Borehullsdata

Borehullsdata is a structured data representation for encoding convex hulls of borehole paths in subsurface geology. Created to support consistent storage and analysis of borehole geometry, it combines the geometry of hulls with contextual metadata and provenance, enabling interoperable sharing among drilling operators, service companies, and researchers.

The core data model comprises multiple hull records. Each record includes an id, boreholeId, segmentIndex, hullType (convexHull), vertices (array of 3D points), edges (optional connectivity), and derived properties such as area and volume. Temporal validity is captured with validityInterval or timeRange, and measurementUncertainty quantifies positional error. A coordinateReferenceSystem field standardizes coordinates.

Serialization formats include JSON, CBOR, or a compact binary form. The standard specifies a vocabulary and URIs for terms to promote interoperability, and supports optional compression. A schema registry defines constraints to ensure that hulls are closed, vertices are unique, and units are consistent.

Applications include visualization in borehole networks, planning and risk assessment for drilling campaigns, and hull-based analytics such as clustering, outlier detection, and overlap analysis with geological features.

Origin and governance: Borehullsdata emerged from borehole data standardization initiatives in the early 2020s. It is maintained by the BoreHulls Consortium, which provides reference implementations and validation tools. The format is designed to be lightweight yet expressive for cross-domain data exchange. See also convex hull, borehole data, geospatial data formats.