85 years strong: IADC’s legacy of leadership and innovation
By Jason McFarland, IADC President
For 85 years, the International Association of Drilling Contractors has served as the voice of the global drilling industry, uniting competitors and colleagues alike in a shared mission of safer, more efficient operations. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary in 2025, I reflect on the thousands of dedicated professionals who have helped shape not only our organization but the entire trajectory of this industry.
IADC’s journey began in 1940 when a group of industry pioneers realized that individual contractors would be more powerful if they joined together to advocate for their collective needs. They established the American Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (AAODC) to further the best interests of the drilling industry. The core values of the founders, as outlined in the original 12 Association Aims, remain just as relevant 85 years later. Today, IADC continues to forge ahead in developing industry standards, advancing safety, and cultivating a highly skilled workforce while providing guidance and value to our members in their pursuit of excellence.
The association’s founders could hardly have imagined how the drilling industry would transform over the next 85 years or how IADC would evolve right along with it. A milestone in our evolution came in the early 1970s when the AAODC became IADC. The name and logo change reflected our expanding global presence and international scope.
An 85-year legacy is no small feat, and IADC’s enduring success stems from the visionaries who have guided our path. IADC’s past leadership — including individuals such as Brad Mills, Warren Baker, Ed McGee and Lee Hunt — played a pivotal role in securing and perpetuating IADC’s legacy for the betterment of the industry.
At the heart of IADC’s success lies our membership. Our members are the driving force behind every effort, milestone and achievement. They spearhead technical committees, collaborate on industry guidelines, and orchestrate events for industry engagement. Their innovative ideas, coupled with their dedication to implementation, fuel industry progress; it’s their energy, time and commitment that propel this association. IADC has stood as both witness and catalyst to some of the most transformative changes in our industry’s history, powered by our membership.
As we mark this anniversary, we find ourselves at the perfect juncture to honor our heritage while charting an ambitious course forward. The core of our industry has always been — and always will be — the people. IADC is focused on cultivating the next generation of industry leadership.
Our Student Chapter program is thriving, with a network of 21 chapters worldwide. These chapters deliver exceptional value through coordinating educational events, facilitating networking opportunities, connecting students with industry experts, and creating various resources such as podcasts and magazines.
Last fall, we launched the IADC Student Chapter Scholarship Program. Through this initiative, we proudly awarded 20 dedicated students with $5,000 scholarships to support their academic endeavors. Since 2017, IADC Student Chapters have focused on providing students with experiences that complement their traditional academic education, and these scholarships represent our ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation of industry professionals.
IADC is also prioritizing people through its ongoing accreditation efforts. A particular point of interest is a recent project to redesign the KREW (Knowledge Retention & Education for our Workforce) online learning system. This innovative hybrid learning approach focuses on critical concepts, human performance and scenario-based training to enhance industry expertise between recertification periods. Professionals can continuously strengthen their skills, and those who complete all required modules during their two-year certification period may benefit from an accelerated recertification course upon renewal.
This year, our association is also contributing to significant developments in the realm of geothermal energy. The inaugural IADC Geothermal Drilling Conference & Exhibition will convene in March in Austria. This unique forum will enable participants to shape the transformative potential that geothermal drilling brings to the entire energy sector.
Furthermore, the IADC Geothermal Committee recently launched the IADC Geothermal Well Classification. This resource will serve as both a standalone reference and form the cornerstone of the IADC Geothermal Well Drilling Guidelines, which will be incorporated as a dedicated chapter of the revised IADC Drilling Manual. This achievement exemplifies how our members drive our association forward — the exceptional leadership, expertise, collaboration and coordination invested in developing this resource truly demonstrate the remarkable outcomes that IADC members consistently deliver.
This industry’s rich past, present and future are woven from millions of individual experiences — each person, project and innovation contributing to our collective narrative. As we commemorate IADC’s 85th anniversary, we’re celebrating with a special theme and campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice.” Our collective voice must resonate more powerfully than ever, and this campaign aims to showcase the human stories behind the drilling industry. I invite you to be part of this continuing story by sharing highlights from your own professional journey with us. Together, we’ll ensure that the next chapter of our association’s history is as remarkable as the first 85 years. DC
