Microsoft Joins Energistics

Microsoft Corp. announced it has joined Energistics, a global, not-for-profit consortium designed to explore ways to facilitate exploration and production (E&P) information sharing and business process integration. This membership continues the momentum that Microsoft and its nearly 500 oil and gas partners have built in driving a common platform as the “unifying language” and a force for innovation across the industry.

            Microsoft, along with its ecosystem of partners, has proven experience in bringing technologies and solutions to the mainstream oil and gas industry. This expertise will be used to deliver the reference implementation of Energistics’ standards such as the Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language (WITSML) and Production Markup Language (PRODML), enabling oil and gas companies to increase the implementation of standards while lowering adoption hurdles.

            Energistics’ founding objective was to unite the oil and gas industry and foster an environment of collaboration. Across multiple industries, Microsoft is the trusted advisor and go-to company for developing and implementing the use of a unifying language as a common platform, for example, as a founding member of OPC (OLE for Process Control). By joining Energistics, Microsoft adds this expertise in helping the consortium meet its goal of uniting people, issues and ideas to facilitate E&P information sharing and business process integration.

            “E&P companies are relying on development of standards such as PRODML to provide a common set of definitions and thus improve data exchange and work process efficiency,” said Catherine Madden, senior research analyst at IDC Energy Insights. “Companies that can help facilitate the development and deployment of open data exchange standards such as PRODML will play a vital role in ensuring the industry can maximize potential cost savings.”

            “The oil and gas industry is undergoing massive changes,” said Ali Ferling, managing director, Worldwide Oil and Gas Industries at Microsoft. “By helping the industry adopt standards, Microsoft believes the industry can drive down cost by improving interoperability and building a platform for collaboration and communication. Our customers benefit when standards are implemented because their software prices decrease, interoperability increases and adoption hurdles are lowered. As a result, they will be able to better execute their E&P information sharing and business process integration strategies.”

            “We are pleased to have Microsoft on board to help us to deliver the reference implementation for our standards,” said Randy Clark, president and CEO of Energistics. “As a body that facilitates an inclusive user community for collaborative technologies, we are keen to draw on Microsoft’s experience in the industry to help facilitate the development and deployment of open data exchange standards in addressing information challenges.”

            “Having Microsoft as a member of Energistics is very positive news for the oil and gas industry,” said Jaap Van Ballegooijen, leader of Royal Dutch Shell’s Smart Fields group. “Microsoft will be able to contribute its experience and expertise to help drive the adoption of Energistics’ standards. Microsoft has demonstrated ongoing commitment and support of the Energistics standards through its participation and sponsorship of the latest PRODML specifications presentation at the Microsoft Global Energy Forum. Shell, Microsoft and Energistics also collaborated to explore new and innovative solutions through the software-plus-services approach by implementing a PRODML proof of concept utilizing Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform.”

www.energistics.org

www.microsoft.com/oilandgas

 

 

Energistics Publishes Metadata Standards Position Paper

Energistics Metadata Standards Work Group announced publication of a position paper describing an initiative to improve operational efficiency within the energy community through pragmatic and judicious adoption of metadata standards and best practices. The paper is now available on the www.energistics.org website.

            Alan Doniger, Chief Technology Officer at Energistics, said: “Capturing this opportunity promises a future in which all stakeholders exploit a common set of metadata standards and guidelines to enable efficient cataloging, discovery, evaluation and retrieval of available information resources, regardless of whether those resources are hosted internally or externally to their organization.”

            The position paper, developed by the Work Group Steering Team and Active Participants over a five-month period, has been published in two forms:

• A longer, 27-page version titled “Roadmap for Implementing Energy Industry Metadata Standards v1”, and
• An abridged,16-page version developed to provide an overview of the initiative, titled “Energy Industry Metadata Standards Initiative Overview v1.”

Both versions can be downloaded from the Metadata Work Group page located on Energistics’ website under the Communities menu, Asset and Data Management SIG menu item.

 

Sept. 30, 2009 Workshop

A half-day informational workshop is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2009, 8:00 am – noon, at Chevron’s Briarpark office in Houston, TX. This workshop will initiate development of the metadata standards and guidelines. Participation in the workshop will be limited to 60 attendees, with preference given to current active participants and one seat allocated per company. Topics to be covered will include:

• Initiative Overview;
• GIN (Geosciences Information Network) Architecture Example – The NGDS Pilot Project;
• Review of the ISO 19115 Standard – Key considerations for Profile development;
• Preliminary Requirements Analysis;
• Participant Breakout Exercise – Identifying key attributes, obligation levels and reference list requirements; and
• Next steps.

Participants will be encouraged to bring their copy of the ISO 19115:2003 specification to the workshop, if they have one. Those who wish to purchase one will find the version published by INCITS available at the ANSI Standards Store. Applications for participation in the workshop, which require a free user account on the Energistics website, are now being accepted online.

            If you cannot attend the Sept. 30 workshop in Houston, but would like to express your interest to contribute or to participate in this metadata initiative, please e-mail:

metadata@energistics.org 

Energistics – Tech Architecture Work Group Meeting

Energistics Launches Second Phase of the Technical Architecture Work Group
and invites you to attend the
Energistics Technical Architecture Work Group Meeting February 5, 2009

 

The first work product of the Energistics Technical Architecture Work Group was the Web Services Interoperability Standards, Version 1.0, published in December 2008. Energistics is now beginning preparations for the second phase of activity for this work group with orientation meetings and recruiting of new participants.

 

Web Services Interoperability Standards

 

These standards reference a set of existing published technology standards, along with relevant constraints (‘narrowing’) on those standards, to which internally developed applications can adhere and which can be used as part of the procurement process for new applications/tools to ensure interoperability of interfaces (i.e. Web Services) between organizations.

 

Second Phase Recruiting and Orientation Meetings

 

The future work of this Work Group is intended to include defining a consistent technical architecture reference that can apply to future versions of all of the Energistics Web Services and XML Data Exchange Standards Families. This work will be done in close cooperation with the other Special Interest Groups, including the WITSML SIG, PRODML SIG, and RESQML SIG.

All Energistics member organizations (and prospective future members) are encouraged to be represented in this work group for its next phase of activity. 

 

Orientation meetings will be held in-person and remotely. 

• to provide background on the first phase work to new participants,
• to provide background on current Energistics Web Services / Data Exchange industry standards, and
• to engage in discussions leading to agreement on the scope and timing of the next phase work deliverables and milestones.

The first orientation meeting is scheduled for February 5, 2009 (1:30 PM to 4:00 PM) in the Energistics Houston office.  

 

Comments and questions should be directed to Energistics by sending e-mail to info@energistics.org.

 

Energistics Technical Architecture Work Group Orientation Meeting

 

Date: February 5, 2009

Location: Energistics Houston Office

Purpose and Intended Participants

Energistics will conduct a meeting of the Energistics Technical Architecture Work Group from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM on February 5 at the Energistics Houston office. This meeting will provide attendees with an orientation to the IT architecture aspects of the current Energistics data exchange standards:

• WITSML for drillng, completions and maintenance
• PRODML for production operations, optimization and reporting
• RESQML for earth models and reservoir models

This work group recently completed work defining the now published Energistics Web Services Interoperability Standards, Version 1.0 (December 2008). During the February 5 meeting, we will begin discussions about the next phase of work. It is assumed the next stage deliverables will be specifications, endorsements and/or guidelines to address other aspects of an enterprise IT architecture.
 
Continuing and prospective new participants in the Technical Architecture Work Group are invited to attend.

 

Draft Agenda (1:30 PM to 4:00 PM)

 

– Introduction

 

– Energistics Standards Panorama / History / Participants

– Web Services Interoperability Standards v1.0

  (for new participants)

– WITSML Version 1.x Services Specifications / Data Specifications

– PRODML Version 1.x Services Specifications / Data Specifications

– RESQML plans

– Adjacent Technologies and External Specifications

– Subjects for Subsequent Meetings

– Candidates for Next Stage Deliverables

– Next Steps

 

– Adjourn

Event Location

 

24 E. Greenway Plaza
Suite 1315
Houston, Texas 77046 USA.