DEC holds ‘Rig for the Future’ forum, now planning ‘Transformation in Leadership’ The IADC Drilling Engineers Committee (DEC) held a virtual Tech Forum, “Rig for the Future,” on 24 June with more than 170 participants. The event brought together industry experts – representing drilling contractors, operators and service companies – to share their thoughts on what a new rig for the future would look like, as well as its potential value and the barriers the industry must address to achieve such a vision. Topics addressed included rig power systems, rig floor robotics, leveraging automation and digitalization technologies, and the evolution of rig controls. Speakers at the event, which was moderated by DEC Board member Robert Estes with Halliburton, were Marcel ...

IADC urges international authorities to adopt IMO pandemic recommendations IADC recently partnered with several trade organizations on a document urging national authorities to recognize a Circular Letter from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The document calls for personnel in the offshore energy sector to be designated as “key personnel” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations in Circular Letter No.4204/Add.13, which was issued by IMO in consultation with IADC, the International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC), International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP), International Support Vessel Owners Association (ISOA) and the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), detail recommendations for facilitating movement of key workers to and from their places of work on all vessels and installations engaged in offshore energy ...

The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Governors Coalition announced its support for increased revenue sharing and energy production on the OCS...

IADC is accepting nominations for those who made notable contributions to improved drilling performance, including safety and equipment reliability...

By Jason McFarland, IADC President As this edition of Drilling Contractor magazine goes to press, world governments are debating the safest ways to open their countries back up after the COVID-19 pandemic upended the global economy and as the disease continues to threaten human lives around the world. The pandemic’s impact on the oil and gas industry has been catastrophic as well, putting oil markets in chaos and sending the price of oil tumbling. In this environment, it can be hard to find the right words to say to IADC’s members, as so much of the news we are bombarded with every day is negative. However, even amid these unprecedented circumstances, I have seen glimmers of hope. IADC members, in ...

US CARES Act to inject needed relief for small businesses, industries In response to the devastating economic impacts arising from quarantine and stay-home orders, the US Congress and Administration passed several relief bills, including the CARES Act, which provide direct stimulus relief for families, small businesses and corporate relief. IADC President Jason McFarland said: “IADC has not been spared from the devastating effects of the crisis; all of our 1,000 plus member companies and their employees are feeling it. While our members include a few large corporations, the majority are small companies working with local communities to provide the energy that makes modern life possible. These companies have harnessed decades of American ingenuity to provide millions of jobs to workers. ...

V2.0 of DDR Plus has been released to the industry following feedback received on V1.0 during 2019 By Stephen Whitfield, Associate Editor The IADC Daily Drilling Report (DDR) is a staple of the drilling industry, the primary data-collection form for rigs around the world and a key element in determining the duration of various processes that makeup drilling, completing and intervening operations. The data collected in the DDR have remained underutilized, however, in part because of a lack of structure. In early 2018, the IADC Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Committee launched a project to update and digitalize the DDR. The work led to an upgraded system, the DDR Plus, which is designed to be more usable for automated systems to ...

In this interview with DC, Elizabeth Craddock, VP of Policy and Government Affairs at IADC, outlines the recent legislation to help businesses stay afloat during the pandemic and how drillers can take advantage of it...

Due to the concerns regarding COVID-19, IADC is postponing and rescheduling IADC events and conferences as necessary. New dates for rescheduled events will be posted here...

By Jason McFarland, IADC President Eighty years ago in 1940, IADC was established to give voice to the collective interests of drilling contractors. The seeds sown by that small group of dedicated industry veterans have allowed IADC to grow into the influential association it is today. Through the massive industry changes and technological innovations of the past eight decades, IADC has remained steadfast in its support of drilling contractor interests. IADC’s founders outlined 12 association aims, which detailed what IADC stands for and goals for the newly established association. Those aims, whose focus includes advocacy, promoting the safety of our workforce and establishing committees to solve industry issues, remain true today. We have weathered the cyclical ups and downs that ...