Collaboration, ingenuity will be needed during energy expansion

By Jason McFarland, IADC President

The oil and gas industry continues to play a central role in meeting the world’s ever-growing energy demands. Oil and natural gas power so many essential areas of our everyday lives – from healthcare to transportation, from food processing to communication. The drilling industry continues to adapt swiftly and efficiently so it can provide valuable resources while operating within the significant context of safety, health and sustainability. Technological innovations allow drilling contractors to adopt environmentally conscious practices such as using dual-fuel engines, running rigs off highline power, utilizing precision GHG emissions monitoring systems and exploring geothermal drilling, to give a few tangible examples.

As we continue to move through the energy expansion – and I truly believe it will be an expansion or addition, rather than an absolute transition – fossil fuels will remain an affordable, reliable and vital part of the solution to energy challenges. The collective goal of the energy expansion is to provide all individuals, organizations and communities equal access to dependable energy in the most sustainable and responsible ways possible. The truth is that economic growth and rising populations are creating greater energy needs that will only be met with unprecedented collaboration and ingenuity across all sectors and geographic regions. 

IADC is founded on this very type of collaboration and ingenuity. What we do is only possible because of the members who volunteer their time, their ideas and their expertise to support a collective mission. This association, through its members, provides a unified voice for the drilling industry, a forum for collaboration, and the support and structure for cultivating ideas into meaningful actions.

IADC is its members

IADC is the members of the Young Professionals Committee who conceptualized and brought to fruition the first “Luncheon with Leaders” event in July. This networking event gave YPs opportunities to connect with industry leaders in a small-group setting, with no cost to the participants. 

IADC is the 77 companies and their respective HSE personnel who voluntarily participate in the crucial, yet labor-intensive, process of reporting incidents to IADC’s Incident Statistics Program. This program is part of IADC’s mission to continuously improve industry safety, health and environmental protection, and was created specifically to assist in improving safety on oil and gas rigs by providing data on incident trends and rates. 

IADC is the members of the Technical Publications Committee, who dedicated countless hours to writing and revising the recently published “Fundamentals of Horizontal Wellbore Cleanout.” This 252-page book is just the latest of the committee’s 11 peer-reviewed publications.

IADC is the 12 members that represent drilling contractors, operators and service companies by serving on the WellSharp Advisory Panel over the last decade to completely reconstruct and modernize WellSharp – IADC’s accreditation program that provides comprehensive well control training standards for the global drilling industry. 

IADC is the students involved in the IADC Student Chapter at the University of North Dakota, who collaborated with the SPE Student Chapter to host a virtual workshop earlier this year discussing carbon capture, utilization and storage, with over 180 attendees. The association’s 13 student chapters are constantly discovering new ways to offer students real-world industry experience and impactful networking opportunities.  

IADC is the conference program committee members who worked tirelessly throughout a year-long process to plan and execute the Advanced Rig Technology Conference and Exhibition. Every year the association hosts 12-15 conferences worldwide, each with a unique group of 10-12 volunteers whose hard work and planning make these large-scale events possible. 

IADC is the members of the Permian Basin Chapter, who recently held a golf tournament and raised money that will fund scholarships for local students. IADC has 17 regional chapters, and this is just one of many examples of chapters giving back to their communities while networking and having a good time. 

IADC is the Sustainability Committee members, who are drafting a document on ESG reporting guidance that will be available for all IADC members to utilize. This guidance document will provide clarity and direction to those navigating the evolving ESG landscape. 

Our members provide an extraordinary example of a true energy mix. Individuals with different professional backgrounds and from a variety of companies provide IADC with the priceless resources of dedication and expertise. While I wasn’t shocked to learn that IADC members collectively invest approximately 20,000 hours of their time each year to the association, I did feel extremely grateful and honored to be serving such committed individuals.

The world could benefit from this caliber of partnership across all sectors as we rely on one another’s strengths and share the load. The drilling industry will continue to fulfill its role in the ongoing energy expansion; we will integrate revolutionary practices, advanced technology and passionate collaboration to provide energy in responsible and innovative ways. The future is bright when we work together to find solutions, share best practices and expand our options as we move toward our common goals.  DC