The Data Room was founded in 1995 with the objective of providing consultancy, training and services in the field of E&P data management. Neil McNaughton, president of The Data Room is an explorationist with over 20 years experience of managing and exploiting E&P data and is a member of the following societies:- SEG, EAGE, AFTP, ARMA, AAPG and SPE. Most recently, The Data Room's reputation for lucid and penetrating analysis of high tech subjects has led to its being selected by an international organisation for a major study of the evolution of international telecommunications markets.

Activity to date

• Market research into E&P Data Management, leading to the publication of the book "A Survey of Data Management in the E&P Business" © 1995 The Data Room (ISBN 2-9509800-0-7).

• Consultant to a group of service companies responding to a call for tender issued by a major oil company for the management of its legacy data.

• Editor and publisher of Petroleum Data Manager, a monthly newsletter focusing on E&P IT and data management..

• Technology watch and targeted studies for clients through society memberships and attendance at conferences and meetings.

• Scientific papers presented at GeoForum meetings (London) and at the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain's Data Management Seminar (September 1996). Article Trends in E&P data Management (The Leading Edge, December 1996)

• Consultant to an EU government in a re-vamp of data release policies and mechanisms.

• A major study of the evolution of international markets in telecommunications for an international organisation.

• Quality control of the remastering of a major oil company's legacy seismic and navigation data.

• Benchmarking of major oil company's data management and information work.

Services provided

• Consultancy and audit of data management systems and the design and authoring of calls for tender.

• Training in data management and oil industry models, analysis of commercial products.

• Technology watch in the field of data management, IT, office automation and communications.

• Market research in data management and new technologies in IT. Monthly newsletter Petroleum Data Manager