On 21 February, the IADC Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) Student Chapter successfully convened Drilling Weekend 2026 on the PDEU campus. The event drew a crowd of over 75 attendees.
Objectives for the event included:
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Bridge academia and industry through structured technical engagement
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Provide practical exposure to drilling operations and real-world case analysis
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Encourage analytical thinking and technical excellence among students
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Strengthen industry-academia collaboration with leading organizations
The day included three distinguished guest speakers. Mr. Narayan Ramaswamy, Chief Executive Officer of JINDAL DRILLING & INDUSTRIES LTD. and Board Member of IADC South Central Asia Chapter (SCAC), shared practical insights from offshore drilling operations. He also stressed safety-first decision making and operational efficiency. Mr. Himanshu Kumar, Chief General Manager (Drilling) with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), discussed complexities in exploratory well drilling, focusing on cost optimization, risk mitigation, and leadership in drilling projects. Mr. Nidhish Kumar, Rig Manager at Jindal Drilling, discussed drilling procedures from an offshore rig, including an operational approach for exploratory and production wells.
During the event, Jindal Drilling provided a live technical case study session for the students and generously awarded ₹41,000 in cash prizes to the winning teams. The session was highly interactive and gave students valuable real-world operational exposure.
Well done to the PDEU Student Chapter for organizing this successful event, and thank you to everyone involved!
