Abstract

A model for categorizing information of all kinds uniformly would promote better data access efficiency, better data integrity over time, and interoperability among applications interested in the same information. Currently, applications individually implement their own data organization schemes, and generally no attempt is made to share a common method. Organizations such as POSC (Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation) and PPDM (Public Petroleum Data Model Association) have offered methods in their products to unify information organization, but they have met with moderate acceptance in petrochemical industry application development communities. We need a data model that unifies information organization for a broad range of uses. The solution involves adopting a common set of classification catalogs and navigating tools. Classification is the act of assigning an item to a category, a class, a position in an organized information hierarchy. The standard catalogs keep the hierarchy and class definitions for universal reference. This paper details a general data model using the stratigraphic column of the Permian Basin (and its variations) as a case example of classification in the geologic information domain. The organizational hierarchy shows entry-level navigation at the basin identification level, more detail reflecting finer stratigraphic subdivision, and graphical representations of stratigraphic class associations. The real power of the concept ultimately would derive from widespread adoption of standard catalog contents for a broad range of information domains, and a common set of usage rules and semantics for applying the classifications. Such benefits can be platform-independent and extendable for future needs.