TABLE OF CONTENTS For the nontechnical user, this book is intended to provide a solid understanding of the key elements of database design and use. Chapters are designed to be modular, so the material can be studied at a level appropriate for each reader. Even advanced users should be able to find some value in each section if not new information, at least a fresh look at the information or an update of current knowledge and technologies. Examples are included throughout so that interested readers can use this text as a workbook in their own environments to experiment with the concepts using real-world data.
A personal computer or workstation is not required to gain knowledge from this text. It certainly helps if the reader has a fundamental understanding of petrotechnical data how it is collected and how it is applied in the interpretation process. Fundamentally, this book focuses on the application of database concepts to solve problems in the petroleum industry.
This introductory chapter summarizes the primary goals and objectives of the book. In addition to providing a general overview of the material, it presents and discusses many important concepts and misconceptions about databases. Some general examples are shown to illustrate the critical issues and concepts.
The audience for this book is primarily working geoscientists and managers of geotechnical professionals. Previous data management experience is not a prerequisite; rather, this text is intended to provide a general background and understanding of the concepts, definitions, and application of geotechnical data management. The best way...
