POSC WITSML™ SIG

This page describes the POSC Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language (WITSML) SIG focusing on the six month work period from January through June 2004. The activities of the SIG complement and continue to advance the activities of the developers of the original WITSML drilling data transfer specifications: BP, Statoil, Baker Hughes, Halliburton/Landmark, and Schlumberger. The transfer of custody to POSC for the future support for the WITSML drilling specifications was agreed by the WITSML Steering Board on June 4, 2002. The formal transfer took place in early 2003 at the point of publication of the Version 1.2 specifications.

This SIG follows the current SIG Guidelines which address charters, participation, resources, fees, neutrality, and the key deliverables: periodic publication of consensus requirements for good practices, industry standards, and solution product and service features.

Description and Purpose

The purpose of the WITSML SIG is to represent the users of wellsite generated drilling data as this relates to the WITSML data transfer standard. Initially, the focus of the SIG is to promote awareness and use of WITSML. Over time, the SIG's objectives are to raise new consensus needs and requirements, to review new and evolving aspects of the standards, and to promote the use of the standard by exchange experiences and other means. 

Scope 

The SIG addresses wellsite generated drilling data, including:

• contextual data about wells, wellbores, rigs, bits, bottom hole assemblies, wellbore geometry
• reference data about locations, units
• (near) real-time data about trajectories, fluids, cement, LWD logs, MWD, mud logs

The objective of the WITSML drilling specification is to achieve "the 'right time" seamless flow of well site data between operators and service companies to speed and enhance decision-making". The objective of the SIG is to facilitate the focused participation of users and suppliers of WITSML-based solutions to promote awareness, promote use, agree on needed enhancements, etc.

Guidelines and Limitations

• focus on business activities that users agree should be described and carried out in a non-competitive manner, as in this case for the wellsite data acquisition and transfer functions
• focus on consistent aspects of business activities that will contribute to individual company and overall quality and productivity improvements, as in this case for achieving right-time and seamless flow of wellsite data
• ensure effective dialogue among participants
• ensure equal access to the consensus results
• ensure time effective publication of results
• seek participation by qualified experts in each subject area 
• seek to move industry standards to be more usable and solution products and services to be more standards-based within non-competitive areas
• define consensus requirements, but do not define specifications leaving that to designated standards development processes (inside POSC and elsewhere)
• consider sponsorship of pilot implementations to test concepts under consideration

Status and Plans

• June 4, 2002 - WITSML Steering Board unanimously agrees in principle to the transfer of the WITSML drilling specifications to POSC for custody and ongoing support as of October 1, 2002
• September 5, 2002 - WITSML Steering Board considers current technical progress, transfer agreement and preparation for upcoming events
• October - December 2002 -
  • October 16 in London and November 20 in Houston - WITSML Seminars as part of the POSC Fall Conferences: presentations from oil companies and software/service companies, tutorials, recruiting for the SIG
  • November 5 & 6 - WITSML Workshop in Stavanger, Norway for about 70 participants. The workshop included presentations by operators and software suppliers, tutorial presentations, and discussion about the transfer of custody to POSC. An initial road map for WITSML was prepared based on a survey completed by the attendees. The road map was then refined in an active discussion among the attendees.
• September 2002 - January 2003 - The WITSML Technical Team analyzed the open issues and suggestions for what will be released as Version 1.2. The refined requirements were processed by NPSi into draft V1.2 specifications. These were verified for completeness and correctness by the Technical Team. In January, the V1.2 specifications are to be posted on the witsml.org Web site for a public review period.
• January - June 2003 - The first six-month work period for the WITSML SIG. The SIG Steering Committee began monthly conference call meetings. The planned split of the Technical Teams into a data transfer schema team and an infrastructure team (to care for the API) was deferred pending future reconsideration. The Use Case Requirements team was organized at the Aberdeen meetings in June. This team, mainly led by operators, has the purpose of defining high value use cases mapped to existing (or new, to be defined) schemas, especially the schemas that have been defined but not widely implemented. Conference calls were initiated for the Technical Teams.
• SIG events for the January - June 2003 period included:
  • Public seminar and in-person SIG working meetings in June in Aberdeen, 70 attendees.
  • Presentations at the POSC spring meetings.
  • Steering committee and technical team meetings.
• July - December 2003 - The second six-month period for the WITSML SIG. The Steering Committee continued monthly conference calls. The Technical Team continued periodic conference calls and reviewed feedback on the implementation experience with V1.2. The Use Case Requirements team formulated plans for three sub-teams: daily drilling reports, mud logging, and well planning and performance. The mud logging sub-team met for the first time before year-end.
• SIG events for the July - December 2003 period included:
  • Public seminar and in-person SIG working meetings in September in Houston, 114 attendees.
  • Paper and presentation at the SPE Conference in November.
  • Steering committee and technical team meetings.
• January - June 2004 - The current six-month period for the WITSML SIG sees the Steering Committee and Technical Team continuing their periodic conference call meetings. The Technical Teams completed a set of issues that led to a documentation update for V1.2 with clarifications of intent and usage. The team is working through another set of issues that will result in a minor update version 1.2.1 to be released by year-end. The mud logging sub-team continued its work. The other Use Case Requirements sub-teams have not yet formally started to meet. BP is leading an effort that will feed into the Daily Drilling Report sub-team's work. 
  • Public seminar and in-person SIG working meetings in April in Calgary.
  • Presentation to the IADC ITS group in February in Houston.
  • Steering committee and technical team meetings are continuing.

Objectives and Road Map (as of January 2003)

• The main objective for 2003 was to support the implementation and deployment of the current WITSML scope, especially the transfer schemas that have been widely implemented: well, wellbore, trajectory, log.
  • Build the community of WITSML-based solutions and WITSML-benefiting users
  • Limit the scope of changes for the release after V1.2. Develop evolutionary requirements in an iterative manner based on high priority use case analysis. Maintain enthusiasm for implementation and deployment for all players.
  • Iterate on the future plans periodically.
  • Consider major scope expansion requirements no sooner than the second half of 2003, e.g. completions, cost data, etc. 
• Specific use cases were addressed in an iterative manner. These were prioritized by the SIG and portrayed as future plans. Each use case si mapped to Version 1.2 transfer schemas (data transfer objects). Implementation will be promoted for the transfer schemas identified as high priority. The identified use cases were mud logging, daily drilling reporting, and well planning & performance. Work on the first of these was started by year-end.
• The process of specification development follows the POSC procedure for standards development, publication, and promotion, whereby
  • The SIG will determine the requirements for enhancements, corrections, and extensions. If an intensive work effort is needed to define a set of requirements, then a work team will be created either among SIG members or as a separate funded joint project.
  • The POSC WITSML Specification Team will update or extend the specifications
  • Reviews will be conducted within the team, then within the SIG, and then within the POSC membership
  • POSC will publish the updated / expanded specifications
  • POSC and the SIG will promote use in the industry
• Promotional activities include Web site publication, training and tutorials, technical workshops, speaking at POSC and other events, responding to inquiries, etc. 
• The following table summarizes the current road map (as of January 2003):

Ongoing Objectives

• Help organize and promote attendance at WITSML Seminars and other public events
• Receive and analyze requests for corrections or enhancements, leading to the release of consensus requirements for action
• Monitor usage of WITSML focusing on scope of use, quantity of use, and quality of usability
• Promote the use of WITSML within industry companies, including oil companies, service companies, and software suppliers

In addition to providing overall facilitation of the SIG's work, POSC will continue to coordinate the development and maintenance of the WITSML standards and the management of the Web-based access to the standards.

Call for Participation

Potential participants and interested parties are asked to contact Alan Doniger at +1 713 267 5124 or Doniger@posc.org.

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