Geosteering Software for Small Operators and Independent Geologists

Most geosteering software was built for large operators: a licence negotiated by procurement, an installation managed by IT, and a training course before anyone steers a well. That works when you drill a hundred laterals a year. It does not work for a small operator drilling three, or an independent geologist steering wells for different clients from a laptop.

This article sets out what smaller teams actually need, what they can safely do without, and how to test any product on a real well before spending money.

What Is Different About a Small Team

• No IT department. Nobody is going to install a server, manage licence dongles or open firewall ports for you.
• Uneven workload. Two wells this quarter, none the next, four the quarter after. A fixed annual licence for every seat is paid whether you drill or not.
• Many hats. The person steering the well may also write the morning report, talk to the directional driller and send the client an update.
• Changing partners. A consultant works with a different operator, rig and data provider on each job. The software has to fit around them, not the other way round.

What You Actually Need

Correlation against a type well

This is the core of geosteering. You need to match the lateral's gamma ray to a type well interval by interval, add faults where needed, and see where the well sits relative to the target. If a product does not do this well, nothing else matters. Our type well correlation guide sets out what good looks like.

Surveys and logs in, without a project

You should be able to load surveys and LAS files in minutes. If the rig has a WITSML server, connecting to it should take credentials and a URL, not an integration project.

The well against its plan

The directional driller works to the plan. You need to see how far the well is from it, where the bit is likely to be, and what it would take to get back. Without it, your call and the driller's picture never quite meet.

Sharing with the people on the well

The client, the operations geologist and the directional driller all need to see the same picture. Sending screenshots by email does not count. Look for a way to give someone view-only access to a project without buying them a licence.

History

Interpretations change as a well is drilled. You need a record of what you believed when, and why, both for your own learning and for the conversation with the client after the well.

What You Can Skip

• Full 3D earth modelling. Valuable on complex fields, but most laterals in layered rock are steered well on a 2D section along the well with a good type well.
• On-premise deployment. Unless a client contract demands it, running your own server is cost and risk with no benefit for a small team.
• Long-term contracts. Monthly billing that matches your drilling calendar is worth more than a discount for committing to a year you cannot predict.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy

1. What does it cost, all in? Licence, seats, data connections, support, training. If the price is not published, ask for it in writing.
2. Can I try it on a real well? A demo on the vendor's sample data shows you nothing. You need to load your own LAS files and surveys.
3. Does it run on what I already have? A Mac, a client's locked-down laptop, a rig computer. Browser-based software sidesteps most of these questions.
4. Who else can see my project, and who pays for them? Clients and drillers who only look should not need a paid seat.
5. Can I get my data out? Export to standard formats, such as LAS and CSV, so you are never locked in.
6. What happens when I stop paying? Can you still read your old projects?

Browser-Based Software Changes the Sums

When geosteering software runs in a web browser, most of a small team's problems disappear. There is nothing to install, so it works on any computer the job puts in front of you. The rig, the office and the client open the same project at the same time, so there is one picture of the well instead of three. And because the vendor runs the servers, there is no IT cost on your side.

The trade-off is that you need a reliable internet connection, and you are trusting the vendor with your data. Ask where the data is stored, who can access it, and whether it is used for anything beyond serving you. Our article on remote geosteering workflows covers how teams split the work between the rig and the office.

Where GeoMaster Fits

GeoMaster®, registered in the United Kingdom (UK00004424070), is geosteering software that runs in the browser, built with small teams in mind. Every plan and price is published on the pricing page.

• Free plan: one project of your own, plus any project shared with you, with no card needed. Enough to steer a real well with GeoMatch and see whether the product suits you.
• Basic: for an engineer running wells independently, with 5 projects and DrillTracker for the well against its plan.
• Pro: for active operations, with 20 projects, a named collaborator and unlimited view-only access for clients and drillers on each project.
• Monthly or annual billing, so you can pay for the months you drill.

Logs and surveys come in from LAS 2.0 files or a WITSML 1.4.1.1 server. GeoEngine, the AI assistant in each project, tells you where the last survey point sits in your target and offers to save a version when your interpretation changes, which helps when you are the only geologist on the well.

Start free, or request a 14-day Pro trial; we approve requests within 1 working day.