Ontology Explorer: An Ontology-Based Visual Analytics System for Exploring Time Series Data in Oil and Gas

Data analytics is the best approach for extracting hidden patterns and trends from time series data. One strong limitation that restrains the use of the method is the difficulty in selecting the appropriate data when a large variety of records come from several providers. Domain ontologies can organize and offer a uniform view for data analysis without plastering the data in a rigid format. This work describes an innovative visualization platform for data analysis of petroleum production time series that allows the user to explore the semantics of the oil well data with the support of a well-founded domain ontology. The O3PO ontology represents a production plant's installation assets, describing the equipment's relevant properties, such as position, relationship with other assets, and sensor measurements. The visualization platform takes advantage of the ontology to assist the user in locating the installation component, equipment, and collected measurements, bringing the time series data to the analytic tool for analysis by various groups. The ontology provides a taxonomy for navigating between classes and subsequently selecting instances, components, and properties. We describe the use of the visualization tool in real-case data from an offshore oilfield in Brazilian Pre-salt. This work contributes to the conception of the next generation of digital twins for the oil and gas industry.