The importance of GIS
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a tool used to store, create, display, manipulate, analyse and output data within its geographical context. By visualising data spatially, geographic patterns, trends and sequences can be easily identified.
The foundation of any GIS project is ensuring the geographic accuracy of the data. It is vital that the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) of the project and all incoming datasets are aligned. Merlin has dealt with numerous projects where this is not the case. If mispositioned datasets are not identified and repositioned, it can lead to serious financial implications further down the line.
Merlin also makes use of the powerful analytical tools available through GIS. By analysing and overlaying data types, Merlin can identify areas of interest for further evaluation. The relative positions of these target areas can be compared to other datasets, for example surface infrastructure, human population centres or competing activities. Merlin can source and load satellite imagery to analyse topography, surface geology or human activity and use GIS to integrate the results of various geographical surveys.
Merlin Geoscience and Geochem utilise more advanced data analysis for the evaluation of potential energy assets, such as creating ‘Common Risk Segment’ (CRS), or Resource Density maps. This facilitates the full integration of sub-surface studies with surface mapping, allowing engineering and HSE scenarios to be evaluated for new energy projects and the best economic case identified. It also forms the corner stone of acreage evaluation, allowing the identification of the best value area for asset acquisition or relinquishment.
What's involved?
- Geodetic Audit: Ensuring project data is in the correct location is a vital step that must be undertaken at the start of any geographic project. The correct CRS for the area must be identified and all project data checked for consistency. Correct datum transformations must be applied to all data that do not conform. This can be a tricky task, particularly for legacy data where supporting documentation to confirm CRS is not available.
- Data Visualisation: Data types can be queried and analysed allowing easy identification of trends as well as highlighting current and potential problems.
- Data Creation and Manipulation: New and existing data can be added, manipulated and edited to aid analysis and understanding.
MERLIN'S Capability
We can provide the following support:
- Project Set-up, Data QC and Data Load: Data gathering, CRS check, datum transformations.
- Data Creation and Manipulation: Create new shapefiles or edit existing files, georeference images to create GeoTIFFs, query data to produce maps and databases, use public domain datasets alongside client datasets etc.
- Data Analysis: Flexible application of ESRI and Blue Marble Geographics tools, such as Common Risk Segment and Resource Density mapping.
- Digital Deliverables: Master projects, shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, maps and written reports.