You search the question hoping for a short list. Instead you get a ranked directory of 200 products with no sorting, no context, and no guidance on which ones fit a 30-well shop versus a 3,000-well shop. You close the tab. Then a vendor rep calls you Monday morning pitching the same enterprise suite the supermajor in the next county runs, as if well count did not matter.

“What software do oil and gas companies use” is a broad question with very different answers depending on company size and segment. A 10,000-well major runs a different stack than a 400-well independent, which runs a different stack than a 40-well stripper shop. The lists that try to answer this question with one bundle usually end up useless to everyone. This page answers the question honestly by sorting answers by operator size and segment.

We run production data platforms for the independent-operator segment. We see what operators actually run because the tools sit next to ours in the back office. This map is what we actually see, not a theoretical vendor list.

The Map by Operator Size

Majors and supermajors (ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, etc.)

  • ERP: SAP IS-Oil, Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Oil & Gas.
  • Upstream operations: Custom-built platforms combined with enterprise vendors (IFS, AVEVA, Emerson, Honeywell).
  • Reservoir and reserves: SLB Petrel, OFM, CMG, Schlumberger Techlog, Eclipse.
  • Production accounting: Embedded in SAP/Oracle or Quorum at very large scale.
  • SCADA and automation: Emerson DeltaV, Honeywell Experion, ABB, AVEVA System Platform.
  • Field capture: Usually pulled from SCADA or custom built. Not mobile-app-driven at this scale.

Majors treat software as part of the industrial stack. License costs run in the millions. Implementations run in years.

Large independents (500+ wells, public or private equity backed)

  • ERP: Quorum, P2 (Enverus), Enertia, sometimes SAP IS-Oil.
  • Production accounting: Quorum, P2, WolfePak at the smaller end of this tier.
  • Land: Quorum Land, Enertia Land.
  • Reserves: OFM, Val Nav, ComboCurve.
  • Production capture: Mix. Some on Scout FDC, some on GreaseBook, some on ERP-embedded capture, some custom.
  • SCADA: Varies by basin and well type. High-volume horizontals tend toward full SCADA; stripper assets often skip it.

Large independents sit in an awkward middle. Sometimes they have enterprise budgets and enterprise workflows. Sometimes they are cost-conscious and pick best-of-breed tools.

Mid-size independents (100 to 500 wells)

  • ERP: Enertia, P2 at the larger end, or no unified ERP (multiple best-of-breed tools).
  • Production accounting: WolfePak, PakAccounting, OGSYS, Bolo.
  • Land: Often a spreadsheet. Some use Enertia Land or iLandMan.
  • Reserves: ComboCurve or PHDWin. Occasionally OFM.
  • Production capture: GreaseBook, Scout FDC, or FieldCap are the three common picks.
  • Allocation: FieldCap, PakEnergy Allocate, or an Excel workflow.
  • SCADA and monitoring: Usually partial. Some tanks monitored, some not. TinyPumper or Detechtion for light monitoring where it pays off.

Mid-size independents run the cleanest best-of-breed stacks in the industry because the math on enterprise ERP rarely justifies itself at this scale.

Small independents (under 100 wells)

  • ERP: None.
  • Books: QuickBooks plus a CPA who knows oil and gas is a stopgap at the smallest, solo-ownership end only. Any producer with working interest partners, JIB, royalty owners, or multi-state tax moves to a mid-range O&G accounting platform.
  • Production accounting: Mid-range purpose-built platforms (OGsys, Wolfpak, Bolo, SSI, Pac Energy) are the expected companion once there are outside working interest partners, JIB, or multi-state exposure. The QuickBooks-plus-CPA route is a narrow stopgap, not the default.
  • Land: Spreadsheet and a filing cabinet.
  • Reserves: Excel decline templates, occasional ComboCurve engagement.
  • Production capture: GreaseBook is the most common pick. Occasionally Scout FDC. Many still on paper or Excel (and paying for it in reconciliation time).
  • SCADA and monitoring: Usually nothing, or light monitoring (TinyPumper) on specific tanks.

At this size, the stack should be short and cheap. Adding enterprise tools is almost always a mistake.

The Map by Segment

Upstream E&P (exploration, drilling, production). The stack above. Exploration-heavy shops add Petrel and Kingdom. Production-heavy shops add GreaseBook, Scout FDC, or similar capture tools.

Midstream and gathering. Different category. SCADA-heavy (Emerson, Honeywell), custody transfer metering, gas measurement platforms (Emerson, Rosemount, Sensia), pipeline management software. Not this page’s focus.

Downstream refining and marketing. Different category again. Refinery management, custody transfer at the rack, retail fuel management. Not this page’s focus.

Oilfield services and contract pumpers. Service companies run ERP like SAP or NetSuite depending on size, plus specialized field-service scheduling tools. Contract pumpers specifically often run TinyPumper for multi-operator route coordination.

The Pattern Most Independents Follow

Across the independent operators we see, the common stack at 50 to 300 wells looks like this:

  • Production capture: GreaseBook (or Scout FDC, FieldCap).
  • Production accounting: WolfePak or PakAccounting.
  • Books: QuickBooks or the accounting platform directly.
  • Allocation: FieldCap or PakEnergy Allocate, sometimes Excel.
  • Reserves: ComboCurve or Excel.
  • Monitoring: Spot-use TinyPumper, Detechtion, or nothing.
  • Land: Spreadsheet.

That is four to five paid tools. Total monthly software spend scales with well count; a 100-well operation commonly runs $1,500 to $4,000 all-in, and a 1,000-well operation scales up from there. Operations that are successful with this stack have one thing in common: they solve the production data management category problem first, because clean data upstream makes everything downstream easier.

The best operators we see do not copy the stack of the operator three times their size. They copy the pattern of operators their own size, adjust for horizontal versus conventional mix, and keep the total list short on purpose.

Amateur vs Pro: How Operators Build a Stack

The amateur… The pro…
Copies a supermajor’s stack at 50 wells Copies the pattern of operators at their own well count and mix
Buys an ERP because a board member “used one at a bigger shop” Buys an ERP when best-of-breed tools stop integrating cleanly
Treats accounting bolt-on capture as the production system Runs a purpose-built capture layer and integrates with the accounting platform
Skips SCADA integration on horizontals because the capture app “does not need it” Picks a capture layer that sits cleanly alongside SCADA on the wells that have it
Over-buys at every layer to feel prepared Buys one layer at a time, after the previous layer is actually being used

What To Avoid

  • Don’t fall for the Bolt-On Trap. Accounting platforms ship production modules. ERPs ship capture modules. Capture apps ship accounting exports. Each one optimizes for its own center of gravity and not for the adjacent job. Integrate, do not assume the bolt-on is a replacement.
  • Don’t let the QuickBooks Stopgap outlive its usefulness. QuickBooks plus a CPA works for solo-ownership operators at the narrowest end. The moment working interest partners, JIB, royalty owners, or multi-state tax enter the picture, a mid-range O&G accounting platform (OGsys, Wolfpak, Bolo, SSI, P2, Quorum, PakEnergy, W Energy) is the right upgrade.
  • Don’t let the Paper Lag decide the ceiling. Operators who stay on paper gauge sheets cap every downstream tool they buy. Clean capture first, then scale downstream.
  • Don’t buy an ERP because a peer did. ERP math rarely justifies itself below 1,000 wells. Copying a larger operator’s stack at a smaller operator’s scale is how software budgets disappear.
  • Don’t skip SCADA integration on horizontals. The horizontal and high-volume conventional wells that drive most of the revenue usually deserve SCADA integration. Pick a capture layer that handles both SCADA-integrated wells and hand-gauged stripper wells in the same workflow.

Why GreaseBook Shows Up Most Often on the Capture Side

Production capture is where the stack either gets solved fast or sits broken for years. GreaseBook shows up as the common answer for independents for three reasons:

  • Pumper adoption under 10 minutes. If the pumper does not use it, the whole system fails. We clear that bar faster than anything else in the category.
  • Offline-first. Most independent leases are in spots with spotty signal. Apps that need a steady connection fail on the lease.
  • 6% pump-to-net improvement inside six weeks. That lift usually pays for the whole software stack.

The 200% money-back guarantee covers the downside if we are the wrong fit.

Who This Page Is Not For

This page is not for midstream, pipeline, or refining operators. It is not for anyone shopping primarily for reservoir simulation or drilling software. It is not for enterprise IT teams at majors comparing SAP IS-Oil against Oracle JD Edwards.

This page is for independent operators trying to understand what the rest of the industry actually runs, so they can benchmark their own stack and figure out what to add or replace.

Frequently Asked Questions

What software is used in the oil and gas industry?

The industry runs different software by size and segment. Majors run SAP IS-Oil or Oracle JD Edwards for ERP, plus SLB Petrel, OFM, and CMG for reservoir work. Independents run WolfePak or PakAccounting for accounting and GreaseBook or Scout FDC for production capture. Midstream runs SCADA-heavy stacks from Emerson and Honeywell. The one-size-fits-all answer does not exist.

What are the 3 P’s of oil and gas?

The 3 P’s are proved, probable, and possible reserves, a reserves-classification concept. Proved reserves are demonstrable with reasonable certainty. Probable reserves are more likely than not to be produced. Possible reserves are less likely. Reserves classification lives in reserves software (OFM, Val Nav, ComboCurve) and SEC reporting.

What software do independent oil and gas companies use?

Independents typically run a production capture app (GreaseBook, Scout FDC, FieldCap), a mid-range O&G accounting platform (OGsys, Wolfpak, Bolo, SSI, Pac Energy), and a reserves tool (ComboCurve or Excel) when they need it. QuickBooks plus a CPA is a narrow stopgap only at the smallest, solo-ownership end. The stack is intentionally lean because next-tier ERP (P2, Quorum, W Energy) rarely pays off below the 1,000-well range.

Does every oil and gas company use SCADA?

No. Majors and midstream operators run SCADA across most assets. Large independents run SCADA on high-volume assets but often skip it on stripper wells. Small independents frequently run no SCADA at all, opting for pumper-driven production capture instead. SCADA makes economic sense where the well volumes and theft or downtime exposure justify the hardware cost.

About the author: Greg Archbald is the founder of GreaseBook. He built the product from inside the oil patch and has spent 15+ years on the operator side of oil and gas technology.

Ready to Benchmark Your Stack?

If you want to know whether your current software stack fits your operation or whether you are missing a piece, take the 60-second quiz. You get a benchmark against what comparable independents actually run today.

Take the GreaseBook quiz.

Two minutes. No sales call, no pushy follow-up.

If GreaseBook lands and the fit turns out wrong inside year one, the 200% money-back guarantee refunds you twice the contract price. That is how confident we are in the pumper-adoption bar.

P.S. This page is not for midstream, pipeline, or refining operators, or IT teams at majors shopping SAP IS-Oil. No hard feelings. If you are still deciding, the quiz gives you a straight answer in the time it takes to refill your coffee.

**P.S.** The honest answer to this question is "different things at different sizes." A small independent running 15 wells and a 5,000-well operator share almost no software. Figure out where you sit on the spectrum (a handful of wells to 2,000+) before you read another comparison.