Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language, WITSML, an Update M.A Kirkman, SPE, BP M.E.

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Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup
Language, WITSML, an UpdateM.A Kirkman, SPE,
BP M.E. Symmonds, SPE, Schlumberger S.W.
Harbinson, SPE, Landmark Graphics J.A. Shields,
SPE, Baker Hughes M. Will, Schlumberger A.
Doniger, SPE, POSC
SPE 84066
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What is WITSML ?

• WITSML is a collaborative effort to update the
  widely used American Petroleum Institute WITS
  standard for moving drilling data between rig and
  office based computer systems
• Is designed for the standards of today's always
  on Internet environment while still
  accommodating those rigs not yet Wired
• Public and open to all to implement
• Real world use of the standard is happening NOW,
  and effort is going on to extend the scope of
  practical usage

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History

• Industry real time data centers in the 1980s
  drove a standard, that became an API (American
  Petroleum Institute) recommended practice
• WITS (Wellsite Information Transfer
  Specification)
• Designed in an era before networks and the
  Internet, though it stood the test of time, is
  now dated. Differing approaches to network
  implementations fragmenting interoperability
• Statoil moved to develop DART (Drilling
  Automation Real Time) for their own needs
• DART Evolved into a multi company effort to
  create a new standard, replacing WITS, based on
  evolving internet technology, with much improved
  functionality

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Why is it a Good Thing?

• Improves Plug and play approach to moving data
  between systems
• For Operators, reduces costs for moving data, and
  improves competitiveness (Selecting vendors not
  driven by impact of IT changes, but on the
  service provided)
• For Contractors, reduces need to support
  different systems for different operators
• WITSML covers not only sequential data, but also
  contextual data

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Who participates?

• Operators
• Statoil
• Shell
• Norsk Hydro
• ExxonMobil
• BP
• Authorities
• UK DTI

• Contractors
• Schlumberger
• Sense Technology
• SDC Geologix
• NPSi
• Petrolink
• Paradigm
• Open Spirit
• Landmark
• INT
• IMS
• Halliburton
• Baker Hughes

POSC special interest group open to all
interested parties
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What is WITSML technology?

• Internet standards driven / Hardware software
  platform independent
• XML (eXtensible Markup Language) xsd, (XML
  schema definition) XML Specification of data
  objects
• A formal and validated Dictionary and Grammar
• World Wide Web-compatible / Web services
• HTTP, SOAP wsdl, XML
• 100 buzz word compliant
• Broad coverage of drilling related data
• Well, trajectory, drill string, wellbore,
  reports, logs, real time data
• Designed to support drilling workflows, with or
  without network links

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Implementations

• Initial WITSML streams added to proprietary
  real time systems from the major contractors.
  This output used to drive interfaces to operator
  data stores / applications plus contractor
  internal applications
• Current address a broader range of applications
  benefiting from real time data or contextual data
  not covered by earlier efforts
• Future should further reduce drilling IT costs
  and facilitate reporting automation

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Data Objects

• Well
• Wellbore
• Rig
• Rig Equipment
• Units
• Trajectory
• Target
• Bit Record
• Bottom Hole Assembly

• Wellbore Geometry
• Casing Scheme
• Open Hole
• Daily Operations
• Fluids Report
• Cement Job
• Log
• Real Time
• Mud Logging
• Server capabilities

• Initial implementation in 2002

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WITSML Documents
lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"UTF-8"?gt lttrajectory
s ... version"1.2.0"gt lttrajectory
uidWell"W-12" uidWellbore"B-01"
uidTraj"pe84e"gt ltnameWellgt6507/7-A-42lt/
nameWellgt ltnameWellboregtA-42lt/nameWellboregt
ltnameTrajgtPlan 2lt/nameTrajgt
ltuidTrajParentgtpe84dlt/uidTrajParentgt
ltnameTrajParentgtPlan 1lt/nameTrajParent
ltmdMn uom"ft"gt0lt/mdMngt ltmdMx
uom"ft"gt14089.3lt/mdMxgt ltdefinitivegttruelt/d
efinitivegt ltmemorygttruelt/memorygt
ltfinalTrajgttruelt/finalTrajgt ltaziRefgtGrid
northlt/aziRefgt lttrajectoryStation
uidWell"W-12" ....

• Generic structure
• Data (not well) aggregation
• Object container root
• Object identity
• Object details
• Units of measure
• Follow POSC UOM recommendations
• witsmlDict.xml for v1.2

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WITSML Documents
lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"UTF-8" ?gt
ltxsdschema targetNamespace"http//www.witsml.or
g/schemas/120" xmlnswitsml"http//www.witsml.org
/schemas/120"gt ltxsdsequencegt ltxsdcomplexType
name"obj_trajectorys"gt ltxsdsequencegt
ltxsdelement name"trajectory" type"witsmlobj_t
rajectory" minOccurs"0" maxOccurs"unbounded"gt
ltxsdsequencegt ltxsdelement
name"trajectoryStation" type"witsmlobj_traject
oryStation" minOccurs"0" maxOccurs"unbounded"gt
lt/xsdelementgt

• Schema
• Basis for conformance / versioning
• Programmatic confirmation of compliance of the
  data to schema

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WITSML Documents

• WITSML trajectory data formatted with style
  sheets (XSLT CSS XML files) viewed in web
  browser

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WITSML Documents

• Web services enables the selecting and transfer
  of XML objects on remote machines
• Supports queries for real time and static objects
• Supports requests for objects not yet created

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Security

• Security is not part of the WITSML standard
• Security is decision of implementer. Options for
  document transfer include
• Secure transactions (similar to online banking)
• Sent as Email attachments or moved on floppy disk
• Run unencrypted on the public internet to test
  interoperability
• The WITSML standard is agnostic to the security
  model

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Data workflows

• Informal, Discrete
• Floppy disk file transfer of XML data files
• E-Mail file transfer

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Practical workflows

• Service Contractor to Service Contractor
• Service / Drilling Contractor to Operator 
• Application to Application
• Operator to Operator 
• Operator to Government
• In use today

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Service Contractor to Service Contractor

• Example Sharing a BHA description at the rig
  between different service vendors
• Usage Reduce inefficient duplicate entry of
  data. Improve quality of stored data

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Drilling / Service Contractor to Operator

• Example Automation of transfer of electronic
  report data from drilling contractor.
• Example Geological data from Mud Logging company
  into wellsite composite log application
• Usage Avoid costly re-keying of data received
  in paper form. Ensures all gathered data is
  stored in company repositories. .

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Application to Application

• Example Migrating data from one proprietary
  format to another, using the WITSML API as the
  mapping tool.
• Usage Wellbore hardware configuration viewer,
  input to simulation models or 3D Visualisation
  displays

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Operator to Operator

• Example Operator Daily drilling report object to
  a partner
• Useage Current partner reports do not allow
  loading of data into company database. Access to
  data allows viewing in a format users are
  comfortable with, and retaining the data for
  benchmarking

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Operator to Government

• Example Filing of statutory documents relating
  to the well permitting process. UK DTI, Norways
  NPD, US MMS, BLM etc.
• Usage Automate statutory reporting, reduced
  custom keying of data

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Current status

• A successful implementation, focussed around LWD
  data, evolving from the principle of the way WITS
  data was used
• The challenge is to deepen the usage to include
  the static contextual data - far easier to handle
  with WITSML than with WITS..
• Where do we want to be?
• Instigating technical changes that will make the
  flow of data more automated
• Saving cost through removing duplication of data
  entry.

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Future

• Data standard owned by an oilfield standards
  organisation, POSC, the Petrotechnical Open
  Standards Consortium
• Now has its own web presence
• Seeking alignment with other XML efforts in our
  industry
• Operator encouragement for broader
  implementations to improve existing workflows
• Original companies plus others using the POSC SIG
  Model
• New versions driven by the POSC WITSML Special
  Interest Group (SIG)
• Releases staggered to match pace of use, minor eg
  1.2.1 and major eg 1.3

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What made WITSML a success?

• A small core group of Operators and Contractors
  defined the vision and built a limited
  implementation to achieve a simple initial goal
• A steering committee provided financial support
  for professional documentation of the work done
  by a dedicated technical group
• Volunteerism was then formalised by
  transferring custodianship to a standards body
  (POSC), as the standard was opened up to input
  from any interested party

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Further Information

• Web Sites www.witsml.org www.posc.org
• Full details of object schemas
• Catalogs and definitions
• Examples
• Sample style sheets
• Documentation
• Contacts for participating companies