Data Rules

Data quality measurement

What does “quality” means to E&P data management? Can we assess data as current, correct, complete, consistent, etc.? What metrics can assess the “quality” of data as it passes from user to user through the life cycle of the data and the business object? These questions lead to the creation of a work group in 2008 focused on business rules (and data rules as a subtype).

Data rules

Thousands of data rules govern data management in E&P companies and governments. Because these rules are rarely documented, data transfer and integration are a difficult process. PPDM is gathering data rules that ensure expected quality. These will then be incorporated into business rules that guide data transformations and exchange transactions.

Best practices

The long-term goal is to assemble data rules that are recognized as the best practices for data managers. These rules can then be incorporated into contracts for data delivery and specifications for data exchange. They could be used to ensure compliance in regulatory reporting.


PPDM uses several types of rules for data management. See Data Rules Definitions

An obvious best practice is to have a clear and consistent meaning for every technical term. The What Is A Well? set of baseline definitions is an example of progress toward this goal. We are now asking What Is A Completion?

The Library currently has '3040' published rules (and more in progress)

Rules Library

A “cooperative bank” of rules contains hundreds of data rules contributed by PPDM members and PPDM staff. This repository of rules is accessed through a web-based application at PPDM’s goal is to expand the content by encouraging the industry to share the rules they already have.
+ Value to the E&P industry
+ Delivering these values
+ Not tied to the PPDM model
+ It’s growing!
+ Library functions