From Paper and PDF to Precision: Why Midstream Energy Operators Are Moving to Structured Data
Midstream energy companies are transforming their operations by shifting from static, unstructured data like PDFs to usable structured data.
Managing massive amounts of data in today’s energy sector is crucial to ensuring safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Yet, a significant portion of this data exists in unstructured or semi-structured formats, like PDFs and other documents that don’t fit neatly into databases. For midstream companies, moving away from these static formats and investing in structured, accessible data has become essential—not just to streamline operations, but to enable real-time decision-making and support a Verified Single Source of Truth (Verified SSoT).
The Persistent Role of PDFs and the Need for Data Extraction
PDFs have become the digital replacement for paper, containing everything from material traceability records (MTRs) to welding logs and inspection reports. While PDFs are widely used and will likely remain a staple for document sharing, they present significant challenges when it comes to extracting data. Manual rekeying has long been the default method, but this process is labor-intensive, error-prone, and costly. Many midstream companies even outsource these data entry tasks, but this approach is very costly, still requires human intervention, and often lacks the accuracy and speed required in a fast-paced environment.
The Path to Automation: AI-Driven Data Ingestion
Thanks to recent advances in AI, companies can now consider tools for automated data extraction that go beyond traditional Optical Character Recognition (OCR). With Human-in-the-Loop AI, unstructured and semi-structured data from PDFs can be efficiently ingested, allowing companies to automate the process of sorting, validating, and structuring data while maintaining human oversight where necessary. This technology helps reduce errors, cut costs, and increase the speed at which crucial data is available for analysis.
Human-in-the-Loop AI combines the efficiency of AI-driven data processing with human judgment for error correction, complex decision-making, and ongoing system training. This hybrid approach enables midstream operators to rely on their data with a higher degree of accuracy and contextual awareness than OCR alone.
Data Types
Understanding and managing data types is foundational for energy companies seeking to transition from manual, unstructured data handling to automated, structured systems. Here’s a breakdown of the key data types:
As paper-based asset records give way to powerful digital data solutions, midstream companies gain faster, more reliable access to critical information, enhancing efficiency and control.
Unstructured Data: Comprising nearly 80% of data in the sector, unstructured data includes documents, images, and PDFs. These formats are difficult to search and analyze, making it hard to capture insights without manual processing.
Semi-Structured Data: While semi-structured data lacks a rigid structure, it contains metadata that can support partial organization and searchability. For example, emails and tagged photographs offer some consistency in their format, making them easier to manage than fully unstructured data.
Structured Data: This is the most accessible form of data, formatted in rows and columns with predefined fields. It’s easy to search, analyze, and link to related data sets, which is why companies should aim to convert as much data as possible into structured formats.
Benefits of Moving Toward Structured Data
Shifting from paper and PDFs to structured data offers several critical benefits:
Enhanced Efficiency: Automated data extraction eliminates the need for costly, time-consuming manual entry, making data available for analysis much faster.
Improved Accuracy and Safety: By minimizing human errors in data entry, companies can better ensure data integrity, which is essential for safety and compliance.
Cost Savings: Automated solutions reduce the need for outsourcing, saving on operational expenses tied to manual data entry.
Real-Time Access to Data: With structured data readily available, companies can make faster, more informed decisions, supporting proactive maintenance and safety protocols.
The Vintri Solution: A Holistic Approach to Verified Data Integrity and Interoperability
Vintri Technologies takes data integrity to the next level with a hands-on approach powered by our dedicated Service Delivery Team. Our team works closely with midstream companies to identify and cross-verify every supply chain data source, establishing a Verified Single Source of Truth (Verified SSoT) that ensures all critical information is accurate, complete, accessible, and reliable. This verified data includes supply chain records for capital pipelines, capital facilities, and existing infrastructure—covering all material data essential for seamless operations and regulatory compliance.
Once verified, this data is imported into vintriCORE, Vintri's flagship data management solution, which provides comprehensive visibility and accessibility for each asset. With vintriCORE, companies gain detailed insights, including precise location identification for each component, made possible through Esri’s advanced mapping technology. This integration supports robust spatial analysis, enabling operators to pinpoint the exact location and attributes of each component across infrastructure.
Moreover, vintriCORE is built with interoperability at its core. It integrates seamlessly with a wide range of software solutions commonly used in the industry, allowing midstream companies to leverage existing systems while benefiting from vintriCORE's verified data foundation. This flexibility helps operators maintain consistency across platforms and unlocks a complete view of their assets in one unified system.
Through vintriCORE and the support of Vintri's Service Delivery Team, midstream companies can achieve a high level of data integrity and accessibility, empowering them to make informed decisions, increase operational efficiency, and meet rigorous compliance standards with confidence.
