DRILLBITS
Monthly eNewsletter from the IADC




Members Excited about IADC Involvement in 2022

Back in 1940, the founders of IADC sought to build a firmer foundation for the drilling industry by defining the Association’s original 10 aims. Those aims were guided by the understanding that this “firmer foundation” would require contributions from us all toward varying collective efforts.

Over 80 years later, the result is the Member-led organization that gives voice to the industry and assists the people within it however they need it to be.

Upcoming IADC Activities for 2022

With 2022 getting underway, IADC is preparing to continue many of the initiatives that began humbly as a few people gathered together to find the available solutions to the problems of the times. These have grown slowly into the good work involved for the many regular, long-standing conferences, committee meetings, and chapter events that the industry marks on their calendars.

Involvement in Committees

One of the simplest ways to get involved is to join 1 of 18 Committees that address the always-evolving complexities of the drilling industry. Committees are foundational to IADC as they differentiate across the various special interest groups in our very technical industry.

Committee members participate on Planning Committees for the various oil & gas conferences like IADC/SPE International Drilling Conference, collaborate within working groups on establishing industry-wide standardization like DDR-Plus, and competency programs like the recently launched Subsea Competence Assessment Program (to name a few).

With as big as the industry feels sometimes and as many members as IADC has, it’s important to remember a few things this year as you draw up your professional goals for 2022:

Start Off Simply

Not everyone knows exactly what Committee, Chapter, or Conference they’d like to help out with. Don Caffey, Training & Development Manager at Latshaw Drilling, didn’t know what he wanted to do. He just wanted to do something.

I started a new career in oil and gas as a safety manager about 13 years ago. I asked my CEO (and mentor) how best to accelerate my working knowledge of this industry. He told me to contact IADC. When I asked the same question to IADC, they said it was simple. I needed to volunteer. That is exactly what I did.

Since that 1st phone call 13 years ago, Caffey’s leveraged his professional experience to volunteer his time to IADC’s RigPass and competency programs to make them the best they can be. He even was part of the advisory panel that developed RigPass To Go. The training course was had pre-packaged, facilitator-based content that allowed companies to minimize cost in lieu of spending resources building their own custom course.

Solutions like these make provide the industry the tools they need to stay adaptable and resilient.

Our success in this ever-changing industry comes from the strength of our members. These Members are the many great men and women who I’ve worked with over the years. Putting myself out there and calling IADC was some great advice.

After Caffey pivoted his career into the industry’s HSE space after 15 years in law enforcement, he was able to grow resume in ways he probably hadn’t considered when he first decided to get into the training safety, like adding “adjunct professor for a state university” for a few semesters, teaching Advanced Field Applications in Petroleum Safety to the next generation of industry professionals.

It’s no secret that being a proactive IADC Member can accelerate your professional development. Members get access to the resources, networking opportunities, and industry events that have kept this industry innovating and improving for the past 80+ years.

Coffey’s success was due, in part, to his decision to reach out to those with more industry experience. This can be helpful if you are pivoting into the industry or starting out in a career, which leads to another crucial recommendation on getting involved.

Connect with Other Members

Grace Hurley, Product Marketing Manager at Nabors Industries did not start out in the oil & gas industry. Having bounced around a few jobs in Wealth Management, Staffing & Recruiting, Industrial Distribution right after college, Hurley joined Nabor Industries in spring 2019. has recently gotten involved with IADC’s Young Professionals (YP) Committee as Co-Chair:

Working on the YP Committee introduced me to so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I started my career outside the industry, so I didn’t have a full understanding of the various career paths available to me. Volunteering for the YP Committee has introduced me to so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise, both as friends and mentors. I feel like each conversation I have with someone across the industry helps me see new opportunities for growth.

We’re excited to have Hurley on the YP Committee as she continues to chart how she wants her career in oil and gas to grow and blossom. The important thing, though, is that Hurley’s open to keeping the dialogue going with herself and (most importantly) others. This leads to the reason why cross-company conversations is important for the drilling industry.

Share Insights Across the Industry

There are many reasons to attend the many IADC committee meetings, technical conferences, chapter events. IADC was founded on the tenets of collaborative deliberation and collective action.

Derek Hibbard, Global Head HSSEQ Compliance and Performance Improvement at Seadrill, has participated in or led various IADC committees for the past 15 years. He currently sits as the current Chair of the HSE Committee:

IADC Committee participation provides a common forum to assimilate bright and motivated people from all over the O&G spectrum, allowing all participants to openly and honestly share lessons learned, challenges, solutions, & best practices that we otherwise may not have access to. Having the pleasure of travelling around the world for the past 2 decades, I continue to be both surprised and impressed with the creativity and dedication to achieving success that I see from teams all over the planet, both on and offshore.

Hibbard continued:

Participation is a proactive choice that that does take my time and energy. But, that’s fine because I believe in what I’m doing. I continue to make that choice to stay engaged and look forward to doing so in the future.

Opportunities to Grow

IADC participation provides opportunities to learn new skills and to meet new people using those skills. It’s where the rubber meets the road for anyone who wants to improve where their career is going. Like Assaad Mohanna, Senior Director of Low Carbon Solutions at NOV, who’s recently become the Chair of our Advanced Rig Technology Committee:

Over the years, I’ve shifted from technical engineering & operations roles to strategic business development ones, further growing my expertise in technology, business, and overall leadership. Being part of the Association and participating in its committees has been an enjoyable journey full of of learning, networking, solving challenges and uncovering opportunities. If technology is what moves you, then the IADC is a great place for cutting edge discussions around automation, digitalization and energy efficiency. If it’s people, IADC is the melting pot of our industry and a platform for thought leadership, where everyone strives to improve upon what came before.

After his long-standing participation and contributions to the committee and willingness to stayed engaged with the Advanced Rig Technology, leadership opportunities opened up to Assaad that allowed him to grow.

We all know that there are many benefits to being a member of a professional business association.

Make the Industry What You Want It to Be

As an IADC member, you have the opportunity to engage in a variety of professional development opportunities, including networking with business professionals from other companies, volunteering for leadership positions within the association, and attending meetings and conferences.

A similar thing happened 3 years ago to former YP Committee Co-Chair, Garrett Reinert, Operations Superintendent at Valaris, after having been in the industry since 2013:

Despite having an IADC Company Membership, I wasn’t involved IADC. Then, 3 years ago, I joined the IADC Young Professionals Committee. Since then, I dove in headfirst and said “Yes” to everything I could at IADC. Across the YP Committee, my local chapter, and conference advisory panels, all that effort has paid off. I have grown my professional network ten-fold and, in the process, have garnered some great working relationships.

Reinert’s said “Yes” to a lot of invitations, joining every committee he could join and attending all of the events that her could make. Because, Reinert didn’t simply think of it as “professional networking” but more like an additional piece to his chosen career, engaging with like-minded individuals.

I believe that it is our duty to leave this industry better than we found it. Seeing as I am still in the beginning of my career in the industry, I’m proud of an organization like IADC that has supported leaving Members better than it found them.

“Continuous improvement” is not just a mantra that goes on trade show banners. With each rotation of the drill stem; with each cutting from the latest tungsten carbide drill bit; with each ounce of the newest drilling mud recipe with the best-balanced polymer additives, IADC Members are working to make themselves and their companies better.

What Other Members are Saying about Their IADC Involvement

Being a part of an Association that ensures industry standards are met without forgetting the people is gratifying
I wanted to be a part of IADC because I love the oil patch. I love educating people about oil and gas, especially all things drilling rigs. Organizations like IADC give a voice to the industry and give people like myself a chance to represent the industry and my company on all sorts of different levels.
IADC is an excellent platform for advocacy, to be seen & heard by those that matter. Have a voice to shape the industry.
IADC is a great way to stay in touch with your industry both at local and international level. Whether it be social networking events, or technical committees. You will meet and work with many people who either have made, or will make a huge impact in Oil and Gas.
We’re stronger together & stronger than ever!
To generate more interest in IADC, the Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter is looking at holding meetings in different countries in 2022 to increase regional interest in the IADC chapter. With that, our very popular golf event, & annual HSE awards program, we are looking forward to the opportunity to further enhance our impact to the industry and the region.