“Bigger on the Inside” – Time Travel with Geothermal Data Management

Abstract

The lifetime of a geothermal project typically exceeds thirty years, during which time large amounts of data are collected, personnel come and go, and techniques and methodologies change. However, one thing remains constant – a continuing requirement for access to and use of the data, regardless of data type or when and where it was collected. A well-organized data management system underpinning the project will ensure that data is readily available, comprehensible and useable throughout the entire period - not just to those who initially collected and used it, but to the wider community of those involved in the project. This “super-availability” offers the potential to maximize the cross-fertilization of concepts and ideas, which in turn ensures the best possible development decisions throughout the project. The GeoData Manager program is used as an example to illustrate the development and characteristics of a universal geothermal data management system that can literally travel through time.