The American Association of Petroleum Geologists database standards subcommittee has voted to pursue development of a worldwide well numbering standard.
Aim of such a standard would be to facilitate the exchange of well data between operators, service companies, and governments, said Harry 0. Waller of Texaco E&P Inc., Houston, subcommittee chairman.
The need for such a standard is heightened by the explosive growth of electronic data interchange (EDI), which uses industry standards to exchange data computer to computer.
The subcommittee has reviewed various well numbering methods, identified advantages and disadvantages of each approach for publication to obtain industry-wide comments.
A second meeting will be conducted to review the comments after they have been received.
Once a consensus is reached, the committee will publish the results and submit the standard to the Petroleum Industry Data Exchange (PIDX) and the international standards group EDIFACT for acceptance.
The subcommittee met Nov. 5, 1991, with invitees having a special interest in and knowledge of worldwide well numbering standards.
There is no intention to replace local countrywide well numbering standards. The worldwide standard would be added to existing well databases for use in exchanging well data between counties.
ELECTRONIC ESCALATION
The petroleum industry is moving towards open systems, distributed regional databases, and EDI.
About 12,000 companies in the U.S., 3,000-5,000 in Europe, and others in a total of 50 countries were engaged in EDI as of February 1991. It is estimated that about 200,000 U.S. companies and 400,000 companies worldwide will be using EDI by 1995.
Within 10 years 50% of all business transactions, many of which involve exploration and producing data, will be done electronically. The communication of data is accelerating extremely rapidly.
Working interest owners of wells are already exchanging financial data such as billing and royalty payments and drilling, production, test, well information, and authority for expenditure data.
PIDX user groups are rapidly developing new EDI exchange standards. Without a worldwide well number standard to use, each company has to use its own internal well ID control number.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS
The American Petroleum Institute number is used in the U.S. (about 2.2 million wells), whereas the Petroconsultants well number is used around the world (about 140,000 wells).
These formats are not compatible.
In this environment, worldwide EDI implementation is clearly difficult.
Intrinsic to the success of open systems is the timely and efficient exchange of digital data through complex worldwide communications networks. Similarly, worldwide standards for well numbers are needed to support this activity and avoid chaos, Waller points out.
API is revising its D12A document, which describes the well number standard, to include workovers, recompletions and deepened wells.
Petroconsultants is changing its worldwide well numbering method.
The company has decided that its existing method of embedding self-defining, meaningful data such as continent, country, state, latitude/longitude, and so on, in the well number, although it meets user needs for well information, will not meet computer needs for the future. These computer needs are that the well number be unique and never change as would country code and latitude/longitude.
The subcommittee is seeking comments through June 30, 1992, on the worldwide well numbering system. Waller can provide an outline that includes a discussion of existing and proposed numbering systems requirements of the ideal system, and advantages and disadvantages.
His address for copies of the outline and comments is: Harry O. Waller, Texaco E&P Inc., P.O. Box 1404, Houston, Tex. 77251-1404; Fax 713/752-4703.
Copyright 1992 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
