kucherenko/petropowers/oil-gas-foundation

Skill: Oil & Gas Foundation

Core industry knowledge shared across all oil & gas pipeline skills.

Industry Overview

The oil & gas industry operates across three primary segments:

Upstream (Exploration & Production)

Goal: Discover and extract hydrocarbons

Sub-pipelines:

• Exploration
• Appraisal
• Drilling
• Production

Midstream (Transportation & Storage)

Goal: Move and store oil/gas

Sub-pipelines:

• Pipeline transport
• LNG processing
• Storage facilities

Downstream (Refining & Distribution)

Goal: Convert raw hydrocarbons into usable products

Sub-pipelines:

• Refining
• Petrochemicals
• Distribution & retail

Role Hierarchy

Functional hierarchy (not organizational chart):

Executives
  ↓
Asset / Field Managers
  ↓
Domain Leads (Geology, Drilling, Production, Facilities)
  ↓
Engineers & Scientists
  ↓
Operators / Technicians
  ↓
Data & Digital (cross-cutting)

End-to-End Data Flow

Raw Data Acquisition
  ↓
Data Ingestion (WITSML, LAS, SCADA, etc.)
  ↓
Data Processing & QC
  ↓
Domain Interpretation (Geology, Drilling, etc.)
  ↓
Modeling & Simulation
  ↓
Decision Making
  ↓
Execution (Drill / Produce / Transport)
  ↓
Feedback Loop (real-time data)

Common Data Formats

Data Types

• Structured: Tables (production logs, drilling parameters)
• Semi-structured: LAS, WITSML, PRODML
• Unstructured: Reports, PDFs, images, core photos
• Spatial: Seismic volumes, maps, geological models
• Time-series: Sensors, SCADA, real-time drilling data

Safety Culture

Oil & gas operations prioritize safety above all else:

• HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) is non-negotiable
• "Stop work authority" - anyone can halt unsafe operations
• Risk assessments (JSA, HAZOP, HAZID) before operations
• Regulatory compliance: EPA, OSHA, BSEE (US), NPD (Norway), etc.

Key Safety Concepts

• Well control: Preventing uncontrolled hydrocarbon release
• Process safety: Managing hazardous materials and pressures
• Asset integrity: Ensuring equipment fitness-for-service
• Environmental protection: Spill prevention, emissions control

How To Use This Skill

This skill is referenced by all pipeline skills. It provides:

1. Shared terminology and context
2. Data format reference
3. Safety culture foundation
4. Role hierarchy understanding

Pipeline skills build on this foundation with domain-specific workflows.