Geodesy and Cartography in E&P – A Caution to Skilled Professionals

A twenty-minute tutorial on the fundamentals of geodesy and cartography in E&P will capture the essence of a four-year university degree and tell the audience "the least you need to know", such as latitude and longitude are not unique. This education is core for all map creators and users, and an essential review for the spatial data management session. Geodetic Datums, Geographic and Projected Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS) are discussed as well as Datum Transformations and other geodetic topics and parameters. Examples are shown that clearly illustrate how incorrect assumptions about the underlying geodesy or cartography can lead to significant positioning errors for lease boundaries, seismic, wells (surface and subsurface), pipelines and facilities. These errors cost oil company operators millions of dollars in inefficiencies or lost opportunities. In the worst cases, simple geodetic errors can cause significant underperformance and remain undetected. You will benefit from decades of experience and be cautioned on some common errors.