DRILLBITS
Monthly eNewsletter from the IADC

The IADC Drilling Caspian 2023 Conference & Exhibition was held 7-8 February in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Caspian region continues to face challenges around market conditions, pandemic operational challenges, workforce development, drilling efficiency, safety and security, and equipment maintenance. This conference brought together industry leaders and drilling professionals to discuss such challenges and share best practices and experiences. IADC was delighted to sponsor 20+ students from local Azerbaijan universities who were able to attend and participate in the conference.

During the conference, Drilling Contractor (DC) magazine interviewed Yashar Latifov, VP Field Development for SOCAR. Companies in the Caspian region have always dealt with unique challenges. Its landlocked nature, for example, makes access particularly difficult for offshore drilling rigs. The area’s geology is also unique, with a young geologic basin that has a lot of unconsolidated fine sand formations. The interview discusses those unique challenges, as well as the new opportunities that are arising as the company looks to expand its drilling program and explore in deeper waters. Watch the video for more details.

DC magazine also interviewed Samir Mollayev, General-Director of SOCAR AQS. The video discusses how SOCAR AQS, which operates approximately 12 rigs – both on land and offshore – has been focusing on identifying ways to reduce well costs for operators, including enhancing its drilling engineering and geology capabilities. Emissions reduction is another key focus, as is development of its technical workforce. Watch the video for more details.