The Preliminary Specification Part XXIX (S&AC Part II)
Throughout the Draft and Preliminary Specifications we have discussed one of the premier issues that the oil and gas industry faces. That being the demand for earth science and engineering effort per barrel of oil produced is increasing with each barrel produced. This is best represented in the steep escalation of the costs involved in the exploration and production of oil and gas. At the same time the critical earth science and engineering resources are somewhat fixed and are difficult to expand in the short or medium term. Add to that an anticipated retirement of the brain trust of the industry in the next twenty years and the problem becomes of critical concern.
There are few short term solutions to the short fall in geologist and engineers over the next twenty years. It takes the better part of that time to train them to operate in the industry. What we do know are two things that are being applied in the People, Ideas & Objects software applications modules. Key to these concepts applications are what we call the Military Command & Control Metaphor. The two key concepts are a further specialization and a reduction in the redundant building of capabilities within each oil and gas producer.
The first concept of specialization and division of labor is well known as a principle of economics that brings about greater amount of economic productivity from the same volume of resources. Given that the volume of earth science and engineering resources are known for the foreseeable future, specialization and the division of labor will provide us with a tangible means in which to deal with the productivity of the oil and gas industry. In today’s marketplace to approach a heightened level of specialization and division of labor without the use of software would be down right foolish.
The second concept involves the desire that each producer firm acquires the earth science and engineering capabilities necessary to deal with all the needs of their “operated” properties. This creates unneeded “just-in-case” capabilities for the scarce resources. When each producer within the industry pursues this same strategy substantial redundancies are built in to the industries capabilities. Redundancies that are left unused and unusable. What is proposed through the People, Ideas & Objects software application modules is that the producers operational strategy avoids the “operator” concept and begins pooling the technical resources through the partnership represented in the Joint Operating Committee. That way the redundancies that would have been present in the industry can be made available to the producers and used by the producers through an advanced specialization and division of labor.
What these concepts require therefore is what the Security & Access Control module is designed to provide. As was mentioned in yesterdays post, the system must provide access to the right person at the right time and the right place with the right authority and the right information. With the Military Command & Control Metaphor there will also be a manner in which the technical, and all the resources, that have been pooled from the producers, interact with an appropriate governance and chain of command.
For the industry to successfully provide for the consumers energy demands, it’s necessary to build the systems that identify and support the Joint Operating Committee. Building the Preliminary Specification is the focus of People, Ideas & Objects. Producers are encouraged to contact me in order to support our Revenue Model and begin their participation in these communities. Those individuals that are interested in joining People, Ideas & Objects can join me here and begin building the software necessary for the successful and innovative oil and gas industry.