By harnessing the power of accurate data, oil and gas companies can gain valuable insights and make informed decisions that drive efficiency and productivity.
Access to accurate as built and utility infrastructure data is critical to the operations of Oil & Gas companies, as every aspect of facility management and project planning must be executed with precision. An up-to-date representation of facility assets and the infrastructure of pipelines, refineries, oil rigs, storage tanks, and other Oil & Gas operations is essential to ensure a site’s safety and efficiency. As built and utility location data aids in design planning, facility modifications, plant upgrades, retrofits, prefabrication, and ongoing maintenance, while minimizing risks, rework, and delays.
GPRS partners with upstream, midstream, and downstream Oil & Gas Companies.
- Upstream companies focus on the development, exploration, and production, and include onshore and offshore drilling facilities, production facilities, pipelines, flow lines, and waterlines.
- Midstream companies handle the transportation and storage of oil and gas and include storage facilities, terminals, pipelines, and transmission lines.
- Downstream companies manage the refining and marketing of oil and gas and include petrochemical plants, natural gas distributors, retail outlets, oil refineries, and petroleum product distributors.
There are many ways Oil & Gas companies can increase efficiency and safety with the help of accurate as built and utility infrastructure data:
- Maintenance & Asset Management: As built data helps Oil & Gas companies manage their assets by providing detailed information about the location, condition, and specifications of above and below ground infrastructure and equipment for construction planning, maintenance, and repair. It assists in tracking the lifecycle of assets, enables predictive maintenance, and reduces downtime due to degradation or failure.
- Safety & Compliance: Accurate as built data helps managers ensure that facilities and equipment meet safety and regulatory standards. It helps companies identify potential safety hazards and allows them to take preventative measures to comply with environmental and safety regulations. Up-to-date utility site maps prevent utility strikes during construction, keeping workers and facilities safe.
- Cost Control: Infrastructure and subsurface infrastructure data helps precisely plan and estimate projects and reduce change orders and retrofits. Having accurate data minimizes the risk of costly errors during construction and modifications.
- Environmental Impact Assessment: Oil & Gas companies must comply with environmental regulations and are often required to conduct environmental impact assessments. Collecting as built infrastructure data helps to understand the site’s current environmental footprint to plan for mitigations.
- Emergency Response: In the case of accidents, emergencies, or natural disasters, as built data assists in locating and managing infrastructure and equipment, making emergency response more effective and safer. It is imperative that stakeholders have accurate site data to make informed decisions, communicate with the emergency team, and protect the workers on site.
- Reservoir Management: In upstream operations, as built data related to well drilling can be vital for reservoir management. Reservoir management has become one of the most valuable resources to help teams maximize production and return on investment -- to optimize the recovery of oil and gas, and minimize capital investments and operating expenses. With accurate reservoir conditions, any member of the reservoir management team can easily access and visualize this data and incorporate it into their analysis. As built data, when combined with all other relevant subsurface data, creates a detailed picture of evolving reservoir conditions and is a great source of analysis and value.
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Maintaining up-to-date as built data is essential for meeting legal and regulatory requirements. It demonstrates due diligence in documenting and adhering to industry standards and best practices.
- Data Integration: As built data can be integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other data management systems to create a comprehensive view of a company’s assets and operations. Oil & Gas companies apply GIS maps for source spotting, well planning, refinery management, emergency response, and other processes that require geolocation data. This integrated data can create accurate as built and subsurface models that assist in decision-making, analysis, and reporting. As built and utility locate data is an invaluable reference for documentation and planning purposes, as it provides a historical record of the site’s development and changes over time.
GPRS is a Trusted Partner to Oil & Gas Companies
GPRS provides accurate subsurface utility locate and as built infrastructure data that is essential to your project’s foundation. We provide complete facility visualization through utility locating, concrete scanning & imaging, 3D laser scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, drone photogrammetry, and state-of-the-art mapping & modeling services, so that you and your team can see potential hazards and design obstacles to mitigate risk to keep your project on time, on budget, and most importantly, safe.
GPRS clients receive complimentary subscription to SiteMap®, our industry-leading facility infrastructure data platform, where subsurface utility data is uploaded within minutes: geolocated, layered, and securely shareable for your immediate use to eliminate miscommunications, and inaccurate, out-of-date information.
Oil & Gas companies call on GPRS when they have critical needs for accurate as built and subsurface data. Below are a few examples.
GPRS Project Examples for Oil & Gas Companies
Mapping A Gas Station's Infrastructure for Upgrade And Emergency Response
Location: Brighton, Michigan
Task: A gas station requested utility locate and as built data to document the existing conditions for site upgrades and to develop an emergency response plan for potential leaks. Accurate 2D utility locate maps, a 3D BIM model, and a conceptual site model (CSM) were created for the gas station, underground storage tank system, and surrounding utilities.
Challenge: The gas station lacked as built site information required for compliance with environmental regulations, essential to plan for site upgrades, and necessary to take prompt corrective action in the case of an emergency.
Solution: GPRS Project Managers used state-of-the art equipment to perform ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic (EM) locating, video pipe inspection (VPI), leak detection, 3D laser scanning, and drone photogrammetry services at the gas station.
Mapping & Modeling: The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Team delivered accurate as built and utility location data in point cloud, 2D maps, and 3D BIM model formats, to help eliminate guesswork from decision making, and prevent time-consuming and dangerous mistakes and the costs associated with them.
COG Line Gas Pipe Relocation Requires 3D Laser Scanning
Location: Middletown, Ohio
Task: Our client was relocating a pipe in the COG line (coke oven gas) and requested GPRS to capture as built site details and create a LOD 300 Revit 3D model. The client needed one-quarter of their facility (about 330,000 square feet) to be laser scanned and modeled for this project.
Challenge: The client needed a structural and MEP layout of the facility, as they were relocating a 12" diameter pipe. For the client to complete this complex job, they needed a 3D model with a high level of detail. In addition, they needed the point cloud and 3D model aligned to a previous mobilization GPRS completed in 2020.
Solution: GPRS 3D laser scanned the plant with the Leica RTC360 and the P50 ScanStation. In 184 laser scans, the Project Manager captured complete as built data of the facility. The Mapping & Modeling Team aligned the new scans and model to the previous scans and model in the adjacent and overlapping areas.
Mapping & Modeling: The client received an intensity map point cloud (.rcs file), a JetStream Viewer file, and an LOD 300 Revit 3D model. These files were shared via a secure file-sharing platform.
GPRS Aids Frac Sand Facility Upgrade
Location: Kermit, Texas
Task: GPRS was contacted by an in-basin frac sand facility for an exploration and production (E&P) oil and gas company. As the demand for in-basin frac sand increases, the client needed to update their facilities to support the high volume of orders quickly and efficiently. GPRS was asked to 3D laser scan their facility to accurately capture vessels, piping, mechanical equipment, and structural steel to create an LOD 300 AutoCAD model.
Challenge: The client had plans to add new equipment and piping to the existing silos but did not have accurate 2D drawings or 3D models of the multi-acre facility. To move forward with their plans, the client required an accurate 3D model.
Solution: Using a Leica survey-grade scanner, GPRS efficiently and accurately captured 3D laser scans of the silos. Leica laser scanners are a trusted, industry-leading high-speed scan solution with millimeter accuracy and long range to capture site details quickly.
Mapping & Modeling: GPRS delivered an intensity map point cloud and LOD 300 model in AutoCAD. The client used the 3D model to plan and communicate site layout changes. With the 3D model, it is easier to see the big-picture impact on the overall design when minor changes are made. This will allow the client to finalize accurate design changes without incurring construction costs and changes after the fact.
Upgrades To an Existing Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Facility
Location: Gillett, Texas
Task: Oil production is a serious business in Texas, and when a company decided to add new piping and equipment to upgrade an existing facility, having accurate data was vital for the project’s success. GPRS provided 3D laser scanning services to capture tanks, vessels, equipment, flanges, valves, exchangers, structural steel, pipe supports, and piping 2" and larger in the form of a point cloud.
Challenge: As built drawings of the facility did not exist. The client needed highly accurate data in a short amount of time to plan modifications to the site. Due to the size and complexity of the facility, a traditional survey would have been challenging, time-consuming, and potentially unsafe while accessing certain areas.
Solution: Using industry-leading survey-grade Leica laser scanners, GPRS completed 124 laser scans to create a highly detailed and accurate point cloud.
Mapping & Modeling: The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Team delivered colorized point cloud files and a Recap Project RCP file to the client.
Exact Dimensions Captured of an Oil Tank
Location: Emporia, Kansas
Task: GPRS provided 3D laser scanning services for a 25' x 25' x 30' oil tank to plan for removal and replacement. The objective was to capture the existing conditions of the tank, piping, flanges, nozzles, structural steel, pipe supports, and grade for upgrades.
Challenge: The client was upgrading the oil tank and needed 3D laser scanning to plan for design and fabrication. For tank replacement, the true shape and condition of the tank can be critical for ensuring that the new design fits the existing conditions; hence reducing costly delays or rework. All piping, nozzles, and structural steel around the tank was reality captured so the new tank could be designed with proper fit and without interruptions to the unit.
Solution: 3D laser scanning provides a fast and accurate way to capture the existing conditions of a site. The exact dimensions of the oil tank can easily be determined to ensure that fabrications match the existing structure. In less than 5 hours on site, the GPRS Project Manager captured the as built conditions of the existing tank and nozzles. Once the point cloud was registered, CAD technicians delivered the point cloud data for the client to incorporate into their design model.
Mapping & Modeling: GPRS delivered intensity map point cloud files, RCS files and PTG files to the client. They also received TruViews to navigate the site, add markups and GeoTags plus visualize designs in context to check design models against real work conditions.
Understanding the Importance of Accurate Data in the Oil and Gas Industry
According to a recent article by Ernst & Young Global Limited, “Oil & Gas companies lacked complete record-keeping and full awareness, leading to siloed decision-making. Collaboration was hindered because not everyone had access to the most up-to-date data.”
By harnessing the power of accurate data, oil and gas companies can gain valuable insights and make informed decisions that drive efficiency and productivity.
GPRS services provide accurate infrastructure and subsurface data to optimize operations, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.
With over 500 Project Managers in every major market and city across the United States, GPRS has an unmatched nationwide service network that makes it quick and easy to find an expert Project Manager in your area. Having access to accurate facility information is crucial for project upgrades and emergency response.
GPRS can quickly deliver utility locate and as built data of your next project to Intelligently Visualize Your Built World™.