Energistics: The Energy Standards Resource Centre

Source: http://www.energistics.org/history

The predecessor of Energistics was formed in October 1990 by five founding sponsor oil companies: BP, Chevron, Elf (since merged into Total), Mobil (since merged into ExxonMobil), and Texaco (since merged into Chevron) under the name Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation (POSC). ^[1]

The mission of the new organization was defined as developing, supporting, evolving, and promoting open standards for the scientific, engineering, and operations aspects of the oil and gas exploration and production industry.

In the early years, the organization established an open process, acquired resources, and pursued a set of deliverables. The use of the specifications was intended to enable greater quality, consistency, and integration of data and data use. The initial deliverables were known as the Software Integration Platform (SIP) Specifications.

In 1993, Version 1.0 of the specifications were published as a collection of hard-cover bound books. The published specifications included base computing, data model, data access, data exchange, and user interface. ^[2]

During the next three years, the organization engaged in educational, testing and support activities, including two proof-of-concept implementations of the SIP enabling middleware and a multi-stage, multi-member pilot implementation program called the Industry Implementation Pilot (IIP). The IIP involved both energy company in-house developers and commercial vendor developers building up aspects of an infill drilling scenario. ^[3]

In 1996, the Board of Directors commissioned a study of the benefits of using the SIP specifications, which projected savings of from 1 to 3 USD per barrel of oil gained through improvements in data quality, data accessibility, and exploitation of information and knowledge. ^[4]

Additions and enhancements to the SIP specifications were published in the following few years, including SIP Version 2.2 in 1997 and software applications interoperability specifications in 1999. During these years, the organization transitioned to a fully member elected Board of Directors.

The SIP Version 2.3 incremental update came out in 2000 and 2001, along with the first XML data schema specifications for basic well data (WellMasterML) and well log display parameters (LogGraphicsML) as well as a series of XML-oriented public seminars. The future course of the organization was shifting from data store and middleware specifiations to subject matter data exchange specifications.

This transition progress in 2002 with the agreement to receive custodianship of the WITSML Standards for drilling data exchange based on XML and Web Services technologies. In the same year, the first of a number of member Special Interest Groups (SIGs) was organized as the user community for subject-specific standards. The subject matter of the first SIG was E&P data stores and their use.

In 2003, a SIG was formed to support the WITSML Standards. The final release of the SIP Specifications, Version 3.0, came out during that year. Reference standards for both well log data and E&P document and dataset cataloging were published, along with an E&P business process reference model.

During 2004, the organization decided to improve the alignment of its name with its mission by redefining the meaning of the name POSC to mean the Petrotechnical Open Standards Consortium. ^[5]

The second XML and Web Services family of standards was initiated in August 2005 with the agreement to host the first year of the PRODML, Production XML Markup Language initiative, after which the PRODML SIG was formed. A major new release of the WITSML Standards was released in 2005. Also, an open source data conversion utility for LAS to WITSML well log dataset conversion was developed and released.

Building on the most valuable initiatives and an increased emphasis on wide-scale standards adoption, the organization rebranded itself as Energistics in November 2006. This coincided with the release of Version 1.0 of the PRODML Standards and an update to Units of Measure specifications. ^[6]

In 2007, a WITSML-based electronic permitting XML schema specifications was published following a multi-year collaboration with US state regulatory agencies in cooperation with API PIDX's REGS EC User Group.

During 2008, WITSML Standards, Version 1.4.0 were released. Also, updated application interoperability specifiations were submitted by OpenSpirit Corporation, which followed from the previous work in the area published originally in 1999.

2009 saw the formation of the RESQML SIG to address reservoir characterization standards development as a natural successor to the RESCUE Work Group's C++ Class Library. Also, updated PRODML Standards for both data and services specifications were released.

In 2011, the Standards DevKit was developed by ExxonMobil and is licensed to Energistics for maintenance, support and administration. The DevKit supports the latest versions of WITSML, PRODML and RESQML. Further development will be guided by Energistics and the user community.

WITSML v1.4.1.1 was published in July 2012 and includes updates and bug fixes to v1.4.1 (published in 2011). A certification program for v1.4.1.1 servers is under development for use in 2013.

REFERENCES

1. POSC Certificate of Incorporation, 1990

2. POSC Software Integration Standards, Prentice-Hall, 1993

3. POSC Industry Implementation Pilot, 1994

4. Benefits of Using the POSC Specifications, 1996

5. POSC By-Laws, as amended, 2004

6. Energistics By-Laws, as amended, 2006

Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA)

Source: http://www.mca.gov.in/MinistryV2/about_mca.html

About MCA

The Ministry is primarily concerned with administration of the Companies Act 2013, the Companies Act 1956, the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 & other allied Acts and rules & regulations framed there-under mainly for regulating the functioning of the corporate sector in accordance with law.

The Ministry is also responsible for administering the Competition Act, 2002 to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition, to promote and sustain competition in markets, to protect the interests of consumers through the commission set up under the Act.

Besides, it exercises supervision over the three professional bodies, namely, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India(ICSI) and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) which are constituted under three separate Acts of the Parliament for proper and orderly growth of the professions concerned.

The Ministry also has the responsibility of carrying out the functions of the Central Government relating to administration of Partnership Act, 1932, the Companies (Donations to National Funds) Act, 1951 and Societies Registration Act, 1980.

UN Global Compact

Source: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/TheTenPrinciples/index.html

The Ten Principles  

The UN Global Compact's ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption enjoy universal consensus and are derived from:

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The International Labour Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
• The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
• The United Nations Convention Against Corruption

The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption:

Human Rights

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.  

Labour

• Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
• Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
• Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 
   

Environment

• Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
• Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.   

Anti-Corruption

• Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. 

 

Action Researcher in Education

Source: www.actionresearch.gr

Action Researcher in Education is a fully refereed greek e-journal with international contributions. It publishes articles on all aspects of educational action research and teachers' professional development. It is concerned with exploring the “teacher as researcher” movement as well as the theory-practice interaction in educational settings. It also acts as a forum for critical and reflective focus on practice. The issues that could be interesting in such an orientation are: epistemological and methodological approaches of action research; the connections between action research and refective practice; the ways to promote reflective practice; pre-service and in-service teacher education; teachers’ thinking as a part of their professional action; teachers’ professional development; curriculum theory and practice. The journal provides a point for the publication of researches on education, in particular researches that promote teachers’ reflection. The journal publishes theoretical and practical accounts in action research, with the aim of making their outcomes widely available. As the journal provides a forum for debate between researchers, it also aims to establish and maintain a dialogue between action researchers wherever they work on relevant practical and epistemological issues, enabling teachers researchers to enact critical reflection and analysis on educational issues.

National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI)

Source: http://www.nsefi.in/about-us/about-nsefi/

About NSEFI

National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) is the unified voice of the Indian solar energy industry.

National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) is an umbrella organisation representing solar energy companies active along the whole photovoltaic value chain: project developers, manufacturers, engineering companies, financing institutions and other stakeholders.

Founded in 2013 by solar energy industry leaders with the vision to promote solar energy, NSEFI is a public trust based in New Delhi.

Our Mission

Unify the voice of solar

We strive to act as a platform for various solar energy industry stakeholders with the objective of strengthening the communication and taking a unified stand for greater good of solar energy industry.

Advance solar-friendly policies

NSEFI works tirelessly to advance solar-friendly policy making by becoming the interface between the solar energy industry and policy makers. NSEFI is directed by leaders who have decades of experience leading private organisations as well as policy initiatives. Supported by researchers and subject matter experts, we support better policies to make solar energy affordable while ensuring robust all-round growth of the industry.

Spread awareness about solar energy

Solar energy market in India is in its nascent stages. Access to knowledge about solar energy will encourage adoption of solar energy as well as entrepreneurship, resulting in robust and competitive market. NSEFI has committed itself to the mission of spreading awareness about solar energy through various initiatives.

What we do

• We organise conclaves where our participants discuss issues related to solar energy and seek mutually beneficial business opportunities.
• We organise events and industry seminars where members as well as non-members share information and spread knowledge about solar energy.
• We engage with policy makers and regulators to ensure more inclusive policy-making and better policies and regulations to promote solar energy in India
• We interact closely with the media to increase public awareness about issues and developments related to solar energy.
• We release whitepapers and reports related to solar energy.
• We organise workshops and roadshows to educate organisations and general public about solar energy in India.
• We collaborate with international associations to strengthen international trade.

WOMEN IN PUBLIC SECTOR (WIPS)

Source: http://wipsapex.co.in/

The growth of public sector in the term of increase in numbers , investment , turnover employment and diversity of activities have been phenomenal in last five decades. As on 31.3.2009, the 246 CPSEs employed over 15.35 lakh people (excluding casual workers) . One –fourth of the manpower was in managerial and supervisory cadres. The CPSEs have thus a highly skilled workfourse, which is one of their basic strengths, The CPSEs, in turn, provide lifetime employment to the employees. Out of 15.35 lakh employees , women constitute only around 4.5% as per DPE Report.

WIPS An Overview

Preamble

  PSU represents the single largest organized sector spread over the entire length and breadth of the country touching and influencing the lives of the entire population in the country and of all categories. Though the Public Sector as a whole is undergoing structural changes in as much as the rest of the economy in India for the past one decade, it still occupies the center stage impacting the economy. Women in PSU constituted 4.5% of the total Work Force as on February, 2011 as compared to 4% as on March 1991. The sectors where there has been pronounced changes for the better in the profiles of women employees in the Managerial& Supervisory categories during the same period are Power, Petroleum, Fertilizers , Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Goods, Textiles, Trading & Marketing Services, Contract and Construction Services, Financial Services, Coal & Lignite. Remarkable and outstanding improvements in women moving into Managerial & Supervisory positions have been seen in Transport Services & Tourist Services during the same period.

FORUM OF WOMEN IN PUBLIC SECTOR

  The Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) in collaboration with Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), organized a national convention of women in public sector-during October 1989 in New Delhi. The convention was attended by 500 women delegates from all over India who put in their suggestions for the growth of women in public sector. They also felt the need to create a National Network, a support system that would enable them to transform these suggestions into reality with the help of the Public Enterprises and concerned agencies. Thus a Forum of Women in Public Sector (WIPS) was created under the aegis of SCOPE on 12th February, 1990 having a Central Apex Forum in Delhi and four regional Forums in Bombay (Western Region), Chennai(Southern Region), Kolkata (Eastern Region) and Delhi (Northern Region) respectively. The formation of WIPS represents the first ever initiative made by the single largest organized sector in focusing the issues related to advancement of women. While on the one hand women have to take initiatives themselves to meet the job challenges and sustain career growth, managements of the enterprises also need to recognize the changing profile of the work force in enterprises and provide appropriate environment for their advancement and growth.

WIPS Vision

To make the Forum of Women in Public Sector , the largest unified network of working women in India.

WIPS Mission

 To be a dynamic & vibrant forum.
 To enhance professionalism and competence of working women in PSEs.
 To ensure holistic development of women at large.
 To promote an enabling and conducive environment at work place.
 To maximize Corporate Life Membership and Individual Membership.
 To forge liaison with Government agencies / SCOPE for women friendly policies.

WIPS Objectives

A) The Main Objectives of the Forum shall be to :-

 Inspire and Promote the integrated growth of women in public sector and to enhance their effectiveness in employment, in career management, and in overall development as a person.
 Play a catalytic role in improving the status of women in and around public sector undertakings.
 Initiate formation of women cells/advisory forums involving the women employees and as far as possible other employees in each enterprise.
 Identify specific needs of women employees and suggest suitable programmes to be handled at the Regional as well as National Levels.
 Develop an Information Centre/network for wide dissemination of information including a data base of women in public sector.
 Inspire and facilitate gender sensitive governance and gender balance at decision making levels to nurture and evolve socially responsive truly profitable organizations.
 Do all things conducive to the attainment of the above objects.

B) The focus will be on developing an effective, sustainable, and a vibrant network for amity and growth, for knowledge building and management, for maximizing the potential of women towards effective decision making in their spheres, for striving towards equal opportunities for development, and the like .

Women in Public Sector (WIPS)

Source: http://wipssr.blogspot.in/p/about-us_22.html

The growth of public Sector in terms of increase in numbers, investment, turnover, employment and diversity of activities have been phenomenal in last five decades. As on 31.3.2009, the 246 CPSEs employed over 15.35 lakh people (excluding casual workers) . One-fourth of the manpower was in managerial and supervisory cadres. The CPSEs have thus a highly skilled workforce, which is one of their basic strengths. The CPSEs, in turn, provide lifetime employment to their employees.  Out of 15.35 employees, women constitute only around 4.5% as per DPE Report.

Batting for the fairer sex, apex body of public sector units SCOPE today asked the publicsector undertakings (PSUs) to take steps to increase representation of women on their boards. There are over 16 per cent women employees in PSUs, largely at senior middle and middle levels. "Their representation on the Boards of PSUs, however, is negligible," WIPS has been taking up through SCOPE that  PSUs should adopt Board approved policy for promoting gender equality in their organisations".  PSUs have been  advised  to develop company wise gender policy.

Though there is a perceptible increase in no of women going for higher education, both general and technical and taking up employment, the relative proportion of women employees to the total work force and the corresponding increase in the no of women at decision making level is not presentable. Needles to say , that the concern and the problems working women are complex in nature and required in depth  and understanding and analysis . A approach is needed to hardness the full potential of of women and enhance their contribution in the national development process in general and public enterprises in particular.

Is is an attempt to analyse the situation in Indian context, The Bureau of Public Enterprses( DPE) in collaboration with Standing Conference of Public Enter[rise (SCPOPE) organsied a National Convention on women in PSU in  Oct, 1989 in New Delhi. This convention was attended by 500 women delegates from all over India who were concerned about the  growth of women in PSU. They also felt that a need to create a national network , a support system that could enable them to transform some of the concerns in the active programmes with the help of the Govt of India, Public Enterprises and relevant agencies. Thus a Forum of Women in Public Sector (WIPS) was created under the aegis of SCOPE in 1990.

The Forum has come a long way and crossed many milestones with the full fledged support of the PSEs, Banks and insurance companies and the states they belong.

With 20 years of solid foundation, we are happy to share that these organizations are leveraging the vast talent pool of women employees and positioning them into mainstream of the organizations. This has no doubt created more challenging opportunities for them so that their capacity reaches full potential. It is a matter of pride that women workforce are making significant contribution to the organizations they work in to meet the challenges of a globalized world.

Delta Studies Institute (Andhra University)

Source: http://www.petrofest.in/AboutUs.html

Andhra University is one of the pioneering institutions of higher learning known for its highest academic standards.  The department of geology has an expertise available in a variety of disciplines viz., deltaic sedimentalogy, geochemistry, geomorphology, stratigraphy, continental shelf, Bengal fan sediments  and remote sensing applications etc.  A number of research and consultancy projects funded by various governmental organizations have been completed in these areas in during the last four decades of time, after the inception of the Geology Department.  The various sister departments in the fields of earth sciences have contributed significantly in the teaching and research endeavors.  The spinoff of these integrated programmes would naturally be towards the development of earth resource technology in the country and would foster country’s economic growth, meet societal needs and enhance hydrocarbon potentiality.

The potential and promising work was done in studies related to scientific aspects of marine geology, coastal dynamics, deltas, lacustrine and offshore etc., since the inception of this institution, particularly marine geological studies were initiated for the first time in India, as early as in 1952 when Dr. E.C. La Fond, USA visited the University as a visiting professor.  Significant research contributions were made in marine geological studies and thus the Andhra University was foremost in starting different exclusive departments to diversify this new line of research in India.  They include marine geophysics, meteorology and oceanography, marine chemistry, microbiology and geography besides the marine geology wing at the department of geology.  The UGC has recognized the field of marine geology as the thrust area in the Special Assistance Programme of the department since the year 1972. 

The institution naturally attracted the attention of various National Organizations like ONGC, UGC, DOD, MOES, MoEF and DST and sponsored multi disciplinary research programmes for officers of ONGC and University teachers.  The ONGC’s interest with Andhra University is to utilize the expertise and experience of researchers and to understand the complex processes of fixation of hydrocarbons in ancient deltas, which are potential with oil and gas deposits accumulation by the development of different stages of deltaic models.  In this context, it is realized that the database on the modern deltas will help in a big way for oil exploration.  The development and environmental conditions of the Mesozoic and Tertiary deltas, stratigraphic sequences  are of very similar to that of modern deltas.  The dictum, present is key to the past helps to realize the fact that the study of the modern deltas: sedimentary processes, morphology, near shore dynamics and characterization of different environments will help to evaluate the factors controlling hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation in ancient deltas.  This is the main justification to initiate deltaic studies on a large scale. 

An exclusive centre was thought of for promoting exploration strategies of hydrocarbons in Indian deltas at Andhra University.  It has a good record of undertaking related research programmes in collaboration with ONGC and almost situated nearer to the exploration area of Krishna-Godavari basin.  In India, oil exploration organizations have no common research center for collective collaborative work, the new Institute make an effort to generate and also integrate the data for better utilization. 

With the initial support from ONGC, OIDB, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Govt. of India and Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, the Delta Studies Institute has been established in the year 1997.  At present it has initiated number of training programmes for ONGC and other oil sector organizations on the modern deltas. 

           

The Institute was established in June 1997 with the financial support of ONGC and Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) in a sprawling flush green land of 8.78 acres offered by Andhra University.  The Institute is undertaking area specific projects with geoscientific, geotechnical and environmental relevance in Deltaic regions of East Coast of India.  It is also designing and conducting regularly training programmes for professionals in industry and faculty from Universities on emerging areas of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.  In addition, DSI is offering a four semester M.Tech programme in Petroleum Exploration from academic year (2006-2007).  This programme, first if its kind in the Universities of Andhra Pradesh, is aimed to train fresh postgraduates in geosciences for entry into the hydrocarbon industry.  DSI has also offer research programmes leading to M.Phil / Ph.D degrees in geosciences.