Strater: The Complete Guide for BeginnersStrater is a powerful well-log and borehole visualization software used widely by geologists, hydrogeologists, environmental consultants, and engineers to visualize subsurface data. This guide introduces Strater’s core concepts, key features, typical workflows, and practical tips for beginners to get up and running quickly.
What is Strater?
Strater is a desktop application for creating professional well logs, borehole diagrams, cross sections, and geotechnical reports from subsurface data. It supports many data types — borehole lithology, stratigraphy, geophysical logs, water levels, groundwater sampling results, and more — and produces publication-quality plots for presentations, reports, and permit submissions.
Who uses Strater?
- Geologists and geophysicists creating well-log plots and correlation panels
- Hydrogeologists and environmental scientists plotting groundwater data
- Engineers and consultants producing borehole logs for site investigations
- Educators and students visualizing stratigraphic and geotechnical datasets
Key concepts and components
- Project: A Strater file (.strater) that stores all plots, data links, templates, and settings.
- Well log/well plot: Vertical representation of the borehole with multiple tracks (columns) showing lithology, logs, water levels, casing, etc.
- Track: A vertical column in a plot dedicated to one data type (e.g., gamma, resistivity, lithology).
- Curve: A continuous measurement (e.g., gamma-ray) plotted against depth.
- Interval/lithology column: Categorical intervals such as rock types, soils, or units.
- Template: Saved layout and styling to reuse across projects.
- Scale and depth reference: Controls for depth units, datum, and vertical exaggeration.
Installing and setting up
- System requirements: Check current Strater version requirements (Windows OS; sufficient RAM and free disk space).
- License: Strater is commercial; obtain a license or trial from the vendor. Follow license activation instructions.
- Data organization: Prepare a folder structure for raw data, templates, and export outputs to keep projects tidy.
Common data formats and import
Strater accepts various tabular and log formats:
- CSV, TXT: Delimited tables with depth columns for curves and intervals.
- LAS: Standard well-log format for geophysical curves.
- Excel (XLS/XLSX): Common for lithology logs, sample tables, and depth-based data.
- Shapefiles/DEM: For spatial context and cross sections.
- Images: Borehole photos and scanned logs for annotation.
Import tips:
- Ensure depth columns are numeric and consistently referenced (e.g., depth from ground surface or from a known datum).
- Clean data: remove duplicates, fill or flag missing depths, and standardize lithology codes.
- For LAS files, confirm unit consistency (meters vs feet) and curve mnemonics.
Building your first well log
- Start a new project and create a new plot. Set the plot page size and orientation.
- Add a Well Track. Define top and base depths and depth scale (e.g., 0–50 m).
- Import curve data (LAS/CSV): add curves to the well track and style their colors, line types, and scales.
- Add a Lithology/Interval track: import intervals or draw them manually. Assign fill patterns and colors for rock/soil types.
- Add annotation elements: header text, well location, borehole ID, elevation/datum, and legend.
- Add water level and casing symbols as separate tracks or annotations.
- Fine-tune axis ticks, labels, and depth gridlines.
- Save the project and export the plot as PDF, TIFF, or image for reports.
Creating cross sections and correlation panels
- Cross sections: Use multiple boreholes along a transect; interpolate stratigraphic surfaces or contours between wells. Strater can build cross sections by aligning wells spatially and plotting stratigraphy across the section.
- Correlation panels: Stack multiple well logs side-by-side, aligning depth scales to show lateral continuity of units. Add correlation lines manually or use interpreted horizons to link matching units.
Practical steps:
- Import borehole locations (X,Y) and set coordinate system.
- Place wells at correct horizontal spacing corresponding to real-world distances (or use schematic spacing).
- Draw interpreted surfaces as interval tops; use the polygon fill between tops to display units across the section.
Styling and templates
- Use templates for consistent styling across multiple plots: fonts, colors, track widths, scale settings, and legend layouts.
- Create a library of lithology patterns and colors to maintain standardization across projects.
- Export templates and import them into other projects for company-wide consistency.
Advanced features
- Log transforms and calculations: perform arithmetic operations on curves (e.g., compute resistivity logs, normalized indices).
- Composite logs: combine multiple curves or intervals into composite tracks.
- Custom symbols and patterns: import vector or bitmap symbols for casing, screens, or sample depths.
- Integration with GIS: export well locations and interpreted surfaces to shapefiles for use in ArcGIS/QGIS; import spatial layers to add map context.
Common pitfalls and troubleshooting
- Depth mismatches: Ensure all data use the same depth reference (e.g., depth below ground surface vs. depth below a fixed datum). Convert units when necessary.
- Missing or duplicate depths: Clean and sort data by depth before import.
- LAS curve mnemonics: Map LAS mnemonics to Strater curve names if they don’t match automatically.
- Large datasets: For many logs or very long depth ranges, simplify plotting resolution or split into multiple plots to maintain performance.
Exporting and sharing
- Export formats: PDF for reports, high-resolution TIFF/PNG for publications, SVG for editable vector graphics.
- Data export: Save data tables and interpreted horizons as CSV or shapefiles for downstream use.
- Batch export: Use templates and batch-export features (if available) to generate many logs quickly.
Sample beginner workflow (concise)
- Prepare depth-based data in CSV/Excel.
- Create new Strater project and set units/datum.
- Import borehole location and log data.
- Add tracks: curves, lithology, annotations.
- Style tracks, add legend and header.
- Save template; export final plot.
Learning resources and next steps
- Manufacturer documentation and tutorials (built-in help and online manuals).
- Example projects and sample data included with the software.
- Short online courses or webinars on well-log interpretation and Strater-specific workflows.
- Practice by recreating a published borehole log or site report.
Quick tips for beginners
- Standardize units and depth references before importing.
- Use templates to save time and ensure consistency.
- Keep raw data backed up; work on copies when cleaning.
- Start with a simple single-well plot before building complex cross sections.
Strater is a specialized tool that rewards careful data preparation and consistent styling. For beginners, focus first on mastering basic well-log creation, depth alignment, and lithology intervals; then progress to cross sections, templates, and GIS workflows.
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