Curating Australia's Well Log Archive Since 1969
Building and maintaining Australia's most comprehensive petroleum well log archive since 1969.
Our Story
The Beginning
Wiltshire Geological Services was founded in 1969 by Michael Wiltshire, a petroleum geologist with a background in mathematics who recognised a critical gap in Australia's oil and gas exploration sector: the lack of accessible, high-quality wireline log data. Drawing on his training in the geological sciences and the quantitative rigour required for meaningful subsurface analysis, Michael set out to build an archive that met exacting professional standards.
Growth of the Archive
What began as a personal initiative to serve the Australian exploration community has grown into the most comprehensive private collection of its kind anywhere in the world. The archive has been digital since the early 1980s, well ahead of industry norms, and is continuously expanded and improved, covering every major petroleum basin in Australia. Today it comprises over 12,316 wells from Australia, New Zealand, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea.
Occam Technology
Occam Technology was established in 2006 to manage the archive and develop related technical capabilities, including proprietary software for digitisation, quality control, and LAS data processing. We still follow the same founding principle: deliver data of uncompromising quality, ready for immediate use in petrophysical analysis and formation evaluation.
Our Mission Today
Michael's original vision, that high-quality data should be the foundation of all subsurface research and exploration, continues to guide every aspect of our work. Your analysis depends on your input data. We've spent over 57 years getting it right.
Wiltshire Geological Services and Occam Technology are Australian-based businesses serving a global audience, with the second generation of custodians working with Michael to continue his legacy of quality data, software, and services.
The People Behind the Archive
Michael Wiltshire
Founder, Managing Director & Chief Geologist
Michael founded Wiltshire Geological Services in 1969 to provide consulting geological services to the Australian petroleum exploration industry. From the 1980s, WGS focused on the supply of high-quality digital subsurface data and pioneered this industry in Australia. With a Bachelor of Science from the University of Sydney, and a strong background in physics and mathematics, Mike is our visionary founder with a deep understanding of Australian exploration history, the data that's been generated, and how it applies to the modern context.
Over the past 60 years, Mike has developed new and innovative approaches to subsurface analysis, including novel methods for data visualisation and quality control, a patent for synthetic sonic log generation, and is currently developing new analytical techniques for total organic carbon assessment, and new energy and minerals exploration opportunities.
Away from the office, Mike regularly breaks his age on the golf course and maintains a love of science and technology. He's just as happy talking data as he is telling stories about the halcyon days of Australian exploration.
Steven Wiltshire
Co-Founder & Director, Technology & Data
Steven co-founded Occam Technology in 2006 and is the architect behind its technical platform. Steve has been immersed in the family business all his life, starting out at Wiltshire Geological Services helping to maintain DEC VAX systems, aged 10. He maintained a corporate mail server at 16, and has been building systems ever since. At Occam, he works across the full stack, from database and server to data delivery and business development.
The Occam platform is Steve's work across more than a decade - a modern stack built on open-source software, commodity hardware, and pragmatic engineering choices, designed to deliver the archive's data to customers in formats ready for immediate use.
He holds a Bachelor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship from the University of Adelaide, speaks fluent Python, prefers FreeBSD for his servers, and is just as comfortable in his swag in the Simpson Desert as he is troubleshooting a transaction or debugging a DNS issue.
By the Numbers
What Sets Our Data Apart
We validate data at every step.
Quality Control
Every log is reviewed, corrected, and validated before delivery.
Format Consistency
LAS format with standardised curve naming. Load directly into your workstation without reformatting.
Supporting Documentation
Where available, our unique well data summaries include analytical data from laboratory analysis and drilling reports, formation data, deviation surveys, engineering information, and more.
Continuous Improvement
The archive is actively maintained and expanded. New wells, corrections, and enhancements are ongoing.
Full Provenance
Complete chain of custody and source documentation. Know exactly where your data came from and how it was processed. Digitised from original sources where possible.
Who We Serve
Geoscientists, operators, and researchers use our data for subsurface analysis across these industries.
Majors, independents, and juniors
Petrophysics and formation evaluation
Geological surveys and regulators
Universities and CSIRO
Carbon storage and energy transition
Groundwater and resource exploration
Explore the Archive
See what's in our collection or get in touch to discuss your data needs.