Summary
Information of many kinds, including drilling and mud-logging parameters, is transmitted electronically from rigs to central sites. The format of the transmitted information depends, at present, on the business entities involved in the information-transfer transaction. Many different formats exist, decreasing the overall utility of information obtained at the rig site and increasing processing costs for the industry. Standardization of formats for information content and telecommunication requirements was attempted by the Information Transfer Committee (ITC), a subcommittee of the Intl. Assn. of Drilling Contractors’ (IADC's) Rig Instrumentation and Measurement (RIM) Committee, which formulated a set of guidelines addressing the broad needs of the industry. This paper explains the rationale for the standardization effort; outlines the process by which the specification was established; and describes the requirements, concept, components, and benefits of the resulting WITS.
