| Over the years I have been able to work on many | | | | already be familiar to you. However, most people are |
| different software projects. Some of these were | | | | absolutely flabbergasted when confronted by such |
| stand-alone applications, others were client server | | | | terms. I know that I am. |
| applications that made good use of the local networks. | | | | When doing database mappings from one format into |
| A lot of Web development and working with Web | | | | another, it is much simpler to look at FirstName and |
| technologies also played a part. All of these projects | | | | LastName fields in the source database and then see |
| were challenging but not nearly as complex as the | | | | that they have to be concatenated in order to fit the |
| software industry with its myriad languages, | | | | single CustomerName field belonging to the destination |
| technologies - its crazy jargon and seemingly endless | | | | database. This is not so easy when you don't |
| acronyms. That was until now. | | | | understand the geological meanings of terms and what |
| You see, now I have been immersed into the giant | | | | they signify. |
| world of the oil and gas industry. They have their own | | | | To some extent, you can still apply knowledge that |
| languages and enough acronyms to make even a | | | | you have from the software industry that does not |
| hardened software guy shudder. When you come | | | | have an immediate impact from any outside source. |
| across terms like datum, TVD (True Vertical Depth), | | | | So, for example, you know how to setup Apache |
| mudlogging, RT (Rotary Table Elevation), MSL (Mean | | | | config files or modify IIS to configure the geology |
| Sea Level), MDRT (Measured Depth from the Rotary | | | | website and this requires no knowledge of wellsite |
| Table), KB (Kelly Bushing), AHD (Australian Height | | | | geology terminology whatsoever. The knowledge of |
| Datum), plus many, many more - you have to stop and | | | | how to create a class and reference it does not |
| scratch your head. | | | | change. There are many other aspects where your |
| Although being a specialist within the software industry | | | | software, database and system skills are not impeded |
| with many years of experience and qualifications, it is | | | | by the complexity of the field that you are working in. |
| much easier dealing with database tables with fields | | | | All said and done, I am finding my introduction to the oil |
| like FirstName, LastName, StreetAddress and Phone | | | | and gas industry not without incident and its fair share |
| than it is with fields like Calcimetry_mg, AGSO_Id, iC4, | | | | of activity. There is nothing sleepy about this industry |
| LagDepthMD and Dolomite. If you are a geologist or | | | | as it seems to be a 24/7 worldwide operation and |
| work in the oil and gas industry then these terms may | | | | they don't stop for weekends. |