Community & News

The energy data community is constantly evolving — and PPDM is bringing professionals together through engaging events designed to connect, educate, and inspire.

From networking breakfasts and regional workshops to global virtual sessions and industry summits, there are many opportunities ahead to collaborate with peers, explore emerging trends, and strengthen your professional network.

Whether you are a data professional, technologist, business leader, student, or industry innovator, PPDM events offer valuable insights into the future of energy data management, governance, digital transformation, and collaboration.

We look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming PPDM event!

With more than 20 years of experience in data management, Xiao Zhang, Principal Data and AI Engineer at SLB, has built a career around one mission: transforming data into a trusted strategic asset. From his early days as a technical support engineer focused on data quality and process improvement, Xiao has expanded his expertise into enterprise data architecture, helping organizations integrate, standardize, and improve subsurface data at scale.

Recognizing the growing importance of industry standards, Xiao pursued the Certified Petroleum Data Analyst (CPDA) credential to validate his expertise and stay connected with the broader data management community. He credits the certification with enhancing his professional visibility while fostering continuous learning and collaboration. As an active volunteer with the PPDM Association, Xiao continues to expand his knowledge through engagement with industry peers, exchanging ideas on data standardization, governance, and AI enablement.

Looking ahead, Xiao believes organizations must treat data as a strategic asset and invest in quality, governance, and standardization to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence. His message to industry leaders is clear: “High-quality, well-governed, and semantically consistent data is the foundation for scalable AI in our industry.”

The PPDM Reference List Committee is looking for volunteers to help develop and complete the Well Licensing Reference Lists.

If you have experience with well licensing, regulatory data, or petroleum data management, we'd love to have your expertise. Your contributions will help create consistent, high-quality reference lists that benefit the global energy data community.

Interested in getting involved? Join us and make a lasting impact!

Message from the Chair of the PPDM Board of Directors

Date: July 14, 2026

Dear PPDM Members and Stakeholders,
On behalf of the PPDM Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Heidi-Lynne Balasch as Chief Executive Officer of PPDM, effective August 4, 2026. At the same time, after more than 30 years of service to PPDM™, including 23 years of exceptional leadership, Trudy Curtis will assume the role of Director Emeritus, Strategy and Community Engagement.

With support from the Government of Alberta, PPDM’s “Unlocking Data Careers” initiative is helping people better understand and prepare for data-centric careers in Alberta’s digital economy. The program focuses on practical data literacy, transferable skills, workforce transition, and the growing importance of trusted data across industries. This pilot project will help PPDM™ assess the need for such programs in other regions.

We are very pleased to announce that Blaine Horner is leading this important initiative, bringing valuable experience, insight, and leadership to the program as it continues to grow and support workforce development.

Blaine’s Bio:
Blaine Horner is a Calgary-based program and operations professional with more than a decade of experience designing and running complex membership programs. He spent eight years with SPE International, one of the world's largest engineering membership organizations, progressing from section coordination to overseeing membership delivery, retention, and volunteer operations across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and North America, including a two-year posting in London. He has also led operations for a national accelerator program placing mid-career energy professionals on cross-functional teams to develop new enterprises addressing problems that conventional oil and gas organizations face daily.

He builds operational infrastructure that runs reliably without relying on any one person to keep it running. His work spans program design, workflow automation, documentation, and stakeholder management across distributed teams.

He currently serves as a consultant to PPDM Association, where he is leading delivery of the Unlocking Data Careers program, a Government of Alberta-funded workforce development initiative. He is pursuing the Certified Association Executive designation through the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

The PPDM Houston Energy Data Convention brought together energy data professionals, operators, regulators, technology providers, and industry leaders for a day on training and two days of discussion focused on trusted data, governance, analytics, AI, interoperability, and the future of data-centric operations in the energy sector.

Attendees particularly enjoyed the strong emphasis on panel discussions, which created lively, practical conversations and allowed participants to hear multiple perspectives from experienced industry leaders. In addition to training and panel discussions, the event featured technical sessions and valuable networking opportunities.

PPDM extends sincere thanks to the convention sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, volunteers, and participants whose support and engagement helped make the event a success.

The Perth Leadership Team is seeking speaker abstracts for our upcoming hybrid full-day workshop.

This year’s Asia Pacific Energy Data Workshop is hosted by the Australian branch of the PPDM Association in Perth, Western Australia.

This years theme is: Knowledge-Driven Efficiency in the Energy Transition.

Share your expertise, insights, innovations, and industry experience with professionals across the region.

Abstract Submission Deadline: July 06

We welcome submissions from industry professionals, thought leaders, and innovators passionate about advancing the conversation in energy data and technology.

This summer, PPDM is running a free five-day data literacy and career readiness program in Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer, supported by a Government of Alberta grant.

Unlocking Data Careers (UDC) is built for unemployed and underemployed Albertans: career changers, newcomers, recent graduates, people doing data work without a title that reflects it. Participants work through the PPDM competency framework and finish with a clear read on where their skills fit in Alberta's data job market.

The program is structured as a pilot. As such, it aligns with the 2022-2027 strategic plan's focus on expanding PPDM's reach and developing the next generation of data professionals across the energy sector. The intent is to learn what works, then build from there.

We're targeting 800 Albertans this year. That requires the network.

If you know someone who could benefit, please share this. A displaced colleague, a family member in transition, someone early in their career. And if you want to get involved as a speaker, employer partner, or volunteer, reach out.

Blaine Horner | hornerb@ppdm.org

Over many years, PPDM members have developed an enormous body of technical and professional knowledge related to energy data management. This includes standards, reference lists, data rules, data models, semantic standards, identification standards, training materials, guidance documents, competency frameworks, industry discussions, and practical implementation experience contributed by experts from around the world.

One message from members has become increasingly clear: while this vast compendium of PPDM™ knowledge is extremely valuable, it can sometimes be difficult to find, navigate, and fully leverage across such a diverse body of material. Accessibility and usability have become the number one request from our community.

PPDM is actively working to address this challenge through improved knowledge organization, modern delivery approaches, and the development of Thoth — an emerging AI-enabled interface intended to help members more easily discover, understand, connect, and apply the collective knowledge of the PPDM community.

National Energy Talk

From Houston, TX - April 29th, 2026 PPDM Annual Convention with Mark A. Stansberry, Host of National Energy Talk and featured guests: Trudy Curtis & Greg Foley of PPDM, Jon Brewton & Jeff Dalgliesh of Data², and Gordon Klundt of In Focus Data.

ppdm.org

Facebook: National Energy Talk

Listen on Apple Podcasts