What Is a Plod? And is it the same as a DSR?

By Roberto Vargas, Head of Sales, APAC

So, what is a Plod? And is it the same as a DSR?

A PLOD (Progressive Log of Drilling) is a daily drilling report which is often referred to as a Daily Drilling Report (DDR), Drill Log, or Daily Shift Report (DSR) in different parts of the world. The term Plod is used most widely across Australia (where I'm based), but at Krux we understand all regional lingo.

For the purpose of this blog, and because I’m Aussie based, I’m going to refer to a Drill log, DSR / Shift Report / Drilling Report as a Plod.

So, what's so great about a plod?

A Plod records what happened on the drill site during a shift. Every drilling contractor uses plods, and every resource company depends on them.

Plods track key details including:

• Drill rig used

• Hours drilled (including start and end times)

• Downtime reasons (which is critical for analysis)

• Crew on shift

• Depth drilled

• Consumables used

• Fluids

• Safety notes

• Photographs

• Timesheets

Why does this matter? Because drilling costs are high, every hour counts, and every meter drilled affects budgets and timelines. Plods give you the data to measure performance and control costs.

But not all Plods are created equal.

Paper Plods are usually completed by the driller or offsider at the end of a shift. They submit the report to the office, the office checks and approves it, then the data flows into invoicing and performance analysis. Which sounds straightforward right? Except when paper is lost, input is delayed, and then that invoicing and performance analysis is inconsistent, or months in the making.

Common problems with paper plods:

• Manual entry errors

• Missing data

• Delays in submission

• Inconsistent formats

These issues slow down reconciliation and reporting. They create disputes over costs. They make performance analysis harder.

Digital plods solve these problems (which is where Krux comes in). A digital plod captures data in real time, validates entries before submission and (most importantly) standardizes data formats so you can compare apples-with-apples, not a random pear. Digital plods integrate with billing and analytics systems to make downstream billing much faster, which less back-and-forth.

Benefits of digital plods:

• More accurate data entry, in real-time

• Reliable performance metrics & analysis

• Faster, automated approvals

• Accurate invoicing

• Less admin for crews and office staff

Krux takes things a step further and standardizes and validates data on entry - meaning data is consistent across rigs, contractors, dates - so you can compare apples with apples. My colleague, Tom Thompson, wrote about the importance of standardization in his blog: Standardizing Your Data: The First Step Toward Smarter Drilling.

If you want better control of drilling operations, start with better data, and that means ditching the paper and moving to digital.

Want to hear more about how Krux helps with drilling projects? Get in touch today.

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