The Calgary-based Public Petroleum Data Model Association has appointed Scott Beaugrand to the new position of CEO. The appointment reflects PPDM's strategy for model implementation throughout the petroleum industry including an expanded marketing and international focus in addition to the current technical effort. Scott Beaugrand began his career in 1978 with Schlumberger Wireline in Alberta. He worked subsequently as log analyst in the southern United States and held various management positions in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana before moving to Houston headquarters to work on new products including the Modular Dynamic Formation Tester. A stint overseas followed, in Norway then Aberdeen where Scott was support manager for North Sea Operations and finally Indonesia as operation's manager. Scott returned to Calgary as a consultant in 1997.

Scott's appointment as CEO of PPDM demonstrates the Board's intention to raise PPDM's profile both domestically and abroad. The new CEO position replaces the Executive Director post previously jointly occupied by Mel Huszti and Mary Kai Manson. Beaugrand told PDM "The PPDM Association is a solid and technically strong organization with a recognized product and wide support from the industry. My brief is to communicate this to the world-wide E&P community and to grow the organization into the international arena. In the longer term, it is my intention to seek opportunities for further development within and outside the oil and gas business." Beaugrand went on to say "In the current economic climate, the need for cooperative work in the critical area of data management is even more important than ever. The uses of data management, the potential leverage of a standard data model and the PPDM Association's experience are really only just beginning."

The Association is described as a "virtual community" of technical experts in engineering, land contract, finance, and geoscience information. Volunteer participants define the business requirements and technical solutions, making PPDM the "business-driven standard". There are currently 120 member companies, including oil companies, software and data vendors, regulatory agencies, and industry consultants. Expansion of the Model is presently underway in subject areas of stratigraphy, land, spatial data, seismic, and reference tables. More information from the PPDM website at www.ppdm.org or contact the office at (+1) 403-660-7817.