Oil Well Volumetric Viewer and Data Management Platform

Business context

The client is an imaging technology company in the USA serving oil and gas drilling. It creates 3D data of wells using laser scanning. The value of that data to drilling operators depends on how well engineers can inspect it and report what they find.

The challenge

Engineers needed to visualize the volumetric scan data, take measurements, cut cross-sections and report findings, directly in the web browser. Volumetric NRRD data is dense, and standard three.js meshes cannot display it, so it needs a custom renderer. Measurements had to be in physical units to count as inspection results. As the data grew, wells, scans and reports also needed one place to live.

Our solution

We built a custom three.js volume renderer for NRRD scan data and grew it into a platform for viewing and managing well inspection data. Measurement, sectioning and reporting run in the browser, backed by Node.js and PostgreSQL.

• Custom ray-marched volume rendering of NRRD laser-scan data
• Clipping planes to look inside the well pipe
• Ruler tools and an orientation rose for inspection in physical units
• Animated fly-through up and down the well pipe, with video recording
• Reports with embedded 3D images of the findings
• Data management platform on Node.js and PostgreSQL for wells, scans and reports

Business impact

A multi-year project covering the viewer, reporting and data management.

• Inspection engineers examine and measure well scans in the browser, with no desktop software to install
• Reports with 3D images give drilling operators clear evidence for each finding
• Wells, scans and reports sit in one system, so inspection history is easy to find
• The client delivers its scan data with a ready viewer and platform, which adds value to its imaging service

Engagement

A long-term engagement that started with the volumetric renderer and grew, step by step, into the full inspection and data management platform.