1.1 What are Energistics Data Exchange Standards?

Energistics has three flagship data-exchange standards, which correlate to the three main domains of upstream oil and gas:

• RESQML, for reservoir life cycle, from initial structural modeling, to simulation, through production surveillance.
• WITSML for drilling, completions, interventions, logging, etc.

• PRODML for optimizing producing oil and gas wells, with a focus from the reservoir-wellbore boundary to the custody transfer point.

The core of each standard is a set of XML schemas that define the main objects, artefacts, data, and metadata used in that domain. For example, RESQML defines faults, horizons, stratigraphy, models, etc.; WITSML defines wells, wellbores, logs, mud logs, related equipment, etc.; PRODML defines product volumes, reports, related equipment, etc.

The general purpose of these standards is the same: to facilitate the exchange of data between the many software applications, systems, and technology used in the extended upstream workflow. Developers implement the XML schemas (and related technology) into software so that the software can read and write data in the industry-defined open format (in addition to the software’s native format)—thereby making it possible for different applications, from different vendors, to “exchange” or “share” data.

All Energistics standards and related resources are freely available from our website: http://www.energistics.org/ (click the “Download Standards” link).