Some oil and gas operators have been reporting production and injection information to state regulatory agencies in an ASCII format for many years and are comfortable with this method. Others have been accustomed to using NOGCC paper forms to report this information. So why should you go to the trouble to change now? This new format for reporting this information may seem uncomfortable at first, but there are compelling reasons for why you should use eReport.
The eReport schema, an XML format, is being phased into use by oil and gas agencies nationwide. So, although reporting requirements will still differ as a result of statutory and other legal considerations, the format used to report the information will be standard. The eReport schema, which is now in process for acceptance by the Petroleum Industry Data Exchange (PIDX) as a recommended practice, may well prove useful to industry operators who need to exchange electronic information with their own trading partners. Version 3.5 of the schema is documented at http://virtuales.com/xml/schemaVer3_5Doc/ereport3_5.html.
A compelling argument for eReport use is the elimination of rework loops for both the operator and the agency stemming from incomplete or incorrectly formatted submittals. The programming underlying the eReport Web application makes it possible to build in automated, multi-level data validations, so formatting and other errors are flagged as you complete the forms. The application also checks to make sure that required fields are filled in and that valid codes are used. For more information, please see About the eReport Schema.
The eReport application is designed to give precise error messages, so if your reports fail data validation, you will know exactly what information is being questioned so that you can correct the problem quickly.
Best of all, feedback as to the status of your report is immediate, and you can amend unfinished reports online up until the time that you submit each report for final acceptance.
You can print your reports for your records, and, if you download NOGCC’s eReportRemote.NET utility, you can use the application in your office as a data repository for your regulatory reports.
NOGCC suggests three possible means for you to begin submitting your regulatory reports in eReport-compliant files.