Graph Database for Oil and Gas Data Searchability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the oil and gas industry, inconsistent or inaccessible data leads to production inefficiencies, and the increasing volume of data makes it difficult for clients to realize production insights, especially with the challenges of packaging insights for delivery using cloud-based commodity computing.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a graph database system that processes exploration and production data to make it more searchable, allowing clients to leverage the data for analytics and other services by generating nodes and edges that identify portions of the system and their relationships, and providing search suggestions based on user queries through a search interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If data is stored in traditional formats for cloud-based commodity computing, then data volume can be handled at scale, but data accessibility and searchability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata volumeVSAvoiddata searchability

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments data into structured entities (wells, fields, equipment) with defined relationships, organizing large volumes of data into manageable, searchable components. Each entity type is standardized with specific attributes, allowing efficient indexing and retrieval while maintaining scalability for large datasets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms flat tabular data into a multi-dimensional graph structure where entities are connected through relationships. This dimensional transformation enables searching across multiple axes (entity types, relationships, attributes) simultaneously, making large datasets accessible through natural language queries rather than requiring complex multi-step searches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If data is organized to be highly searchable with detailed relationships, then data accessibility improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accessibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal entity-relationship model that handles multiple data types (wells, fields, equipment, measurements) through a common framework. This universal structure allows the same search and retrieval mechanisms to work across all entity types, reducing the need for specialized handling code and simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary layer that translates natural language search queries into graph database queries. This intermediary handles the complexity of relationship traversal and entity resolution, shielding users from system complexity while maintaining high data accessibility through intuitive search interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If exploration and production data is made readily searchable for clients, then client productivity improves, but data processing time and resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient productivityVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-structuring data into standardized entities and relationships during the data ingestion phase. Search indexes are built and optimized in advance, allowing clients to retrieve information quickly without requiring complex processing at query time. This upfront preparation significantly reduces client productivity barriers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical search approaches (keyword matching, full-text search) with graph-based semantic search that leverages predefined relationships. This substitution enables faster, more accurate retrieval by traversing optimized graph structures rather than scanning through unstructured data, reducing processing time while improving client productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11657090B2Data searching, enrichment and consumption techniques using exploration and/or production entity relationships

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 SCHLUMBERGER TECH CORP

AI summary

Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are set forth for processing exploration and production data to make such data more readily searchable for clients seeking to leverage the data for analytics and other services. The exploration and production data can be processed to generate a graph database that includes multiple nodes and node edges. The nodes can represent different portions of an exploration and production system, and the node edges can represent relationships between the different portions of the exploration and production system. Search suggestions be auto-filled at an interface of the graph database based on data available at the graph database. In this way, a user can be readily provide detailed search queries, without having to be completely cognizant of all the data available in the graph database.