Unleashing the power of open data

Reservoir engineers and geoscientists often deal with enormous amounts of data across different formats as they try to gain insights into what is happening underground.
We helped pioneer a shared data platform that unites global subsurface experts to solve complex subsurface challenges in real time.
The platform is designed to be a jumping off point for innovation and development.

News

3 min read

• July 10, 2026

Imagine working for the greater good. Every brilliant development, every innovation, every small way of working better – you share it. Why? So others can collaborate, build upon it, and forge even better solutions.

That’s at the heart of what we’re doing in Malaysia with the Open Subsurface Data Universe (OSDU) Data Platform, using our skills and the power of open-source technology to give subsurface engineers and geoscientists the ability to gain insights and do more than ever before.

“This isn't just an oil and gas data platform; it's a collaborative hub where energy companies can overcome one of the biggest digital challenges – huge volumes of data.”

Azry Tajul Arus, IT Product Manager at ExxonMobil’s Global Business Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“The energy industry runs on data, building control over the massive amounts of it we have is a key part of ExxonMobil’s future subsurface plans,” Azry says.

“By unlocking and organizing this data, we are transforming raw numbers into strategic assets. Our Malaysian data skills are already powering major projects, including ExxonMobil’s deepwater operations in Guyana, letting them control and understand it in ways never before possible.”

But why open source?

Collaborative solutions to big data

In this industry, companies can face too much data: multiple copies scattered across departments, in different formats, and no clear 'true' source.

Open source solves this by creating a single, universal language for data, enabling fast innovation, reducing waste, and allowing companies of all sizes to collaborate.

“Imagine the frustration if every time you sat down to work, you needed to consult multiple books, each in a different language, forcing you to constantly switch back and forth. That’s what working with siloed data in disparate formats feels like. But with a single universal language everyone can work towards shared goals, using AI to support it all,” Azry says.

ExxonMobil’s Guyana Enterprise Digital’s Subsurface Lead, William Zoeller, explains that the rapid digital transformation meant they now had access to more data and the capability to make faster decisions, “but much of it has been trapped silos, preventing us from using its full value”.

Nick Swann, ExxonMobil EMTech, Global Projects, Upstream and LCS IT Manager addressing participants at the workshop: “The complexity of our industry demands focused collaboration.”

“The OSDU Standard and OSDU Data Platform is an industry-wide initiative to make sense of all this data. It’s created an ecosystem of shared costs, shared risks, and ultimately, shared rewards.”

“It’s bringing clarity to the complexity of data and we’re all benefiting.”

But it doesn't stop at data. The platform also serves as a launchpad for developing and delivering new industry applications.

To help spread its potential, we recently hosted the first-ever industry OSDU technical forum in Asia Pacific, sharing its adoption strategy and challenges with regional peers, vendors, and cloud providers such as PETRONAS, Shell, SLB and Katalyst Data Management.

The first-ever Eastern Hemisphere OSDU forum, hosted by ExxonMobil in Malaysia, brought together industry leaders, technology partners, independent service vendors, and data experts from 17 organization across five countries.

Real-world wins

We're already seeing its impact. By combining OSDU Standard with vast datasets from various sources and systems, we've dramatically shortened evaluation times for deepwater oil and gas assets. This aids work at our Guyana project and helps us model the subsurface data.

“This platform is a major component for some of our key assets like Guyana and we’re excited about how it can drive the project forward,” says Jacob Jackson, OSDU Product Manager, Upstream Data Foundation.

“Once fully operational, it will enable us to understand our project in a deeper way than ever before. Imagine how it could benefit the whole industry.”

OSDU Standard is empowering our experts to dismantle barriers to innovation and collaborate. This is the future of energy: collaborative, innovative, and open. And we're just getting started.