Decades in, MPD’s benefits and use still not always understood

Although it’s been multiple decades since the concept of managed pressure drilling (MPD) was introduced, the technology remains significantly underutilized across the industry. Closing that gap will require better quantification and communication of the full range of safety, efficiency and environmental benefits MPD can provide to operators. This was the message Eric van Oort, Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, had while speaking at the 2026 IADC Drilling Engineers Committee Q3 Technology Forum in Houston on 2 September.

In this video taken from the forum, Dr van Oort said the key to increasing adoption of MPD lies in developing a comprehensive set of key performance indicators that clearly quantify MPD’s value, such as faster rates of penetration, reduced nonproductive time, less reservoir damage and a smaller carbon footprint. Dr Van Oort also discussed his recently published book, “Managed Pressure Drilling: Fundamentals, Methods and Applications.”