| Over the years I have been able to work on many | | | | familiar to you. However, most people are absolutely |
| different software projects. Some of these were | | | | flabbergasted when confronted by such terms. I |
| stand-alone applications, others were client server | | | | know that I am. |
| applications that made good use of the local | | | | When doing database mappings from one format into |
| networks. A lot of Web development and working | | | | another, it is much simpler to look at FirstName and |
| with Web technologies also played a part. All of | | | | LastName fields in the source database and then see |
| these projects were challenging but not nearly as | | | | that they have to be concatenated in order to fit |
| complex as the software industry with its myriad | | | | the single CustomerName field belonging to the |
| languages, technologies - its crazy jargon and | | | | destination database. This is not so easy when you |
| seemingly endless acronyms. That was until now. | | | | don't understand the geological meanings of terms |
| You see, now I have been immersed into the giant | | | | and what they signify. |
| world of the oil and gas industry. They have their | | | | To some extent, you can still apply knowledge that |
| own languages and enough acronyms to make even | | | | you have from the software industry that does not |
| a 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 | | | | how to create a class and reference it does not |
| and scratch your head. | | | | change. There are many other aspects where your |
| Although being a specialist within the software | | | | software, database and system skills are not |
| industry with many years of experience and | | | | impeded by the complexity of the field that you are |
| qualifications, it is much easier dealing with database | | | | working in. |
| tables with fields like FirstName, LastName, | | | | All said and done, I am finding my introduction to the |
| StreetAddress and Phone than it is with fields like | | | | oil and gas industry not without incident and its fair |
| Calcimetry_mg, AGSO_Id, iC4, LagDepthMD and | | | | share of activity. There is nothing sleepy about this |
| Dolomite. If you are a geologist or work in the oil and | | | | industry as it seems to be a 24/7 worldwide |
| gas industry then these terms may already be | | | | operation and they don't stop for weekends. |