The 2024 IADC Drilling Middle East Conference & Exhibition took place 10-11 December in Muscat, Oman. This event, which was hosted by the Oman Energy Association (OPAL) and Petroleum Development Oman, brought together industry leaders to discuss critical topics such as workforce development, drilling efficiency, and safety. Discussions centered on advanced drilling automation technologies, practical HSE improvements, and strategic solutions for current market challenges.
Opening and keynote presenters included:
- H.E. Mohsin Al Hadhrami, Undersecretary, Ministry Oil & Gas Oman
- Mohammed Al Naabi, Chief Executive Officer, Oman Energy Association (OPAL)
- Dr. Aflah Al Hadhrami, Managing Director, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)
- Saif Al Hamhami, Chief Executive Officer, Abraj Energy Services
IADC organized a first-of-its-kind contest after day 1 of the conference for all of the students in attendance. The event, titled “DrillTech Arena,” consisted of 9 university teams testing their knowledge in an engaging competition of IADC trivia and technical drilling questions. Participating teams included students from Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, as well as from the IADC Student Chapters at:
- King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)
- Suez University
- The University of Boumerdes
- Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU)
- Mahrashtra Institute of Technology
- Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
The event fostered networking, friendly competition, and great fun for the students. Congratulations to the IADC KFUMP Student Chapter for winning 1st place, and the IADC PDEU Student Chapter for taking 2nd place!
According to Ahmed Abdelaal, the organizer and host of DrillTech Arena,
“Having attended many conferences, I can confidently say that IADC’s student engagement stands out as a benchmark for the industry. Their dedication to empowering young talent inspires us all to bridge the gap between academia and industry.”
Drilling Contractor Interviews from the 2024 IADC Drilling Middle East Conference
PDO reduces well costs by standardizing, digitalizing rig sizing process
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) recently undertook a methodological approach to revitalize its rig sizing process by developing an automated tool called Rig Calc. Abdullah Braiki, Senior Well Engineer Value Creation at PDO, spoke with DC at the 2024 IADC Drilling Middle East Conference in Muscat, Oman, on 11 December about the business case for developing the tool, including overdesign and missed opportunities. In this video, Mr Braiki provides an overview of the “rig sizing” journey, under which rig sizing calculations were standardized, and the resulting digital tool that has now been implemented at PDO.
OPAL supports Omani workforce with launch of digital safety management platform
The Oman Energy Association (OPAL) recently launched a new digital safety management platform, Himaya, to serve its members and to help build a safer and more technology aware workplace. Speaking with DC at the 2024 IADC Drilling Middle East Conference, OPAL CEO Mohammed Al Naabi talked about how his organization is supporting Oman’s efforts to ensure sustainability by building a resilient energy ecosystem. This includes implementing digitalization, through new tools like Himaya, to drive improved efficiency in oil and gas operations. The platform encompasses functions such as incident investigation, audit and inspection management, and automated action tracking.
Understanding persuasion psychology can help to support improvements in rig safety
The psychology of persuasion – the study of how to influence people’s attitudes and behaviors – can be useful in many situations, including in association with rig operations and management. Neil Orvay, Managing Director at Evolution U Consulting, spoke at the 2024 IADC Drilling Middle East Conference in Muscat, Oman, on 11 December, about ways in which people’s perspectives can be influenced – and therefore how their perception of certain things can be influenced – simply by the way information is introduced. In the video, he explains the principle of contrast, as well as Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion, as foundations to better understanding persuasion psychology and how it can be relevant to rig operations.
