Implementation of AAPG Exchange Format

Ken Keiser, Ignacio Guerrero

The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) has proposed a format for exchanging geologic and other petroleum data. The AAPG Computer Applications Committee approved the proposal at the March 1988 AAPG annual meeting in Houston, Texas. By adopting this format, data input into application software and data exchange between software packages are greatly simplified. Benefits to both users and suppliers of software are substantial.

The AAPG exchange format supports a flexible, generic data structure. This flexibility allows application software to use the standard format for storing internal control data. In some cases, extensions to the standard format, such as separation of header and data files and use of data delimiters, permits the use of AAPG format translator programs on data that were defined and generated before the emergence of the exchange format. Translation software, programmed in C, has been written and contributes to successful implementation of the AAPG exchange format in application software.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91022©1989 AAPG Annual Convention, April 23-26, 1989, San Antonio, Texas.