The Microsoft Upstream Reference Architecture Initiative will develop on-going consensus for an information technology (IT) framework for the global upstream oil and gas industry.
Created in close alignment with Microsoft Corp. and its widespread ecosystem of industry software vendor and systems integrator partners, this initiative is an ongoing collaborative effort to create a common architectural approach to IT to further the flow of information across all upstream business units.
This design enables multiple parties using numerous technologies to work together efficiently, integrating business applications, processes, people and data to facilitate more consistent workflows across and within organizations.
Microsoft has launched what it calls the “Microsoft Upstream Reference Architecture Initiative” together with 20 partners to date – a kind of manual for how to do IT for the upstream
Imagine a manual which on how to put together information technology systems for the upstream, so that it works – this is what Microsoft is putting together – it won’t tell you exactly how but it will give you broad principles which are tried and tested. The reference architecture is not limited to just Microsoft products, and does not exclude companies which are in competition with Microsoft.
Production operations is seen as the critical area – there are complex daily decisions to be made which rely on a large amount of information.
Oiil companiesdiffer but they all own and manage subsurface assets, and monitor what is coming through the wells. So systems can be developed to do these standard tasks, such as automate how a well test works.
