IADC Connection: News Cuttings

Hoffmark is IADC regional VP – Europe

Jens Hoffmark has joined IADC as regional vice president – Europe. He is responsible for overseeing IADC operations and activities across Europe, including regulatory affairs and involvement with activities such as the European Operations Forum and the Offshore Competency Training Programme.

Mr Hoffmark retired from Maersk Drilling in late 2009, where his most recent assignment was vice president – business development. During a career that spanned 42 years, Mr Hoffmark’s experience with Maersk included a number of international assignments in various management capacities.

A Danish citizen, Mr Hoffmark will be based in Denmark and supported from IADC’s European Regional Office in the Netherlands. He can be reached at +45-4390-2888 or jens.hoffmark@iadc.org.

Technology Value Guide draft is online

The IADC Advanced Rig Technology Committee’s Technology Value Guide seeks to compare the pros and cons of emerging and existing technologies, as well as definitions, photos and training sources. A draft is available through the “ART Deliverables & Additional Resources” link on the ART Committee website on www.iadc.org.

Robert Urbanowski, vice chairman of the ART Reliability & Guidelines Subcommittee, encourages IADC members to contribute photographs, definitions and training resources. “We want the Technology Value Guide to be broad-based and represent as many companies as possible,” he said.

The guide is a matrix, with technologies or equipment as the column headers,  and row headers are “positives” and “negatives.”

UBO & MPD Committee elects officers

Companies interested in these important technologies are encouraged to participate on the committee. Complete information, including future meeting dates, meeting minutes and completed documents, can be found on the committee’s web page at www.iadc.org
/committees/ubo_mpd/index.html.

The IADC Underbalanced Operations & Managed Pressure Drilling Committee has elected officers for 2010. Brian Grayson, Weatherford International, succeeds Don Reitsma, At Balance Americas, as chairman. Inger Kjellevoll, Statoil, was elected vice chairman.

“We are grateful to Don for his service to the committee, and we look forward to continuing the work begun under his leadership,” Mr Grayson remarked.

The committee is presently drafting a “best practice” document for managed pressure drilling that is expected to be adopted by API as a Recommended Practice. It will complement API RP92U, which covers underbalanced operations.  In addition, the committee is developing an online screening tool that will help drillers select the most effective MPD technique for their wells.

The committee’s HSE & Training Subcommittee is also working on a new suite of training programs covering both UBO and MPD.

Northern Arabian Gulf Chapter picks leaders

The IADC Northern Arabian Gulf Chapter has elected its 2010 officers. Saud Otaibi, Saudi Aramco, was elected as the new chairman and Larry Connor, Precision Drilling, as vice chairman. Imad Al Enaizi, Al-Enaizi Enterprises, was re-elected treasurer and Ossama Z. Al-Mohtaseb, Rawabi Trading & Contracting Co, as secretary. IADC would like to thank the chapter’s outgoing chairman and vice chairman: Ali Al Ghamdi, Saudi Aramco, and Victor U. Ughelie, Arabian Drilling Co.

Well Servicing Committee launches survey

The IADC Well Servicing Committee has launched a survey of well control training needs and practices among well servicing/workover contractors that aims to assess the industry’s needs and desires regarding improving training for IADC’s well servicing membership, beginning with well control.

The Association of Energy Servicing Companies is assisting with the survey and plans to encourage its members to participate in the survey as well.

While the WellCAP program has a training curriculum for well servicing, workover/completion, wireline, coiled tubing and snubbing, the committee is interested in how widely used the program is, how it can be improved, and what obstacles to training might exist.

“I urge our well servicing members in the strongest possible terms to ask the appropriate person in your organization to complete this important, landmark survey,” remarked Mike Killalea, IADC group vice president/publisher. All information will be kept confidential, and data analysis will be done without regard to company identification. The survey can be found online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SBY26Q2.

SAPC golf tournament set for 24-25 March

The IADC Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter (SAPC) will hold its 2010 golf event on 24-25 March at the Emirates Golf Course in Dubai. More than 400 players are expected to participate in this premier golf event, each playing two championship courses over the two days. A networking gala event will follow the tournament.

For sponsorship inquiries and team slots, please contact Neil Howie at +971-50-4576177 or neil.howie
@petrostem.com).