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PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Lasser’s software comes with personal service Texas company supplies well-organized oil and gas data on Alaska and most other states Sarah Hurst Petroleum Directory Contributing Writer
In this age of the Internet there is no shortage of information flooding into our computers and our brains day after day. The tricky part is identifying and processing the most useful information. All the more reason why Fort Worth, Texas-based Lasser Inc.’s oil and gas databases can make life easier for companies in an industry where time is money.
The LPD™ software enables users to easily navigate a wealth of technical data from most parts of the United States. The data can be searched by field name, reservoir name, operator name, lease name and many other criteria. Users can view production trends and make graphs of production history. Different regions of the country have their own CD-ROMs, or, in the case of Texas, a DVD-ROM because there is too much information to fit on a CD.
The West Coast LPD™ database currently contains production, header and well information for California and Alaska, and Lasser plans to include Washington and Oregon in future updates of the software. The company issues an update on CD or DVD every month, but subscribers can also choose to receive the updates quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The price of the West Coast database ranges from $750 for the annual update to $2,200 for the monthly updates. Lasser established in 1987 John Vance established Lasser in 1987 after he and his brother first purchased data from Texas for their own use. At the time, Vance operated wells and owned leases. Finding a gap in the market for well-organized data, he rapidly expanded Lasser’s scope to other states. Today the company sells its products to small and large operators, banks, libraries, government departments and all kinds of other customers.
Most of the data comes from state agencies, although sometimes historical data is harder to obtain. For example, some Oklahoma historical production data was provided by Oklahoma University because the state didn’t have it. Most states’ historical data goes back as far as the 1970s, but Arkansas goes back to 1940 and Alabama to 1944. Alaska data is reported by well, since inception. In the next year or so Lasser hopes to complete its U.S. database with the addition of northeastern states like Ohio, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. New features being added “We are adding newer and better features almost monthly,” said Amy Cleveland, who is responsible for Lasser’s advertising and mapping. “Over the past year we have added two new databases and increased functionality features such as economics. Another recent project has been mapping, which can be delivered in digital format or hard copy and includes well locations, pipelines, survey lines, cities, roads, rivers, lakes, and much more at an affordable price.”
Lasser’s LPD™ software is especially user-friendly because it was developed with the help of input from customers who tried the first version. “We maintained a database of all their questions and issues, and addressed the main questions that they had,” said Vice President Richie Worthington, who has been with the company since 1997 and worked his way up from being a technical support representative. Now he takes care of customer support, sales and website administration. Staying ahead of the competition Recently some state agencies have started making their oil and gas data available free online. Lasser also faces competition from Drillinginfo.com and IHS Energy. “We have to stay one step ahead with functionality,” said Worthington. Personalized customer service is another priority, he added. “We don’t have a voice answering system, you don’t have to press prompts or leave messages, someone will get back to you within 15 or 20 minutes.”
Customers get so friendly with Worthington that they call him for advice on what hard drive to buy or just a chat about the latest developments in the computer world. “I like helping people understand computers,” he said. “I talk to them in regular English.”
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