New elastomer technology designed to stay in hole longer in difficult well conditions

Abaco Drilling Technologies’ HPD elastomer, featured at the 2026 IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference in Galveston, Texas, was designed to operate in problematic drilling conditions – such as wells with high solids contents or excessive reaming – that typically place an abnormal amount of stress on the elastomer and lead to premature failure. Speaking to DC from the conference on 17 March, Jonathan Thiele, VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Abaco, spoke about the development of the elastomer, as well as the results companies have seen in the field.