Minerals Management Service (MMS) initiated the Historical Well Data Cleanup (HWDC) project in 1999 to focus on data quality and availability issues for the Gulf of Mexico.  The project scope was vast and targeted both the identification and addition of missing well bores (70-series API’s), as well as a review, correction and/or capture of 12 key data types.

Over a 4 year period, the HWDC project reviewed data and documents for ~25,600 wells spanning 19 Gulf of Mexico protraction areas (as below).

The results – a Common Well Header Master (CWHM) record – for each well reviewed/added were published on this website for two years after the project was terminated in April 2004. Since that time, MMS has continued to harvest the results of the HWDC project as part of ongoing data quality initiatives.

The Legacy Data Verification process (LDVP) was introduced in 2005 as a continuation of MMS data quality focus and improvements. The overall objective - all wells correctly positioned with associated data attached – has not changed; however, greater emphasis is now placed on addressing known or reported problems, as opposed to working block-by-block across the entire Gulf.

LDVP is a service-based solution that streamlines the flow of information with tight integration of all the key data quality task areas (e.g. document imaging, data entry, mapping, quality control, etc) from initial problem report through to resolution. The introduction of this process has seen significant efficiency gains and additions and/or corrections are now handled in a matter of days rather than the months (or even years) of project-based endeavors. It is also available to both internal and external users (email data problems to: TDMS@mms.gov).

Major highlights since the introduction of LDVP in January, 2005 include:

• Over 3,800 data problems researched and resolved
• The identification, documentation and addition of ~3,000 wellbores previously missing from corporate databases (70-series API numbers)
  • 29% of these wellbores have log images available
  • 12% of these wellbores have associated digital log datasets

(Discovery/addition rate for missing 70-series wellbores is 45/month)

• A review of directional surveys with azimuth and inclination problems has corrected/eliminated 2,306 spurious data points from the dataset
• Proactive review of data and documents for wells in recent Sale blocks
• 84 wells (70-series API) were reviewed/added for Sale 204
• 160 wells (70-series API) were reviewed/added for Sale 205
• 48 wells (70-series API) were reviewed/added for Sale 206

Of the some 3,000 missing wellbores (70-series API) identified by the HWDC project, 72% have already been revisited and added to MMS’ corporate database. The residual 966 wellbores are still in use for reference and will be added as and when additional documentation can be located. These are also the wells targeted by NTL 2006-G18.

At the request of several Gulf of Mexico Data Management Work Group participants, a list of these wells will be maintained and updated on this webpage and is available at: http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/fastfacts/datamanagement/hwdc_not_in_tims.xls.