Architecture
GOGET uses a two-level system for organizing information, consisting of both a database and wiki pages with further information. The database tracks individual oil and gas units and includes operator and ownership structure, unit status, fuel type, production levels, reserves, and location. A wiki page created for each oil and gas unit in GEM.wiki contains further detail as well as references for the data.
Inclusion Criteria
GOGET includes units with production of 1 million boe/yr or more and/or reserves of 25 million boe or more.
GOGET is based on public sources.
What is a Unit?
GOGET relies on the government or company providing information to define the unit being described. In most cases, this unit is defined as a “field.” However, there are other possibilities. Data is sometimes reported at the well, asset, complex, block, or basin level. The “well” designation is generally applied when the unit is so newly discovered that information is only available at the “well” level, as no field has yet been identified. The “asset” designation indicates the portion of a field operated by a particular company. GOGET provides information regarding the type of unit being described.
How Do You Define Reserves?
There are many definitions of reserves (meaning, how much oil and gas is remaining in a field to extract). Proved reserves (aka 1P) are the most commonly reported category, particularly for financial evaluations of companies. But for understanding the long-term potential for oil/gas extraction, broader categories are more useful, in particular 2P (proved and probable) reserves. However, companies and countries define and report reserves differently. GOGET provides the reserves data and classifications as reported by the original sources.
Status Categories
Discovered: A field is typically considered to be discovered when there has been a well drilled into a particular formation, and it yielded some significant quantity of oil and/or gas. Discovered fields are not necessarily economic to exploit.
In Development: Following discovery, the unit is in the process of moving toward commercial production.
Operating: The field has commercial production of oil/gas (that is, quantities that are being sold to market).
Abandoned: Operations have ceased, but the wells/field were not decommissioned following all the usual steps, such as plugging the wells (including filling the well with cement).
Research Process
Oil and gas unit data is collected from and validated through five main sources:
- Government data on individual units, country energy and resource plans, and government websites tracking extraction permits and applications.
- Reports by state-owned and private companies;
- News and media reports;
- Local non-governmental organizations tracking extraction permits and operations;
- On-the-ground contacts who can provide first-hand information about a project.
Wiki Pages
For each oil and gas unit, a wiki page is created on Global Energy Monitor’s GEM.wiki. Wiki pages provide a repository for in-depth information including project background, financing, environmental impacts, fuel types, public opposition, coordinates, and maps. Under standard wiki convention, all information is linked to a published reference, such as a news article, company or government report, or a regulatory permit. In order to ensure data integrity in the open-access wiki environment, Global Energy Monitor researchers review all edits of project wiki pages.
Mapping
To allow easy public access to the results, Global Energy Monitor worked with Earth Genome to develop a map-based and table-based interface. In the case of exact coordinates, coordinates have been obtained from an authoritative source such as a government data set. For proposed projects, exact locations, if available, are from permit applications or other company or government documentation. If the location of a unit is not known, GEM attempts to identify an approximate location. If no location data is available the area is shown at the center of the country.
For tracker release notes, conversions used, and further information, please see the Global Gas and Oil Extraction Tracker Methodology on GEM.wiki