RBDMS Plus!
Welcome to ALL's RBDMS Support Site! It is our intent to provide a resource for RBDMS users, prospective users, as well as others that may be interested in details of the program. We have included a variety of information on the site to address customer support and evaluation issues. We have included information on select installations of RBDMS, on-line documentation, downloads and more! Perhaps most importantly, we have also included information on those groups and individuals that have contributed to the development and evolution of the RBDMS project.
To introduce RBDMS, we have include a compilation of basic information on RBDMS, including:
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The Basics... |
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The Generic Version of RBDMS |
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History and Details |
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System Features |
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Customizing RBDMS |
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Implementing RBDMS |
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Access to RBDMS Products |
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GWPC's RBDMS Web Site |
RBDMS includes a fully-relational, normalized, information system designed to meet the functional requirements of the following user groups or organizations:
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State and federal regulatory agencies responsible for oil & gas production, underground injection of oilfield exempt fluids, and/or practices related to industrial/municipal wastewater injection (i.e., Class I through V type injection wells); |
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State, federal, and private research organizations dealing with wells, geology, underground injection and extraction of fluids/resources; |
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The oil & gas producing industry - ranging from small independent operators to major oil companies; |
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Industrial and municipal injection well operators; |
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Researchers and consultants that deal with the aforementioned types of data; and |
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Professionals having interest in wells and/or having groundwater protection/contamination concerns. |
RBDMS is a PC- and Client/Server-Based, fully-relational and normalized
information management system that has specifically designed for use by
state oil & gas regulatory agencies responsible for oil & gas
production and associated injection. The system is now used by several
state oil & gas regulatory agencies in the United States and has since
been expanded for use by private industry and other types of state and
federal regulatory agencies. Further, the RBDMS program includes several
utilities to allow users to assess the environmental risks posed by underground
injection activities using a probability analyses and an assessment of
the barriers of protection individual wells provide to protect underground
sources of drinking water. RBDMS programs developed by ALL also
includes numerous other automated functions, user interfaces, utilities,
and more than 90 standard reports.
The RBDMS client program has been developed using Microsoft Access (various
versions). Although original versions of the system were limited
to being PC-based, most systems have required upsizing to a Client/Server
platform - typically connecting to SQL Server via ODBC.
The wide acceptance of the RBDMS data model by state and federal regulatory
agencies and industry has resulted in the establishment of a defacto set
of data standards that are more widely used than any the author has been
able to identify. This was generally accomplished through broad participation
and partnering with state regulatory personnel, industry, and other organizations.
There is not simply a single RBDMS program or product. In fact, there are many. Since the preliminary stages of the RBDMS project through today, several products or combinations of products exist. The broad range of needs by RBDMS users, differences among organizations using RBDMS, varied technical circumstances, software capabilities and limitations, as well as many other variables have led to the need for multiple RBDMS related products.
These products range from a basic (or general) version of the program (that was constructed to be very generic in nature) to highly customized versions. The concept behind this basic version of RBDMS was to provide a working and editable copy of RBDMS that could be used "As-Is" or modified to suit custom and possibly unique needs. To date, both basic and custom versions of RBDMS have been utilized by state regulatory agencies.
As stated in the on-line help system for RBDMS (GWPC, 1998), the Risk Based Data
Management System started with the idea of developing a system to estimate the
environmental risk of Class II underground injection wells to efficiently allocate
regulatory and industry resources to prevent pollution of underground sources of drinking
water. The risk assessment process includes two phases:
1. The collection of sufficient data on wells, operations, and
mechanical integrity failures to develop accurate risk prediction models
2. The maintenance of accurate current data on wells, operations, and
aquifers for forecasting future risk
The initial stage of the needs assessment phase of the project showed that most data
required for the risk assessment model was identical to information needed by state oil
and gas agencies to manage their regulatory programs. While RBDMS began as a UIC system,
including data on production wells also is important because unsound production wells can
act as conduits for transporting brine from injection zones to underground sources of
drinking water (USDWs).
The needs assessment also showed that state oil and gas boards and commissions did not
want to commit resources to maintain stand-alone risk assessment systems that duplicate
data found in their permitting and inspection systems. Furthermore, many state systems
also needed PC system upgrades.
While rules, regulations, and practices vary from state to state, much of the core data on
permits, well drilling and completions, operators, bonds, oil fields, inspections, and other aspects
of oil and gas management is similar among states. As a result of input from the GWPC,
state oil and gas boards, and consultants, RBDMS includes modules to track such
information, making it a comprehensive management tool for the industry.
System Features
RBDMS was designed to run on stand-alone and networked PCs that run the Windows operating systems. To eliminate redundant and inconsistent data, the system was designed
as a relational database management system with a normalized database design.
Microsoft Access was chosen as the database development tool. States with a limited
number of users can use the economical Access database engine. However, RBDMS also can
attach to heavyweight backend database management systems such as SQL Server, Oracle,
Sybase, and Informix. Like Access, RBDMS uses the familiar Windows graphical user
interface.
RBDMS includes many standard reports that can be run from the Report menu in addition to
the powerful and easy-to-use Access query and report wizards and utilities for customized
reports. These utilities use the graphical interface to allow users to join files, sort
and select records by multiple fields, create subtotals, and format reports with multiple
font styles and sizes.
Customizing RBDMS
Regulatory programs vary by state, so RBDMS will need to be customized to meet the
specific requirements of any state wishing to implement the system. Oil and gas production
accounting varies significantly from one state to another. RBDMS includes the basic
components for a production accounting system, but these system objects may need to be
customized to meet the needs of individual states.
Implementing RBDMS
State personnel and developers have put a great deal of effort into making RBDMS as easy
to use as possible. Nonetheless, it is a complex system, which automates the intricate
regulatory programs of a complex industry. A great deal of base data on operators,
fields, geologic formations, state-specific codes, and the like must be entered before the
first well can be added to the system.
Users must understand the basics of Windows and Access. Office and field workflows must
be established, and staff must be assigned and adequately trained on the use of each
module. Existing electronic data must be converted and loaded into the RBDMS database, and
it may be necessary to make long-term plans to manually enter well data from paper
records. A detailed and realistic implementation plan and schedule will go a long way to
facilitate the implementation of this powerful system.
From this site, visitors can access information on existing RBDMS products, but posted lists may NOT be all inclusive. If you're looking for the most recent information on RBDMS, please contact Dan Arthur, Mark Layne, or Bruce Langhus of ALL Consulting.
The Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) maintains a site containing complimentary information about RBDMS and EIMS. Visit the GWPC web site for information on GWPC efforts relating to RBDMS and EIMS.