The IADC/SPE Managed Pressure Drilling & Underbalanced Operations Conference & Exhibition was held 3-4 October in Denver, Colorado. This conference is a world recognized forum to help the energy industry better understand the technology and the safe, effective utilization of the various applications of Underbalanced Operations (UBO), Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD), and Dual Gradient Drilling (DGD).
The conference program contained presentations and panels exploring completions, dual gradient drilling, operators perspective, well control, riser gas handling, lessons learned, and drilling contractors perspective.
IADC sponsored 27 students from the Student Chapter program to attend the conference. The attending students represented the following IADC Student Chapters:
- Louisiana State University
- Marietta College
- Texas A&M University
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette
- University of North Dakota
- University of Texas
- University of Wyoming
Drilling Contractor Interviews from the 2023 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference
Next-gen perspectives: Students share their thoughts on the drilling industry
Nearly 30 students from several IADC Student Chapters attended the 2023 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference. DC spoke with three of these petroleum engineering students – from the University of Louisiana, the University of Wyoming and Louisiana State University – to find out why they picked their major, what they learned by attending the conference, and their thoughts on how the drilling industry could better engage with young people today.
Professionals from Petrobras, Patterson-UTI and more talk about current state of MPD
More than 200 people attended the 2023 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference, held in Denver, Colo., attracting operators, contractors, service companies and academia from around the world. DC spoke with several of these MPD professionals to learn what they see as the biggest challenges in implementing MPD today, MPD developments for the next decade, how contractors should go about making their rigs MPD-ready and more. Watch the video to hear from Guilherme Vanni, Petrobras; Leiro Medina, Beyond Energy; Eric van Oort, UT Austin; Martyn Parker, Pruitt; Adam Keith, Patterson-UTI Drilling; and James Clarke Brockman, Nabors.
Equinor looks to standardization to boost MPD implementation in complex wells
Equinor wants to change the industry’s mindset around MPD, to help people realize that it’s not a super complicated technology and rig crews don’t need to be nervous when deploying it. Speaking on a panel session at the 2023 IADC/SPE MPD & UBO Conference, Roberto Obando, Principal Engineer Drilling & Wells HPHT at Equinor, explains the operator’s approach to MPD, as well as a standardization project under way to ensure simple and streamlined documentation for using MPD technologies. Mr Obando also provides his insights into Equinor’s views on an MPD-ready rig.
Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, exhibited, sponsored, and organized this conference!
