consequently, further restrictions are placed on their delivery, such as rejection of Zip files and tightening of file size limits;

• Spam filtering on e-mail servers that can interfere with data deliveries;

• Requirement for large mail storage space; and

• Risk of breach in confidentiality of proprietary data.

Automated data-transfer features and benefits

WellLink Desktop creates an automated data-transfer routine where clients install an application on their desktops To automate the data-transfer process, the system regularly logs into the host Web service to check for new data files. It also runs a continuous audit of the files that have already been transferred and automatically downloads to the client’s computer the well data and the files’ description data. Finally, it enables the client to monitor the progress of the automatic download, pause and resume the download, and manage the download traffic by

• Flagging files to identify new data transferred;

• Allowing the client to download on demand existing files created prior to deployment of WellLink Desktop;

• Automatically segregating the

data by type into well-specific

folders; and

• Notifying the client of data download via audio and text indicators.

Data is delivered conveniently, reliably, and securely. Up to 2 GB of data can be transferred in a single download, and the system saves time by not requiring manual log-in, file selection, or data management. It offers crash recovery and a robust resume capability, offers secure 128-bit SSL encryption of data, and supplies rigorous security since the application is locked to a single user ID and computer combination.