Subsurface activities and decision support systems: An analysis of the requirements for a social acceptance-motivated decision support system

In this paper, we present a novel perspective on evaluating subsurface activities by increasing the role of social acceptance in the decision-making process. We use the triangle of social acceptance to structure and analyze the decision-making problem in three classes: social–political, market, and community acceptance. This allows the inclusion of strategic and social concerns, beside economical and environmental aspects in the evaluation of subsurface activities. We analyze the requirements of a decision support system for each class according to three aspects: the requirements originating from the context, the requirements derived from the decision-making process, and the extent to which the decision support system can fulfill these requirements. Furthermore, we identify the mechanisms that shape and govern the interactions between the requirements and limitations that result from the context and decision-making process of subsurface activities. We conclude that the requirements of a decision support system for subsurface activities are very different for each class of social acceptance. In addition, we find that several aspects need to be included in an earlier phase of the decision-making process for subsurface activities.