Who cares if Excel is not a database, it works, right?

Wrong.

Excel being used to store data for hundreds of wells for 10s of years is like digging a hole with your elbow.

It works but why?

Try looking for a field core logging spreadsheet from a drilling program executed 3 months ago.

You: Ok I think it's here.  Hmm..

You: Found it.  Wait.  This well is missing?!

MS Teams: *DING* Meeting in 5 minutes

You: Search by Well Name

You: Found it

But with databases, I can't build custom reports / graphs / spreadsheets anymore.

FALSE.

With databases built by people that don't know your business, perhaps that is true.

The data can be exported to an Excel file so you can build a 2000 tab spreadsheet all you want (please don't do this).

You can store images, files, links, etc. in the database.

Excel can retrieve and add this data if you want as well.  Its safe.

I talk a lot about low-hanging fruit and database technologies is one of them.

With the right team, a small project in a specific business unit can be implemented quicker than you think.

And then you can be ready when you're boss tells you that you need to implement AI and cut costs by 10%.