January/February 2026

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Critical Issues in Drilling & Completions
Sarah Fenton, Executive VP of Upstream, EQT Corp: Vertical integration improves capital efficiencies through scale, stability, goal alignment By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
Carey Ford, President and CEO, Precision Drilling: Drillers keep eye on technologies for tomorrow even as investors focus on getting returns today By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
Ryan Dawson, Chief Corvanaut, Corva: Tech adoption becomes easier when incentives align with economic realities of business By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
Jeff Fisher, VP – Products & Innovation (Pressure Control), HMH: Transparency on risks, vendor flexibility among OEM strategies to drive technology adoption By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
Mohamed Farouk, Group CEO & Vice Chairman, ADES Group: Aging jackup fleet, dim potential for newbuilds set scene for supply scarcity in coming years By Linda Hsieh, Editor & Publisher
Advancing HSE&T
Real-time dashboard integrates data across systems to quantify, visualize barrier degradation By Garrett Reinert, Valaris
Innovations in Real-Time Centers
RTOC brings together multiple AI platforms to make data-driven predictions, recommendations By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
Not just monitoring centers: RTOCs should unify planning, execution, after-action reviews By Chris Schneider, Corva
IADC Connection
From the Chairman: Your involvement directly impacts the collective success of our industry — it all starts with us By Roddie Mackenzie, 2026 IADC Chairman
IADC Board of Directors elects 2026 officers
Transocean’s Roddie Mackenzie aims to keep focus on advocacy, sustainability as IADC Chairman By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor
News Cuttings IADC PDEU Student Chapter celebrates 5th anniversary, holds technical session IADC Student Chapter, ADES team up to grow talent IADC awards 20 student scholarship for 2025-2026 IADC Brazil Chapter elects new Board of Directors South Central Asia Chapter engages with students
Wirelines US DOE outlines plans for oil market and production overhaul in Venezuela UK government maintains Energy Profits Levy for 2026 US House passes SPEED Act in major step to modernize federal permitting process OPEC+ reaffirms pause on planned production hikes
Departments
Drilling Ahead: AI is hot, but industry leaders remain firm that drilling is a people business By Linda Hsieh, Editor & Publisher
D&C News USGS: 47.9 trillion cu ft gas potential in Haynesville H&P set to reactivate 7 land rigs in Saudi Arabia Nashville exploration well proves successful in US Gulf VALARIS DS-8 wins 800-day contract with Shell in Brazil E&P CAPEX down 9% in new Petrobras 5-year plan
D&C Tech Digest Jet-propelled, battery-powered well conveyance technology completes field trial in Permian Basin Uncrewed technologies set to help monitor deep ocean currents, mitigate hazards Updated 3D printing standard addresses industry needs
News Briefs: Environmental, Social and Governance European Parliament votes to delay rules for due diligence, sustainbility reporting EPA extends industry deadlines for Clean Air Act rules
Oil & Gas Markets US LNG, AI growth among noteworthy energy trends More than $300 million in high bids generated by Big Beautiful Gulf 1 lease sale
People, Companies and Products Scott McKee joins Patterson-UTI as Senior VP Adams to succeed Lindsay as Helmerich & Payne CEO Woodside’s Meg O’Neill appointed as BP’s new CEO Aker BP extends drilling, maintenance deal with Archer SLB wins long-term deal for Saudi unconventional gas NEO NEXT+ to become UK’s largest independent E&P Kongsberg Digital, AIQ to collaborate on agentic AI Cuttings treatment facility begins operations in UAE NMDC, Baker Hughes sign MOU in Saudi Arabia Well Expertise secures agreement with Vår Energi Partnership unifies rig moving service in Egypt Velesto to divest NAGA 3 jackup, workover subsidiary Sean Mitchell named CEO of Daniel Energy Partners Scandrill, Corva partner on AI drilling intelligence GEOLOG acquires Quad, QO in wellsite services expansion Products Matrix-body bit aims to maximize directional control Web-based version of DROPS Calculator now available GDEP launches High Flow series of frac pumps Protective eyewear supports farsighted workers
Perspectives: Robert Roell, Valaris – Industry can benefit from standardized cybersecurity risk assessment By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor