Brooks & Associates works alongside Microsoft to encourage industry collaboration on a common, IT reference architecture

BACKGROUND

More complex reservoirs combined with emerging markets and changing demographics create data management headaches in today’s oil and gas environment. An overabundance of upstream data, outdated, poorly integrated IT infrastructures, and fragmented workflows and bottlenecks make it difficult for upstream experts to execute their strategies. As a result, there is a focus on convergence and simplification of upstream industry solutions.

Microsoft is addressing this shift by leading an IT initiative with 30 of its oil and gas industry partners and four customers. Brooks & Associates Public Relations plays a pivotal role in supporting communications within the initiative and to external industry audiences.

STRATEGY

Given our deep experience in upstream oil and gas and high technology, Brooks & Associates was in a unique position to build interest and momentum for the Microsoft Upstream Reference Architecture (MURA) Initiative with key industry influencers.

Efforts began in March 2010 as the Microsoft Worldwide Oil & Gas team met with a targeted number of trade journalists in a series of pre-briefings at CERAWeek in Houston. The MURA Initiative was later rolled out publicly at the European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) annual conference three months later.  Media briefings and press material for both events were driven collaboratively with the participating members of the initiative. It was clear that, although Microsoft was driving the collaboration, progress to create the IT reference architecture would involve all participants and should be communicated as a group. As a result, several media and marketing opportunities became possible including jointly written white papers and bylined articles, speaking opportunities at user events, and consistent messaging across participant press releases and social media channels.

In Sept. 2010 Microsoft and its partner Accenture sponsored an oil and gas industry study to document the information deluge prevalent in upstream operations, as well as the IT workflow challenges the MURA Initiative sought to address. The findings gave credence to the need for a more unified IT reference architecture. The Brooks & Associates team supplemented the survey news with updates on the Initiative’s progress including new participants, solution demonstrations and new white papers.

Brooks & Associates continues to support momentum in the MURA Initiative by communicating key milestones to all stakeholders, including:

- Technical guidance and demo videos for two areas based on MURA that are vital for integrated operations in the upstream environment – declarative integration and complex event processing.

- Partner support at Microsoft’s Global Energy Forum and SPE Digital Energy Conference where MURA participants exhibited, sponsored MURA-breakout sessions and shared news. Brooks & Associates also supports monthly MURA meetings by providing updates to participants and the Advisory Board.

- Media and analyst briefings to share key updates and secure opportunities to place bylined articles and expert quotes.

- Current and fresh messaging communicated at industry and partner events, including a MURA workshop at the OSIsoft Users Conference 2011.

RESULTS

Now approaching a 1-year milestone, the MURA Initiative remains a strong focus for Microsoft’s Oil & Gas Industry group and for its partners. All top oil and gas trade publications – in the U.S. and abroad – have written about the MURA Initiative, its updates and the industry study. The Brooks & Associates team has garnered supportive references and encouraged third-party press releases from the participating companies, further supporting Microsoft’s own efforts.

Notable coverage includes Petroleum Economist, Digital Energy Journal, Oilfield Technology, The American Oil & Gas Reporter, and Scandinavian Oil & Gas Magazine.

For more information about the Microsoft Upstream Reference Architecture Initiative and a full list of participating Microsoft partners, please visit www.microsoft.com/mura.