A new paradigm in Oil and Gas GIS datasets

Nov. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- For years oil and gas companies have been dealing with out-dated spatial data in formats and data models that were hard to manipulate and consume. If the data was relatively up-to-date (updated in the last 30 days or so), delivery would take hours if not days. Once the data was finally delivered it took the GIS Manager hours, if not days, to manipulate the data and conform it to their enterprise data system and internal data models.
Next was the price. For too many years now oil and gas companies have been paying too much to oil and gas data vendors. Prices have ranged from $200,000 per year to $1m for data that is updated quarterly, or for lucky ones, monthly. Combine this with bad data models and dirty data and you have a real problem that has been "put up with" for a long time.

Enter US Land Grid Inc., this is an oil and gas data vendor focused on the demands of the consumer. Their pricing is more in line with what it should be, they have a standardized data model for all their GIS datasets, they have multiple "instant" delivery mechanisms, and their data is updated weekly through cloud scripting. GIS data customers of US Land Grid are getting the most up-to-date data that is usable immediately across the enterprise and in multiple mapping applications.

In a brief interview with Joanna Ford, CEO and President of US Land Grid (http://www.uslandgrid.com), Joanna highlights the excitement but also the challenges surrounding the business:

"We are delighted to offer the oil and gas GIS industry landgrid, tax parcels and oil and gas data with no wait times, in a standard data model with multiple formats, that is affordable and can be delivered easily into the GIS enterprise. The biggest challenges for companies managing and using spatial data has been timeliness and ease of use within their internal systems - I believe we finally solve that problem."

Joanna goes on to say "For so many years oil and gas companies have been paying too much for sub-standard data that is delivered slowly in sub-standard formats and non-thought out data models. Up until now, that has been accepted as the standard."

Ironically, the challenges for US Land Grid are tied to its strengths. By changing the paradigm, the way it was done by so many for so many years, US Land Grid is changing the ways things were accepted in data vendor land.

As Joanna states, "For us at US Land Grid, offering a standard data model across GIS datasets, setting reasonable, prices while at the same time improving the quality and speed of delivery updates, has resulted in its own challenges. When you change the behavior from an offline world to a seamless digital world, you are changing what people are used to. For example, no believed you could order GIS data in the format and datum you needed - instantly. Everyone was used to calling up their sales person to negotiate a price, then waiting anywhere from 1-2 days for final delivery. When people come to our website the most common question is - "How long will it take to get my data?" People are used to waiting for data - come on folks, we live in an online digital world!"

One of the keys to their strength is the IT backbone behind US Land Grid, Inc. The company if focused on keeping their GIS data costs low by using a smart backend that does the heavy lifting for them. Everything is pre-processed, which means the data is ready for delivery instantly. There is no more need to wait for the GIS technician to prepare the data - it's pre-prepared nightly and weekly.

By also creating a robust data model that encompasses all their GIS datasets, using cloud architecture, and advanced scripting techniques to connect and update with state sites, they have achieved something that is new in the oil and gas data world - quality up-to-date data that is affordable and easily consumed.

I think Joanna states it well as we finish our last coffee (and she stays glued to her keyboard). "Ultimately, we are just trying to make things easier for the GIS data consumer. We are delivering data they can trust and consume easily across the desktop and enterprise. This requires multiple delivery mechanisms with data that is easy to understand and manipulate. We don't lease our GIS data - our customers get to keep the data forever. Lastly, we know you needed the information yesterday, so we deliver the GIS data instantly - without the need for human intervention".

All in all there are multiple paradigm shiofts here - the biggest ones are below:

- You get to keep your data - it is not a leasing model

- Instant delivery through their website and other delivery mechanisms

- Multiple formats and datums - with no extra charge

- Constant updating of their data with the option to buy into updates

- Affordable and reasonable pricing

- Simplified data model across all GIS datasets

US Land Grid, Inc. can be found at http://www.uslandgrid.com. They provide Landgrid, Tax Parcels, PDF Maps and Oil and Gas Datasets. The data is available for instant download in multiple format and projections. They do not charge for more formats or projections. For more information, please don't hesitate to contact me, Chris Altoff, or US Land Grid directly.