IADC: Paving the path to better, safer industry

By Jason McFarland, IADC President

In the following pages, you will be able to read through a snapshot of IADC’s activities over the course of 2018. It’s an impressive list of accomplishments, and ones that I am personally proud of in my role as president of this association. I hope that you are able to see the value of your membership in the activities of our Government and Industry Affairs, Accreditation and Credentialing, International Development, Communications and Drilling Services divisions.  Maximizing the value you receive as a member of IADC is something that is of utmost important to me. While the accomplishments in 2018 have been impressive, there are even more important projects that we are excited about looking to 2019 and beyond.

Advocacy will remain a high priority, as it’s an area where the association can make a significant impact. In the US, our onshore and offshore government and industry affairs team continues the work of developing relationships with both state and federal regulators and legislators to ensure that the rules guiding our industry are fair and transparent, necessary and cost-effective. The election cycle ensures that there are always new faces to meet. Educating these individuals about our industry and how we contribute to the overall economy is critical.

Internationally, our team of regional representatives will remain active in their geographies, maintaining relationships with regional authorities to ensure that member concerns are voiced and heard. This type of work is personal, and it is what allows IADC to stay on top of current issues to advocate on behalf of your interests.

Additionally, safety remains a top priority for IADC. One of the ways that we address this topic is with our accreditation and credentialing programs. We have significantly stepped up our offerings in this area over the past couple of years, revamping our training programs to focus on current technology and developing new training targeted at continuous learning, with a specific focus on mitigating knowledge decay. That work will continue in 2019, as we work to revitalize our signature RigPass credentialing and the development of a Knowledge Retention and Continuous Learning program.

Often when we talk about safety at IADC, we are specifically referring to the people who live and work on our rigs. But safety also extends to the integrity of our equipment, and cybersecurity is a legitimate threat to the workability of both rigs and personnel. The IADC Cybersecurity Committee was established this year to address the growing concern of cyber attacks, particularly as our equipment has become more interconnected and susceptible to these attacks. The committee has several guideline documents in the works that are expected to be released in 2019, and its members continue to be highly visible at events hosted by both regulators and the industry.

We are also invested in IADC’s network of student chapters. Our student chapters thus far are giving university students an inside look at our industry through attendance at conferences and visits to rigs and other facilities. I share the belief with our members that these experiences are invaluable to the students as they are the future leaders of our industry, and the chapters create a stronger connection between these students and our industry.

In 2019, we have plans to expand our student chapter network beyond the US, with several universities interested in establishing new chapters at their institutions.

The work that we have done this past year, and the goals that we have set for ourselves moving into 2019, are not obtainable without the active involvement of our members. The individuals who donate their time and volunteer their expertise are what make this association special. Without it, we would be unable to accomplish any of our ambitious goals. To each and every one of you who, in ways big and small, volunteered your time to IADC in 2018, I thank you.

And if you are in any way inspired to do more in 2019, I invite you to attend one of our conferences, join a local chapter, and get involved with one of our committees. The coming year holds a lot of promise, and I look forward to working with you to make it even more successful than this year. DC