Merak PetroDesk 2007.

1
Release Notes
December, 2007
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The information in this document is subject to change without notice. The software described in this document is furnished
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 Contents

What’s New in PetroDesk 2007.1 ..................................................................................... 1

What we’re still working on.............................................................................................. 1

Project Files ....................................................................................................................................1
No warning when overwriting components in the PDStore ........................................................................1
Maps may not be saved properly when saving to the PDStore..................................................................1

Queries............................................................................................................................................1
Some types of structured queries may return invalid data .........................................................................1
Pasted values don’t appear in Value List field when creating criteria.........................................................1
Queries based on Gas Analysis or Production History must be set up in a specific way ...........................1

Lists.................................................................................................................................................2
List filtering removes the wrong records in some cases.............................................................................2
Units are not shown in result sets when querying Peep databases ...........................................................2
Groups collapse when refreshing grouped lists .........................................................................................2
You cannot paste records cut from a grouped list back into that list ..........................................................2
Previously added columns can disappear from the Working List ...............................................................2
Freeze column feature does not always behave as expected ...................................................................2
“Apply preferences for all new lists” check box does not remain selected .................................................2
The Working List may not refresh properly in some instances...................................................................2

Maps ...............................................................................................................................................3
Orientation of labels on area user layers cannot be changed ....................................................................3
Some Texas counties are missing from WhiteStar land data.....................................................................3
Refresh toolbar buttons do not activate based on layer selected in Layer Management Pane ..................3
Active Layer drop-down list does not update after renaming a list currently used as a map layer .............3

Visualization ....................................................................................................................................3
Posted text values may overlap for some text visualizations .....................................................................3
Text is not cleared between steps for some animation sequences ............................................................3
PetroDesk cannot reconnect to databases in some cases ........................................................................3

Reports............................................................................................................................................4
Print Preview does not behave as expected for Production Report ...........................................................4
Some IHS Land reports display data in incorrect formats ..........................................................................4

Contouring.......................................................................................................................................4
Calculated values for Isopach contour layers vary depending on which formation selected
as top formation .........................................................................................................................................4

PetroDesk Administrator .................................................................................................................4

Automap Table does not map tables containing columns of blobs ............................................................4

How to Reach Us............................................................................................................... 5

 Merak PetroDesk 2007.1
Release Notes

What’s New in PetroDesk 2007.1

The PetroDesk user interface remains unchanged since the v4.4 release.

What we’re still working on

This section describes known issues currently encountered in PetroDesk and PetroDesk
Administrator.

Project Files
No warning when overwriting components in the PDStore
When saving components to the PDStore, if you try to save a component in a folder that already
contains a component with the same name, PetroDesk does not warn you before replacing that
component in the PDStore. If other components are linked to that component (such as a list used
as a layer on a map), any like components located in the PDStore that share the same name will
also be replaced without warning when you save.

Maps may not be saved properly when saving to the PDStore

When you save maps to the PDStore that are dependent on other components (e.g. a map that
contains a user layer, a contour layer, or a layer based on a saved list), the other components are
not saved to the PDStore. When another user opens this map from the PDStore, layers based on
other components will not appear on that user’s map (even if you save these components
separately to the PDStore).

Queries
Some types of structured queries may return invalid data
When creating queries that include criteria based on gas analysis (and in some cases, production)
attributes, if you use the OR operator inside a given query group, the query will return invalid
data. You can, however, use the OR operator to separate two query groups, which will return the
correct result.
For example, if you wanted to create the following criteria (Water Cum Is Not Null AND (Gas
Cum > 0 OR Oil Cum >0)), you would have to structure it like this: (Water Cum Is Not Null AND
Gas Cum > 0 ) OR (Water Cum Is Not Null AND Oil Cum > 0 ).
Note: This problem occurs only if all the attributes used in a criterion are based on gas analysis or
production, AND if the OR operator is used within a given group.

Pasted values don’t appear in Value List field when creating criteria
When creating a query criterion using the IN operator, if you paste one or more values from the
Windows Clipboard into the Value list field, the values will not appear (although the Add button
becomes available, indicating that the values have actually been pasted). When you click the Add
button, the values are added to the box below the Value list field.

Queries based on Gas Analysis or Production History must be set up

in a specific way
When creating a query criterion based on Gas Analysis or Production History attributes, you must
also create a column in the Working List based on the same attribute (to do this, click and drag the
attribute into the Columns folder in the Current Query pane). Otherwise, the query will fail.

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 Merak PetroDesk 2007.1
Release Notes

Lists
List filtering removes the wrong records in some cases
When working with a list containing columns based on gas analysis or production data, if you
filter the list based on the values in those columns, any records that do not have values for those
columns will still appear in the result set. For example, if filtering a list based on gas production
values, a well that has only oil production values will not be removed from the result set.

Units are not shown in result sets when querying Peep databases
When retrieving data from Peep Decline databases, attribute units are not displayed in column
headers in the Working List (for queries), or on map layers when creating visualizations based on
those attributes.

Groups collapse when refreshing grouped lists

When working with a list that is organized into more than one group, if you refresh the list, add a
column to the list, or remove a column from the list, PetroDesk will collapse all the groups on the
list.

You cannot paste records cut from a grouped list back into that list
When working with a list that is organized into groups, if you select any rows within a given
group and cut them from the list (adding them to the Windows Clipboard), PetroDesk will not
allow you to paste those records back into the list.

Previously added columns can disappear from the Working List

After using the Select to List tool to populate the Working List, then adding some columns to the
list from within the Query dialog box and refreshing those columns, if you return to the map,
press and hold the <Ctrl> key, and select some additional items to add to the Working List,
PetroDesk will remove the columns that you previously added to the Working List.

Freeze column feature does not always behave as expected

When you drag a column into the frozen part of a PetroDesk list, it does not move as expected. To
freeze a column in place so that it doesn't move when scrolling horizontally, position it between
the heavy black divider line and the Symbol column. After one column has been frozen in place,
you will be able to drag others into the frozen section in the normal manner.

“Apply preferences for all new lists” check box does not remain
selected
After opening a list and changing its color or font preferences, if you select the Apply preferences
for all new lists check box and then click OK, the next time you go to the List Preferences tab of
the List/Layer Properties dialog box, the check box will be cleared. However, the preferences
you selected will be applied to all new lists you create.
To change the settings applied by default to all new lists, go to the List Preferences tab of the
PetroDesk Options dialog box and make the desired changes.

The Working List may not refresh properly in some instances

When working with a saved list that contains several columns, if you copy one record from that
list onto a blank Working List, then open the Query dialog box and add another column to the list,
and click the Refresh Columns button, only the new column will be populated. To work around
this problem, click the Refresh List button in the Query dialog box.

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 Merak PetroDesk 2007.1
Release Notes

Maps
Orientation of labels on area user layers cannot be changed
After creating an area user layer that includes labels for each polygon on the layer, if you select
one of the polygons on the layer, you will be unable to change the orientation of its label.

Some Texas counties are missing from WhiteStar land data

When creating maps using the WhiteStar Texas land data supplied with PetroDesk 2002.1, some
counties may be missing from land layers. These include Hardin County, Nolan County and
Atascosa County.

Refresh toolbar buttons do not activate based on layer selected in

Layer Management Pane
When working with item layers or saved list layers on maps, the Refresh Columns and Refresh
List buttons do not become available based on the currently selected map layer. For example, if
you add a saved list layer to a map and select that layer in the Layer Management pane, both
Refresh buttons should become immediately available.
Instead, you must click somewhere on the map layer to make this happen. If you then make an
item layer the active layer, the Refresh buttons will remain available until you click on the layer
(the buttons should be disabled when an item layer is the active layer).

Active Layer drop-down list does not update after renaming a list
currently used as a map layer
If you add a saved list as a layer on a map, then rename that list in the Lists folder (in the Project
pane), the name of the list will not be immediately updated in the Active Layer drop-down list,
even if you redraw the map (F5). Once you add another list as a layer on the map, the layer's name
is updated in the Active Layer drop-down list.

Visualization
Posted text values may overlap for some text visualizations
When creating text visualizations for multiple attributes that have one-to-many relationships (e.g.
Tops - Formation and Tops - Subsea), attribute values may overlap on the map unless you select
all the attributes together in the Attribute list before applying a text visualization, thus positioning
them together at the same location relative to each map object. For example, if you created a
visualization for the Formation attribute and positioned it at the top-right, then another
visualization for the Subsea attribute positioned at the middle-right, the Formation values would
overlap the Subsea values.

Text is not cleared between steps for some animation sequences

If you select the Clear Between Steps option while creating a text animation sequence for an item
layer, posted text values will remain on the map layer when you step through the sequence. When
this option is selected, the posted text that corresponds to a given animation value should
disappear from the map layer when a new value is selected in the Animation Values drop-down
list on the Animation toolbar.

PetroDesk cannot reconnect to databases in some cases

If PetroDesk loses its connection to a given database and you attempt to apply a visualization to an
item layer based on that database, an error message will appear indicating that PetroDesk cannot
reconnect to the database. To fix this problem, restart PetroDesk.

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 Merak PetroDesk 2007.1
Release Notes

Reports
Print Preview does not behave as expected for Production Report
When working in the Production Report, various issues arise when you use the Print Preview
option: After choosing File -> Print Setup while previewing a report, then choosing Landscape as
your Orientation and clicking OK, the report view is refreshed only if you choose File -> Print
Preview again. When you do this, a second set of Preview toolbar buttons appears. If you click
either Print button, you are returned to the Production Report, but no report is printed. Click the
Print button again to print the report and close the Preview toolbar.

Some IHS Land reports display data in incorrect formats

When running land reports based on the IHS Disposed Crown All or IHS Disposed Crown PNG
layers, land status is displayed as a numeric code, and no tract numbers appear in the reports.

Contouring
Calculated values for Isopach contour layers vary depending on
which formation selected as top formation
When creating an isopach contour layer, the calculated Minimum and Maximum Contour Levels
may differ, depending on which formation you select as your top or bottom formation. These
values should match regardless of which formation is selected as the top formation.

PetroDesk Administrator
Automap Table does not map tables containing columns of blobs
When using the Automap feature, if PetroDesk Administrator encounters database tables
containing columns of blobs (or long binary data), it will skip those columns (i.e. it will not create
attributes based on those columns).

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 Merak PetroDesk 2007.1
Release Notes

How to Reach Us
United States
E-mail: merak-us-support@slb.com

Houston Tel.: +1 713-621-1165

Canada
E-mail: merakcscanada@slb.com

Calgary Tel.: +1-888-986-4357 (toll-free)

Europe and Africa
E-mail: merakcslondon@slb.com

London Tel.: +44 (0)207 517 2626

Russia and Caspian
E-mail: merakcsmoscow@slb.com

Moscow Tel.: 7 495 935 8200 Ext. 1218

South America
International E-mail: merakcsmexicocity@slb.com
Offices Mexico Tel.: 001 866 326 0174

Argentina Tel.: 0 800 444 0919

Brazil Tel.: 000811 005 9068

Colombia Tel.: 980912 3029

Venezuela Tel.: 0800 1 00 3588

Middle East
E-mail: merakcsMiddleEast@slb.com
Asia and Australia
E-mail: merakcsasia@slb.com

Malaysia Tel.: +60-3-21694266

Indonesia Tel.: +62-21-5229343

Australia Tel.: +61-1800001112

Thailand Tel.: +66-2-9371300

China Tel.: +86-10-64746699 Ext. 2816

Schlumberger supplements the standard maintenance agreement by offering extended on-site

support worldwide. This enhanced level of support includes on-site assistance, installation,
troubleshooting, and maintenance services of licensed Schlumberger software.
Merak is a product line of Schlumberger Information Solutions (SIS). For more information about
SIS, please go to our Web site at http://www.sis.slb.com.

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