Dear Client:

In an effort to better assist our customers, Tobin International and IHS Energy have teamed together to standardize meridian codes across the oil and gas industry. The project to standardize these codes was put forth, along with a table of proposed codes, nearly two years ago in a Tobin User Group Meeting. The proposal was accepted unanimously by the group.

In addition to the approval of meridian code changes, Tobin and IHS clients also agreed the implementation of new meridians would best be endeavored during the IHS database integration and code standardization. IHS Energy has undertaken the arduous task of updating millions of well records and several software packages. This project has involved standardization of operator, formation and field codes as well as other data fields.

Based upon feedback from our users, the meridian codes primarily reflect USGS codes but also include some used by the BLM and other industry-specific codes. Included with this letter is a spreadsheet that contains the old and the new meridian codes. The old meridian codes will remain in our survey data until March 17, 2000 – the release date of our 1999.12.31 maintenance release – at which time all distributed data will contain the standardized codes. A digital "swap file" called tobin_meridiancode_swapfile.txt which contains the old codes and the new codes has been posted on our web site at www.tobin.com under "White Papers", then "Data Formats and Specifications".

A white paper entitled "Meridian Code Proposed Changes" may be found on Tobin’s web site in "White Papers", then "Technical Papers". The spreadsheet referenced above called tobin_meridiancodes.pdf may also be found in this location.

Both IHS Energy and Tobin are dedicated to working together in an effort to synchronize the well information as it is produced and stored at both companies. The goal is to create a common header for key elements of well information with simultaneous updating across the board. IHS Energy has already begun distribution of the standardized meridian codes to their Well Data CD-ROM clients. Tobin will begin distribution of our well updates with these codes in our March 2000 release. Meridian codes will be included in our WCS-formatted wells only. In this format, if column 120 is populated with a "J" for Jeffersonian or a "C" for Carter, then columns 117-119 will contain the appropriate meridian code. The code will be right justified and zero-filled as necessary. For more information on Tobin’s WCS format, please refer to our web site under "Support", then "Map Data – Format Documentation".

We are also in the process of notifying all software vendors that Tobin and IHS Energy work with presently. I’ve attached a list with the names and contacts of those vendors. If you would like us to notify anyone else please let me know as soon as possible (tobin_meridiancodes_vendorlist.pdf).

Thank you for your support and hope that we can continue to be of service.