A prize for special use of the GIS geographical information system is being awarded to Statoil at the annual conference of the Environmental System Research Institute (ESRI) this month.
The GIS is a software tool and methodology for mapping and analysing physical objects with a geographical dimension.
It differs from other information systems in that normal database functions such as interrogation and statistical analysis are integrated with map-based visualisation and analysis functions.
The ESRI is the global market leader in developing the GIS, and 10,000 people are expected to attend the user conference in San Diego, California, on 26-30 June.
Being presented for the third year, the annual special achievement in GIS award has been won by Statoil in competition with 60,000 user organisations world-wide.
"We've invested a lot of time and resources in organising, adapting and developing GIS solutions in various parts of the group," explains project manager Stein Ivar Olsen in the project technology services unit of Exploration & Production Norway.
In recent years, Statoil has devoted substantial resources to building up common GIS databases – partly through the Statoil core (Score) programme.
According to Mr Olsen, the challenges ahead are to exploit the investment already made and to benefit from the big potential offered by using GIS as an analysis, planning and decision-support tool.