PPPEDIA was a project initially started by the Data Standards and Best Practices Group in 2006.  It aimed to address some of the Frequently Asked Questions which Formation Evaluation professionals have or get.

The project started as a community-built online reference which we had called  PPPEDIA, for PetroPhysics encycloPEDIA.  Subsequently the project was migrated to Wikipedia as a Wikiproject on Formation Evaluation.

For reference, here are some of the questions which we felt should be addressed:

• Depth: which curve to use as reference?
• How to structure a logging program?
• How to structure a core analysis program?
• How to structure a well log interpretation report
• What remarks to put on the log header?
• Rw catalogue for Western Australia?  (on-going)
• Rw: methods for Rw in the hydrocarbon zone
• Laterolog vs. Induction
• Overview of versions and vintages of logging tools
• Good practices: units, e.g. PU, W/W, V/V, G/CC, G/C3, etc
• Overview of drilling mud names, additives, LCM
• Log header: Time Since Circulation
• Recommended log processing sequence
• Definitions of porosity
• How to edit logs?
• How to determine the correct scales for N-D logs?
• How to choose cutoffs?
• Which GR do I pick as reference for the well?
• What information to record during and after a logging job?
• What does this mud additive / LCM do to my logs?
• How to “integrate” core data to a log interpretation?
• How to “normalize” log data?  
• How to “normalize” core data?
• What is this log mnemonic?
• What is does this log parameter do?
• What is “stick-and-pull” and what to do about it?
• How accurate is MWD depth?
• In what sequence was the log recorded?
• Well / hole naming conventions?
• How to define the required lab conditions for core analysis?

The Formation Evaluation Society of Australia (FESAus)  is a non-profit corporation, staffed and run almost exclusively by volunteers.  However it is also not a for-loss corporation.  The courses and other events that we offer are planned ahead, and the maximum number of participants to any event is frequently limited.  Hence the main consequences of a cancellation are that:

• an opportunity for someone interested to attend the event may be lost, and
• committed expenses must be paid even if the registered person does not attend.

Our cancellation policy aims to be fair to all parties.  Acceptance of the terms listed below is a pre-condition to registration and attendance to any of our events.

Normal registration policy: for any event organized by FESAus, our normal registration policy is to accept only registrations made through our website, with credit-card payment at the time of the registration, by the advertised deadline.  That deadline is not arbitrary: it is usually the last time at which we ourselves have to commit to outside companies for, e.g. catering and printing.

Cancellations should be done by email admin@fesaus.org, which goes to several FESAus administration person in case one is absent.  If you wish to have an acceptable proof that you sent the email on time, please set a “Read receipt” for your message before sending it, and any return message you get showing that your email was read will constitute an acceptable proof.

For cancellations sent 7 calendar days before the start of the event at the latest:

• For events with a base cost (i.e. not the discounted student cost) of A$ 50 or less, FESAus will reimburse the full cost of registration.
• FESAus will reimburse the full cost of registration, minus A$ 50 (fifty) to cover administration overheads associated with the reimbursement, and the risk that FESAus may not identify a replacement candidate in the time remaining.  

For cancellations sent between 7 calendar days before the start of the event and the registration deadline: FESAus will reimburse 75% of the full cost of registration, to cover the same as above, with the risk of not identifying a replacement candidate being much greater.

For cancellations sent after the registration deadline: the full cost of registration will be forfeited, i.e. no reimbursement.

Substitutions: if you cannot attend but you have identified a substitute participant (excluding subsidized participants such as students), you will be reimbursed in full shortly after the normal registration of the new participant.  The new participant will be issued with a normal tax receipt.  You need to document this by timely email to admin@fesaus.org.  Participant substitution without new payment, e.g. by someone from the same company, is normally possible, but it is at the discretion of FESAus.

Partial cancellations: if you can only attend a part of an event, no compensation will be made for the part that you did not attend, whatever the reason.

No-shows: FESAus will consider no-shows as last-minute cancellations, and the full cost of registration will be forteited.

Membership dues: membership dues are non-refundable.

Tax receipts for your payments are issued automatically at the time of registration.  If you subsequently cancel your participation, we will issue you with a new tax receipt for the corrected amount, if applicable, and we ask that you destroy or do not use the original tax receipt.

Method and timing of reimbursements:  it is our policy to make reimbursements to the credit card used for the original payment, and to do so without delay.  We will  process the refund electronically as soon as practically possible. We will then issue a Refund Receipt, which contains a Bank Authorization Code from the issuer of your credit card company confirming the refund is authorized. We cannot make any guarantee regarding the time at which the reimbursement will actually be credited to the credit card. Should you have further questions about the refund, you should contact the issuer of the credit card and quote the Authorization Code provided in the Refund Receipt.

Exceptions: it is our policy not to make exceptions to the above rules.  If, however, exceptions are made, these will always be in the favor of the participants rather than of FESAus, and they are at the discretion of the FESAus administrators.

Comments or complaints: you are welcome to comment on the present Terms and Conditions policy, or if you have any complaint – by email, to admin@fesaus.org, treasurer@fesaus.org.