In the Nov/Dec issue of Drilling Contractor magazine, IADC President Jason McFarland asks a crucial question:
DRILLBITS
Monthly eNewsletter from the IADC
McFarland: Communicating the Value of Our Industry
“How do we adequately express the importance and necessity of our industry in providing essential services and resources that allow the world, as we know it, to operate?”
Two key factors in expressing the value of our industry are advocacy and changing the public narrative around oil and gas. We will also need a certain amount of willingness to face these challenges head on and ask ourselves what actions we are going to take. McFarland outlines examples of such actions IADC has taken in 2022.
- IADC’s Industry Value Initiative (IVI) workgroup was formed this year. The purpose of the project is “… to find effective and impactful ways to communicate the value of our industry, with special focus on talent recruitment and engagement, capital markets and investors, and public and government affairs.”
- IADC Drilling Engineers Committee’s Q3 Tech Forum, “The Future of Drilling: Brain Drain Manifesto,” provided a forum for a similar conversation. Attendees, working in breakout groups, “… devised a list of specific actions that can be taken around key issues like industry branding and perception, using technology to advance industry ambitions and efficiency, and more effective collaboration across companies and disciplines to achieve industry’s collective goals.”
- IADC’s Accreditation & Credentialing Department launched WellSharp University this fall. Colleges and Universities will now be able to offer high-quality well control training to their students, which will “… allow young professionals to set a strong foundation for their careers before they even graduate.”
- IADC’s advocacy efforts have also been playing a role in changing the narrative around industry and informing others of the importance of what we do.
McFarland closes the article by stating,
“When it comes to industry’s ‘big questions,’ I know a few things for certain – IADC will continue to advocate for the best interests of its members and provide a forum for collaboration and innovation. We will remain focused on our mission, facing toward the future and relying on the invaluable involvement and input of our members every step along the way.”
