Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, March/April 2014 | Page 34

DATA IN TEG RAT I O N Analytics in the oilfield Properly deployed, predictive and other forms of advanced analytics can yield crucial insights for exploration and production companies. BY WARREN WILSON redictive analytics software has become increasingly attractive as it has increased in capability and fallen in price. It is becoming so powerful that many enterprises consider it a must-have technology. As with any investment decision, however, mounting enthusiasm tends to mute the critics and skeptics who may have valid questions about the rationale. The importance of predictive and other forms of advanced analytics is self-evident. Properly deployed, they can yield crucial insights obtainable P 34 | A N A LY T I C S - M A G A Z I N E . O R G in no other way. Accordingly, exploration and production (E&P) companies should develop an analytics strategy as quickly as possible, if they have not already done so. E&P companies should also be mindful that investments made without clear goals and implementation plans risk wasting critical resources and not achieving the desired results. As E&P companies formulate their plans, they can boost the likelihood of success by taking care to address three basic questions: What business value do you expect to gain, W W W. I N F O R M S . O R G