The development of WITSML started in 2000 with the objective of building an XML standard for the transmission of wellsite data in a consistent form that would enable the integration of information from different suppliers. Energistics (formerly POSC) was involved from the outset and has provided independent hosting of the standard since early 2003. BP and Statoil were early sponsors and a Special Interest Group was formed. This has evolved steadily and today it includes representatives from all major energy and service companies. Most energy companies have now either implemented WITSML technology for real-time and historical wellsite data transmission or are planning to do so in the near future. The number of WITSML compliant products is growing rapidly in response to this demand and increasingly WITSML is being specified as a contractual requirement, particularly at green field sites. The industry is approaching a position where the non-use of WITSML will be by exception. This paper has two main areas of focus. The first is the technical delivery of the new version 1.4.0 WITSML release and the second is the business justification for the continued energy company uptake which is based on successful use cases. The paper is co-authored by members of the WITSML SIG and therefore contains detailed information from end users and suppliers with considerable working experience. More than ever there are now compelling reasons to deploy WITSML. It is an enabler for data integration and smart tools and is the underlying technology behind many drilling collaboration centres. It is helping drilling operations globally to benefit from better access to engineering expertise at a time when the number of experts is declining and the complexity of operations is increasing. Introduction This paper describes the evolution of WITSML (Wellsite Information Transfer Standard Markup Language), from its origins in 2000 (Holt et al, SPE 74480, Kirkman et al, SPE 84066) to the latest release that will provide the underlying real-time data communications definition for many drilling and completions operations on a global basis. It addresses the key challenges to adoption by suppliers and end users and reviews the essential elements that must come together to deliver a convincing business case for adoption. The drilling and completions industry faces many challenges in today's operating climate. It is focussed on cost reduction, developing more challenging wells in increasingly difficult environments and coping with the loss of expertise through the progressive retirement of an ageing workforce. Most operators recognise that "business as usual" is not an acceptable strategy and are exploring new technolgies such as remote collaboration centres (Wahlen et al, SPE 78336; Sawaryn et al, SPE 99069; Edwards et al, SPE 100113), real-time data feeds coupled to intelligent tools (Pickering et al, SPE 110388, Lauche et al, SPE 99774) and more sophisticated interpretation of downhole information. For this technology to be deployed at scale and in an economic manner the implementation of an open standard is essential. This explains why there has been increasing momentum in the development and deployment of WITSML in the last 1–2 years.

fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractPRODuction xML (PRODML™) was started jointly by BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Statoil in early 2005 as a data exchange mechanism to support production optimization within a 'digital oil field' context. These companies have been joined by Aspentech, ConocoPhillips, Euriware, Halliburton, InfoSys, Invensys, Kongsberg Intellifield, Matrikon, OSISoft, P2ES, Pioneer, Petroleum Experts, Schlumberger, TietoEnator, and Weatherford. Energistics® has stewardship of PRODML and fosters further development.There is significant industry interest in implementing digital oil field strategies. Corporate and government initiatives anticipate significant, sustained improvements in recovery and operating efficiencies while maintaining safe operations. This will require robust, trustworthy, implementation of measurement, optimization and automation technologies.Version 1.0 of the PRODML standard, released in 2006, enables a range of production optimization use cases to handle an information hierarchy which includes time series data. This lays a foundation for adaptive optimization involving interaction between applications and data stores from multiple vendors. Such optimization is important both for situations with low-frequency changes, such as waterfloods, and for those requiring agility, such as compliance with pipeline, liquefied natural gas, and power-generation customer-export schedules that may cycle within a day. PRODML V1.0 provides a means of transferring data between applications incorporated in simple, common use cases. However, it did not address the task of accommodating changes to the physical configuration of the network, such as the addition of a well or a sensor, without having to manually reconfigure applications. Such changes are commonplace.In 2007, the PRODML work group focused on managing changes in production network configuration and in the capabilities of system components. The result enables optimization and reporting architectures and data management processes to adapt to changes faster with less effort and fewer errors. PRODML has therefore become a tool which can be used in implementing robust, trustworthy optimization and automation processes.Several example use-cases are included to illustrate how PRODML can be applied.

PRODML™ is a set of production data standards, initiated by 13 upstream oil and service companies with the industry standards body Energistics (then POSC) in 2005. In November 2006, PRODML Version 1.0 was released. The focus was on production optimization processes which could produce results implementable within a day. The domain was from perforations through to start of processing on the surface. The objective was to enable plug and play integration of current upstream applications while supporting a variety of optimization processes.In 2007, the PRODML community, now expanded to 23 companies, worked on extensions addressing production reporting, the use of a common "flow network model", and into "smart wells". This paper, authored by experienced members of the PRODML community, explains the evolution from a concept to "do something about production data" into a well-defined series of interoperable services, with a defined future path.A practical approach to the implementation of an integrated production optimization "analytic environment" will then be described, illustrated by a richly detailed and broad-based real life case study as deployed by Chevron.The strategy that current members have set for the next three years will be outlined. This covers expansion of the "footprint" of PRODML, (reflecting the need for a clear understanding of business drivers for end-users and for developers), functionality (supporting above all a focus on "usability" -ensuring that PRODML expands while remaining accessible and quick to pick up for new developers), support, and governance.Coordinated in an open, non-competitive way by Energistics, the PRODML initiative was formed to define and demonstrate a new optimization framework during 2006 and refine the framework in 2007. Formal specifications were released as PRODML Version 1.0 in late 2006 (1) and updated Version 1.1 specifications are due to be released before mid-2008. Twenty-three companies, led by seven energy companies, actively developed ten meaningful implementations in the context of pilot projects during 2006 and 2007 to develop

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