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By Ash Patel – CDMP – Certified Copywriter (CMP) – CDMA – Certified Proofreader and Editor (CMP), Content Marketing Manager, The Open Group

Last month, The Open Group Houston Summit saw industry leaders, practitioners, and innovators come together to share insights, build connections, and shape the future of The Open Group OSDU® Forum.

We caught up with Stef Jacobs (OSDU Forum Chair) afterwards to share his thoughts on the Summit:

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all participants, speakers, and sponsors from the OSDU Forum and the wider community—your energy and engagement made this gathering a tremendous success. There was so much to take away, from powerful examples of collaboration and real-world impact enabled by the OSDU Data Platform, to a clear focus on priorities for the next phase, to the many new connections and partnerships formed throughout the week. Looking forward to seeing you all at The Open Group European Summit in April 2026.”

Key Highlights

• Participants engaged in deep-dive sessions on the latest in the OSDU Data Platform Standard: data ingestion frameworks, domain services, cloud-native architectures and more
• The agenda included panels and breakout track sessions designed to foster collaboration between upstream oil & gas operators, service companies and technology providers
• The networking opportunities were exemplary — the informal hallway chats and structured roundtables sparked new partnerships, pilot initiatives and use-case discussions

The OSDU Forum continues to evolve — as a living community of practice that drives standardization, interoperability, and open-data innovation across the energy sector.

Testimonials

*“I currently lead both the Standards and Certification Working Group and the Business Model and Outreach Working Group. I play an active role because I would like to see OSDU Data Platform become THE standard in oil and gas. With commitments from Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Total, and other industry leaders, I want to see this effort succeed in a major way. After attending The Open Group Summit in Houston, I am seeing real progress and renewed energy across the Forum. It was good to hear through the presentations how some companies are making the OSDU platform real. There was lots of energy in the breakout sessions as well and that was very promising. Going into 2026, I hope to continue to have an impact around OSDU adoption both broader in the Forum and developing content for others to leverage in their own companies. *

We need to prioritize what many companies are seeing as barriers to adoption and address them accordingly. I truly believe that 2026 will be the year that we turn the corner as we launch version one of our Data Platform Standard and focus on the things that matter in our companies.” – Curley Thomas, Chevron, Subsurface Data & Insights Strategic Product Owner

*“I joined the OSDU Forum at its founding kick-off in October 2018, when it gathered barely 30 people. Since then, I’ve contributed to shaping the Data Definition & Modeling Subcommittee (later Data Concepts, now Data Modeling), which I chaired from 2021 to 2025. Recently, I transitioned to chair the Project Management Committee—a role where I still have much to learn! I’ve just returned from my second face-to-face as PMC Chair. These meetings are essential—not only to move projects forward but also to strengthen the human connections that make collaboration enjoyable. This latest session in Houston clarified the challenges ahead: delivering Venus in its broader sense—turning the OSDU Data Platform into an industrial-grade product. Our priorities for 2026 are clear: deliver the Community Implementation, establish technical governance for industrial alignment, and ensure “V1.0” quality across the code base. It’s an ambitious path, but one we must take together.” – *Pierrick Gaudin, Data Architect at TotalEnergies within the OSDU Deployment team

*“I have been involved with the OSDU Forum since its inception back in 2018-2019 and have worked close to full time on Forum matters since 2021. My primary contribution has been in on architecture and user requirements. I was elected Operator Member for the OMC September 2024, and have held the role of OMC Chair since August 2025. When it comes to 2026, my expectations are that we have been able to “land on Venus”, i.e., that the Community Implementation is the only Forum build and that it is supported by a healthy and prospering group of maintainers. I also hope that every year we will hear new success stories from Forum Members. The Houston Summit was the best so far with so much good work going on with many cross-working group session. I’m impressed to see the spirit and the wisdom that unfolds in the community.” **– ***Einar Landre, Software Architect and Wizard @ Equinor, OMC Chair

*“It was great to be in Houston with our amazing community for this recent event. Looking back, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help shape the direction of the OSDU Forum during a period of significant growth and transformation. It is always a privilege to witness firsthand how our shared vision and dedication have translated into tangible progress for the industry. The collaborative spirit within the community has not only accelerated technical advancements but has also fostered meaningful relationships across organizations and geographies. *

• *The Summit convened global leaders and practitioners to advance open standards and digital transformation in the energy sector. It was great to see attendees engaged in technical deep-dives, networking events, and lots of insightful conversations throughout the week. I left the event with renewed enthusiasm for our mission. These Summits always bring fresh perspectives, practical insights, and new connections. The experience reaffirmed the importance of our work and the impact we can achieve together as a global community.” – Patrick Kelly, Senior Manager, Data Platform Engineering, Subsurface & Wells, Chevron

“My work with The Open Group OSDU Forum for the past 5 years, especially as a contributor to the Reservoir DDMS area, has been highly productive and rewarding. The OSDU Houston Summit 2025 was a major inflection point. My biggest takeaway was the community’s unified commitment to evolving the Forum into a mature, scalable, and sustainable system. I was also energized by the focus on AI and Analytics during the summit. There is a strong community interest in making the data platform AI-ready by simplifying data consumption and structure. The goal is to ensure our seismic interpretation platform PaleoScan™ supports next-generation AI technologies and helps drive significant business impact for our users.

Looking ahead to 2026, I am particularly excited about two major initiatives. First, contributing to the high-priority Seismic Interpretation workflow, which is one of the industry’s most critical capabilities. Second, I look forward to supporting the launch of the Community Implementation, known as the Journey to Venus. This official platform release will play a pivotal role in delivering long-term platform stability and establishing the certification processes needed to ensure the OSDU platform remains secure, reliable, and commercially compelling for all stakeholders.“* – ***Fabien Bosquet, Chief Software Architect, Eliis

Looking Ahead to 2026

With the momentum from 2025 still strong, we are already looking forward to the next iteration of the Forum. As the OSDU standard matures further and more operators and service firms accelerate adoption, the 2026 events promise to be even more impactful. We anticipate deeper case-studies, expanded global participation, and increased focus on real-world deployment and scale-up.

We’re committed to staying engaged — actively contributing to Working Groups, sharing our own journey with the community, and collaborating with partners to advance the OSDU vision together.

To stay up to date with the latest events from The Open Group, click here.

Ash Patel – CDMP- Certified Copywriter (CMP) – CDMA, Content Marketing Manager, joined The Open Group in 2020, initially working in the Certification Team as a Certification Services Agent, before moving into the Marketing Team where he now works on marketing collateral, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and produces/ hosts The Open Group Open Comments Podcast. Ash holds a First-Class Bachelor’s Degree in Media Production (BA hons) from Coventry University. He is based in the UK.