The publication of the Information Management (IM) Strategy by the OGA represents a significant change in industry and the OGA’s approach to the management of information and data in the oil and gas sector.
It recognises that transparent, accessible and reliable data are crucial across the full-lifecycle of the oil and gas industry. It’s therefore vital that there’s a new approach to how information and data are retained, reported, interpreted and published.
The ambition of the Strategy is ultimately to create an environment, with a particular focus over the next five years, in which information and data accelerate the effort to maximise industry
value and recovery from the UKCS .
It identifies six key themes for the delivery of effective IM:
• Analysis, insight and understanding
• Data regulation
• Data quality management
• Data management authority and collaborative working
• Unified data store and access
• Enhanced operational data management
In order to help bring about improved asset stewardship, the OGA will ensure that information and data management is integrated across the full asset lifecycle as part of the OGA’s wider view of asset stewardship which brings together; licensing, exploration and appraisal, projects and developments, reservoir/base management, late life and decommissioning. This will be further supported by enhanced in-house OGA data management capability to support the needs of the OGA and industry.
The Strategy also recognises that there is significant scope to improve information management by adopting best practice from other oil and gas regulators and similar capital intensive, operational industries.
The need for clear regulation and guidance is a key aspect. The OGA intends to propose to BEIS that it introduces new regulations, with the OGA consulting on its recommendations later this year, which are intended to clarify obligations to retain petroleum related information and samples.
Changes are undoubtedly needed as there is a clear consensus across industry that current access to data and information is fragmented with no unified approach to retention, reporting or publishing.
The OGA intends to establish new national data repository capability so that data can be reported and then published where possible under an open government licence, supported by effective regulation, guidance, disclosure limitations and compliance monitoring.
A data repository of this scale will allow published data to be exploited as widely as possible using new technologies and techniques, ultimately helping to maximise economic recovery.
The aim is that by executing the changes outlined in the six strategic themes, the OGA and industry will be able to improve information quality, consistency and transparency to help unlock significant potential across the UKCS.
Download the Information Management Strategy here.
Recommended for you
