TAB LE OF CONTE NTS
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING ADVANCES
36 Metal-seal dissolvable frac plugs use simplified design to improve reliability during
plug and perf
BY JINLU WANG, VERTECHS GROUP
GLOBAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
37 ExxonMobil’s Guyana project provides
blueprint for building local workforce,
infrastructure in emerging E&P markets
39 Gender equality study explores
barriers women in Persian Gulf
still face in oilfield careers
BY STEPHEN WHITFIELD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
IADC CONNECTION
BY STEPHEN WHITFIELD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
DEPARTMENTS 41 News Cuttings
5 42 From the President:
Next-gen engagement
and enthusiasm
continue to flourish
BY JASON MCFARLAND,
IADC PRESIDENT
44 Wirelines
45 Conference Calendar
46 Editorial Preview
NOTE: Some articles feature QR Codes which can be
scanned using your smartphone to access web-
exclusive, enhanced editorial on DrillingContractor.org or
in our Digital Reader.
6 7
8 10
12 47
49 50
Drilling Ahead: Talent report: Industry will
need to compete on more than salary
BY LINDA HSIEH, EDITOR & PUBLISHER
D&C News
D&C Tech Digest
News Briefs: Environmental, Social
and Governance
Oil & Gas Markets
Videos People, Companies & Products
Advertisers Index
Perspectives: Richard Grayson, Nabors –
Being flexible is critical to a long career
in an industry of constant change
BY STEPHEN WHITFIELD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
MAR/APR 2023
Volume 79 • Number 2
Drilling Contractor (ISSN 0046-0702), the official
magazine of the International Association of Drilling
Contractors (IADC), is issued six times per year. DC is a
wholly owned publication of IADC, which is also the
publisher of the annual IADC Membership Directory.
Drilling Contractor strives to ensure that the articles and
information it publishes are accurate and reliable.
However, DC cannot warranty the information provided
in its editorial content, and publication in DC is not a
guarantee that the material presented is accurate.
DC wants to hear from its readers. Send your comments
or inquiries to editor@iadc.org or Attn: Editor, Drilling
Contractor Magazine, 3657 Briarpark Drive, Suite 200,
Houston, Texas 77042 (please include your name, plus
an email or phone number). We hope you will enjoy and
benefit from DC’s editorial. However, should you wish to
4 complain, please contact the publisher. Our complaint
policy is posted at www.drillingcontractor.org.
Subscriptions are free to operational personnel
employed by contract-drilling firms or by major,
national or independent oil companies. Publisher
reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions.
Paid subscriptions are available at $260 per year, US;
$320, outside the US. Single issues are $40.
For advertising rates or information, call Drilling
Contractor at +1-713-292-1945 or check our website at
www.drillingcontractor.org. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Drilling
Contractor magazine, 3657 Briarpark Drive, Suite 200,
Houston, Texas 77042.
© 2023 Drilling Contractor. All rights reserved. Printed
in the USA.
PUBLISHED BY
IADC OFFICERS
IADC 3657 Briarpark Drive
Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77042 USA
Chairman Andy Hendricks
Phone: +1 713 292 1945
drilling.contractor@iadc.org www.drillingcontractor.org
Secretary-Treasurer Scott McReaken
EDITORIAL STAFF
Vice President, Editor & Publisher
Linda Hsieh
Creative Director
Brian C. Parks
Associate Editor
Stephen Whitfield
Contributor Stephen Forrester
Vice Chairman
Leif Nelson
Division VP North America
Onshore Mike Garvin
Division VP International
Onshore Miguel Sanchez
Division VP Offshore
Brian Woodward
Division VP Drilling Services
Tim McGarity
President Jason McFarland
A full list of IADC staff is available here: www.iadc.org/about/staff
M A R C H/A P R I L 2023 • D R I L L I N G C O N T R AC T O R
DRILLING AHEAD • DEPARTMENTS
Talent report: Industry will need
to compete on more than salary
BY LINDA HSIEH, EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Recruiters and hiring managers know: It’s
an employees’ market right now. Multiple
industries are experiencing widespread
skills shortages, and everyone is compet-
ing for a shrinking pool of experienced
talent. Just recently I saw an article come
across my news feed highlighting the
aviation industry’s woes trying to fill bag-
gage handling and customer service posi-
tions. Recruiting and retention tactics that
they’re now trying range from providing
onsite childcare services to giving out free
iPhones and even free cars.
The oil and gas industry is facing big
talent gaps, too. This has been evident
across conversations I’ve had with vari-
ous industry leaders while working on
this magazine, as well as in presentations
I’ve seen at industry events over the past
six to nine months. Not only are compa-
nies encountering difficulties attracting
new workers, but they are also having a
much harder time, compared with previ-
ous cycles, trying to hire people back.
A highly coveted workforce
According to the 2023 Global Energy
Talent Index (GETI), the oil and gas sec-
tor is “leaking talent in all directions. Its
multi-skilled, mobile workforce is increas-
ingly high prized by other industries.”
The report is based on surveys conduct-
ed in late 2022 with more than 10,000 pro-
fessionals in five energy sectors, includ-
ing oil and gas. It found that 80% of oil
and gas employees have been tapped for
another job in the past year. Staggeringly,
10% of employees said they have been
approached 16 or more times to apply for a
position outside of their current company.
So, what can our industry do to become
more competitive?
Yes, we can still compete on salary.
In the surveys, the single factor that oil
and gas workers cite as having the most
positive impact on their job satisfaction
is their remuneration. However, having
employee job satisfaction so highly depen-
dent on financial benefits – when there
are such big skills shortages in multiple
sectors – means that spikes in labor costs
are certain to continue. This is unhealthy
at a time when organizations are already
dealing with serious inflation pressures in
their supply chain. There have to be other
differentiators. What can we do?
For one, companies really have to get
better at listening to their employees. We
already know that the younger generation
seeks to work with a sense of purpose. But
the surveys still found many oil and gas
employees who say their views and values
are ignored and do not influence com-
pany policies. “Companies must shift from
retrospective snapshots of workers, such
as job satisfaction surveys, to continual
employee engagement,” said Janette Marx,
CEO of Airswift, the company behind the
talent survey.
Secondly, don’t scrimp and save on
employee training and upskilling. Not only
is it a cost-effective way for an organiza-
tion to boost its capabilities, the report
said, but it’s also associated with higher
talent retention.
Keeping pace with wider ESG trends
may be another step companies can take.
When oil and gas employees were asked
if they believe their job has changed as a
result of the energy transition, the largest
percentage of respondents (38%) not only
said yes but also said they enjoy their job
more because of the change.
It’s also worth noting that, when asked
which other energy sector they’re most
considering moving to, nearly half (49%)
picked renewables.
In conclusion, the report makes it clear
that oil and gas employees are a highly
attractive bunch to many other technical,
high-paying industries. We can try to con-
tinue competing on pay, but that may no
longer be enough. DC
Safer employees
equals safer
operations Delivers a standardized
safety orientation for
new employees in any
region or operating
environment. Incorporates vast
industry knowledge
and expertise of HSE
professionals. Offers flexibility
to develop courses
to address unique
company needs.
Is open to all drilling
and service contractors,
commercial providers,
educational institutions
and agencies.
www.iadc.org/iadc-rig-pass rigpass@iadc.org
E-mail Linda Hsieh at linda.hsieh@iadc.org.
D R I L L I N G C O N T R AC T O R • M A R C H/A P R I L 2023
5