Around 300 drilling contractors, operators, service providers, investors and students gathered at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas, 2–4 November for the 2026 IADC Annual General Meeting. Over two days, attendees heard from industry leaders on the market outlook, the workforce and the road ahead for drilling, and IADC honored three individuals for their contributions to the industry and the association.
Roddie Mackenzie, Executive VP and Chief Commercial Officer at Transocean and 2026 IADC Chairman, was named the 2026 IADC Contractor of the Year. The award was presented on 4 November during the NOV Rig Census Breakfast, hosted by NOV’s Joe Rovig.
Established in 1988, the annual award recognizes an individual drilling contractor’s outstanding lifetime achievement in technical innovation, safety and economic efficiency. It is the only industry award reserved solely for drilling contractors, and recipients are selected by IADC member drilling contractors.
At the HMH Keynote Breakfast on 3 November, IADC presented Exemplary Service Awards to two industry leaders.
Micah Backlund, Vice President of Global QHSE, Helmerich & Payne: A 25-year energy industry veteran, Micah joined H&P in 2006. As an IADC HSET Committee Officer, he helped lead a revamp of IADC’s Incident Statistics Program, modernize its Safety Alert Program and develop its Casing Operations Guidelines.
Joe Rovig, President, Energy Equipment, NOV: Joe has spent more than four decades in the industry, including 20 years in Asia and Europe, and joined NOV in 2002. Beyond his NOV role, he serves on the boards of Arabian Rig Manufacturing and United Way of Greater Houston, and is a longtime supporter of IADC conferences and the Contractor of the Year Award.
Program sessions spanned the full scope of today’s drilling business. Operators Petrobras, Shell, and Silver Hill Energy Partners shared their perspectives, alongside outlooks from drilling contractor leaders and investors and an economic view from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The program also covered the insurance market, advanced rig technology, AI readiness and automation, top concerns from field crews, and how the industry can attract and develop young talent, along with the annual NOV Rig Census and contractor survey findings.
Through IADC’s Student Chapter program, students and faculty from 11 universities took part in this year’s meeting:
- Louisiana State University
- Marietta College
- Missouri University of Science & Technology
- Southern Methodist University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas Tech University
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- University of North Dakota
- The University of Texas at Austin
- University of Wyoming
IADC thanks all speakers, sponsors and attendees for making the 2026 Annual General Meeting a success.
Mark your calendar: 2027 IADC Annual General Meeting, 9-10 November 2027, JW Marriott Austin, Texas
