Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are a means of building communities of subject experts and interested parties around industry standards and best practices in a named functional area. Each SIG works in a commercially neutral and collaborative manner to determine and define consensus best practices as they apply to industry work practices, industry standards, and supporting commercial products and service offerings. We actively facilitate each SIG so that sets of agreed best practices and recommendations are realized, published, and promoted. SIG participation is open to both organization member and non-members, but non-members must pay additional fees. Please review the descriptions of the current SIGs on this page and visit the more complete descriptions on the individual SIG pages. Your participation in the SIGs is encouraged.

Please review the descriptions of the current SIGs on this page and visit the more complete descriptions on the linked individual SIG pages. Your participation in the POSC SIGs is encouraged. Visit the following pages for more information:

• General SIG Guidelines
• Join a SIG
• SIG Benefits
• SIG Participation Application Instructions

 

SIG NAME / DATES / FEES*	SIG DESCRIPTION
Data Management SIG  SIG FEE Level: A (previously,  called the DSS SIG)	This is the Special Interest Group associated with E&P data management procedures,  products, and services. The initial focus of the SIG was the use of data store products that manage results of E&P studies and projects, often called Results or Corporate Data Stores. The current inventory of Standards associated with this SIG includes many reference data standards, units of measure standards, coordinate reference system standards, reference data models, document and digital data cataloguing standards (taxonomy), and global unique well identifier standards.
Drilling SIG SIG Fee Level: A (previously, called the WITSML SIG)	This is the Special Interest Group associated with Drilling data and work processes. The primary focus of the SIG is on standards for wellsite to office data transfer called the Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language (WITSML). Currently, this SIG is the focal point for WITSML-based data transfer standards and infrastructure standards. The SIG sponsors in-person working meetings and a public seminar with vendor exhibition every six months.
Geoshare SIG  SIG Fee Level: N/A	This is the Special Interest Group associated with the Geoshare data model and related technology. The SIG is the successor group to the former Geoshare User Group (GUG).
Geology SIG SIG FEE Level: B (previously,  called the PWLS SIG	This is the Special Interest Group associated with Geological data and work processes. The initial focus of the SIG was on the well log classification standards known as the Practical Well Log Standards (PWLS). The current inventory of Standards assocaited with this SIG, besides PWLS, includes the WITSML Geology wellLog data exchange standard, the pre-WITSML well log XML data exchange standard (WellLogML), a well log representation data exchange standard (LogGraphicsML), the well log binary format, DLIS, and the underlying RP66 basic exchange format, and the open source utility that convert LAS well log data to WITSML wellLog data.
Production SIG SIG Fee Level: A (previously, called the Integrated Operations SIG)	This is the Special Interest Group associated with Production data and work processes. The major focus of the SIG is on production optimization and the PRODML (Production XML) data exchange and infrastructure standards initially developed by the PRODML Work Group (Aug. '05 to Oct. '06). The current inventory of Standards associated with this SIG, besides PRODML, includes the WITSML-based Production Reporting Standards, the WITSML-based Production Fibre Optic Distributed Temperature Survey data transfer standards, and the WITSML-based Production Lab Results / Fluid Properties data transfer standards.
eRegulatory SIG SIG Fee Level: N/A	This is the Special Interest Group assocaited with Regulatory permitting and activity reporting. The members of this SIG collaborate directly with industry organizations and regulatory agencies to pursue effective standards-based solutions. In the U.S., the SIG works closely with federal (MMS, BLM) agencies and state agencies (the GWPC states and others) as well as with the PIDX REGS User Group (hosted by API PIDX). The current inventory of Standards associated with this SIG includes the published WITSML-based Regulatory Permitting Standards intended for use in certain U.S. states. Norway's NPD is currently pursuing an enhanced WITSML Drilling Operations Report for Daily Drilling Reporting.
National Data Repository (NDR) Conferences	Though not a Special Interest Group per se, the series of independent National Data Repository conferences serve a similar purpose in the area of national data stores and service centers. Participants include national government agencies, regulators, national operators, industry operators, software and service suppliers, etc. Conferences have been held in N. America, S. America, and Europe. The next conference will take place in late 2007 or early 2008.
RESCUE	Though not a Special Interest Group per se, the RESCUE group serves a similar purpose in the area of reservoir upscaling specifications and shared software. Participants include operators and software suppliers. The organization provides RESCUE with a legal framework, office services, and with project management services. Technical strategy is self-directed.

Notes on SIG Fees: