Welcome

The IADC Annual General Meeting is recognized as the keynote conference for the drilling industry and provides ideal networking opportunities for participants. It features prominent speakers from industry and government.

StartNovember 14, 2024EndNovember 15, 2024
CitySan Antonio
CountryUnited States

2023 Event Demographics

Registrants by Job Title

  • Management
  • Press
  • Quality, Health, Safety & Environment
  • Library/Miscellaneous
  • Training/Education
  • Company Owner/Corporate Officer
  • Completion Engineer
  • Drilling and/or Completion Operations
  • Drilling Engineer
  • Student
  • Complimentary
  • Drilling & Completion Engineer
320

Attendees

24

Speakers

13

Sponsors

Registrants by Location

  • Registrants
This event is advertised in industry publications media including:

DC Logo Events Footer

We thank you for your support!

The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) is a non-profit organization. Income from this event will be invested back into other IADC initiatives we develop to serve the drilling industry to connect, share knowledge, tackle common problems and develop solutions to critical issues in different parts of the world. By participating in an IADC event you will be improving and supporting your own industry.
IADC provides web links as a member service. IADC does not warranty or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content, or advertisements contained on websites linked to IADC.org or any of its subsidiary pages.

Venue & Hotel

Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk

Address 123 Losoya St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone +1 210 222 1234

Negotiated Room Rate $219 Single/Double Occupancy
Expires: 21 October 2024

NOTE: Please make your room reservations directly with the hotel. Please be sure to mention the IADC Annual General Meeting to obtain discounted rate.

Warning!
Please note that there are several 3rd party companies actively approaching conference delegates and exhibitors by phone and email trying to sell hotel rooms at the contracted hotel for a cheaper rate than the published rate on this conference website. Please note that these companies do not represent IADC or the hotel, nor has IADC or the hotel authorized them to use their names or trademarks on information they send out to exhibitors and delegates.

To avoid being a victim of fraud, please do not give out your credit card details to any other party and be sure to make your hotel reservations exclusively through the contracted hotel.

Venue Details

Registration fee: Member: $650, Non-member: $800

  • Spouses/Guests are invited to attend the 2 Receptions (to be used in conjunction with a paid attendee)Please complete and return the guest form.
  • Employees of federal regulatory agencies may be eligible for a 50% discount on conference registration.
  • Speakers and sponsors are not eligible for online registration.
  • In order to receive a letter of invitation, IADC requires payment via Wire Transfer. The wire transfer information is included on the registration form. (Complete the Conference Registration Form PDF above)
  • IADC offers discounted registration to full time students not currently employed in industry.  Please contact registration@iadc.org for further information.
  • No refunds will be made for cancellations 30 days prior to the conference date.

Press Policy

Complimentary press registration is limited to one (1) person per company. This individual must be a titled editor, writer, reporter or other bona fide editorial representative of a legitimate industry or consumer publication. Publishers and sales and marketing specialists are excluded from this complimentary registration practice and must pay the full conference registration fee to attend an event.

No unauthorized photos, videos or recording allowed.
Recording in any form (audio, video, still photography, etc.) of presentations and/or speakers during sessions, poster presentations, workshops, etc., without the express written consent of IADC and the party to be recorded is strictly prohibited.  *Those who do not comply with the Recording Equipment/Photo policy may be asked to leave the premises and barred from receiving complimentary press registration for future IADC events.

Press registration must be received 1 week prior to the event to ensure entrance.  Members of the press will be identified with a green press ribbon attached to their name badge.

Email registration@iadc.org to request the Press registration form. Submission of the form designates compliance with this policy.

Need Help? registration@iadc.org / +1.713.292.1945

Program

Wednesday, 13 November

8:00-11:00 am IADC North America Onshore Advisory Panel Meeting (Advisory Panel Members Only) Rio Grande West

8:30-11:00 am IADC Offshore Advisory Panel Meeting (Advisory Panel Members Only) Rio Grande East

10:00-11:00 am IADC Drilling Services Advisory Panel Meeting (Advisory Panel Members Only) Rio Grande Center

11:30 am-5:00 pm IADC Executive Committee Meeting (Executive Committee Members Only) Rio Grande Center

3:00–4:45 pm Registration Regency ABC Foyer

5:00-7:00 pm Welcoming Reception Sponsored by Enverus Regency FGH
Musical Entertainment by Eli Menezes
Attire: Business Casual

Thursday, 14 November

7:45 am Registration & Coffee Service Sponsored by Pason Systems USA Corp Regency ABC Foyer

8:20 am Keynote Breakfast Regency EFGH
Presentation of IADC Exemplary Service Award
IADC Exemplary Service Awards recognize individuals’ notable for outstanding contributions to the drilling industry and to IADC. Recipients have, during their career, repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to improving the drilling industry and advancing its safety, training, or technology.

Adam Keith, MPD Product Champion, Patterson-UTI
With over 12 years of experience in the drilling industry, Adam Keith has dedicated his career to advancing industry standards and practices. Joining Patterson-UTI in 2020, Adam currently serves as the MPD Product Champion. In this role, he oversees Patterson’s in-house engineered MPD system and serves as the company’s MPD subject matter expert. His responsibilities include auditing MPD operations on rigs and taking a leading role in the development of forward-looking policies for both the company and overall industry. Adam is a member of the IADC MPD/UBO Committee. He was elected co-chair of the IADC MPD Subcommittee in 2024. He is also deeply involved in well control standards and curriculum development. Adam has been a contributor to multiple IADC Accreditation programs – RigPass Accreditation Program Update, RigPass and Basin United blended Accreditation Program, WellSharp Unconventional Well Control Content Development, and the WellSharp Test Question Revision.

Lee Womble, VP & Global Accounts Director, SLB
Lee Womble is Vice President and Global Accounts Director for SLB with global responsibility for drilling contractor accounts over all SLB divisions and basins. He joined Cameron Iron Works in 1988 as a Product Design Engineer after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Lee received his registered Professional Engineer license from the State of Texas in 1993 and obtained his first patent in 1994. He has since managed engineering, repair operations, manufacturing, field service and sales. Mr. Womble has since held numerous positions throughout his 36-year career and has lived in numerous locations. Lee has served on committees for API, AADE, IADC and The Joint Industry Task Force. Lee served as IADC’s Division Vice President Drilling Services from 2018 – 2020 and is nominated for another 2-year term beginning in January. He has contributed to countless IADC conferences and has served as a member of the Advisory Committee for the IADC/SPE International Drilling Technology Conference.

David Faure, Deputy General Counsel, Transocean (retired)
David joined Texaco in 1988 as Senior Attorney after serving as a law clerk to Associate Justice Luther Cole at the Louisiana Supreme Court. After assignments in New Orleans, London, and New York, he joined Global Marine Drilling Company in 1996.  In 2010, he joined Rowan Companies as Vice President, Legal, and Associate General Counsel to assist with the expansion into the ultra-deepwater drillship market. He returned to Transocean in 2016 to lead the worldwide Legal Operations and Marketing team.  David joined the IADC Contracts Committee in 1997.  He served several terms as the Vice President, Offshore, and three terms as the Committee’s Chair.  During his service, he oversaw the Committee’s revisions to the IADC standard form drilling contracts, participated in the Committee’s filing of Amicus Curia briefs in court cases of importance to the drilling industry, and served on the Program Committees for the IADC’s Contracts & Risk Management Conferences.  David received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University and his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans.

Breakfast Keynote Address: Danny Wesson, Executive VP & COO, Diamondback Energy Inc.
Danny Wesson has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Diamondback Energy since February 2022.  Prior to his current position, he served as Executive Vice President of Operations from March 2020 to February 2022, Senior Vice President of Operations from February 2019 to March 2020, Vice President of Operations from April 2017 to February 2019, our Completions Manager from January 2013 to April 2017 and as an Operations Engineer since joining us in February 2012. Before joining Diamondback, Mr. Wesson served in various operations and engineering roles for BOPCO from 2010 to 2012 and ConocoPhillips from 2007 to 2010. Mr. Wesson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University and is a member of the Permian Basin Society of Petroleum Engineers.

9:45 am Coffee Service Sponsored by Pason Systems USA Corp Regency ABC Foyer

Moderator: Chris Menefee, Unit Drilling Company

10:00 am Industry Advocacy: Mike Malone, Group Head, The Richards Group Regency EFGH
Mike Malone has been with The Richards Group for over three decades. He has worked on clients like The Home Depot, Chick-Fil-A, Motel 6, Continental Airlines, Orkin, Metro by T-Mobile, and Charles Schwab. He began his working life back in North Carolina, first as a sportswriter, then as one of the first field reps for EDS when they took their initial steps into medical data processing. He has been named to Adweek’s Creative All-Stars three times, most recently as a Most Valuable Player. He’s been a finalist twice in the Stephen E. Kelly Awards Competition for the best magazine campaign in America. Major recent assignments include The Charles Schwab Corporation and the oil and natural gas industry.

10:30 am Front-Line Leadership: How to Eliminate Complacency and Build All-in Engagement:  Patrick Nelson, CEO, Loyalty Point Leadership
Patrick has gained both local and national accolades for his military service, academic career, and work as a professional speaker and trainer including being named the inaugural NFL-Tillman Military Scholar. He is an experienced leader that spent nearly seven years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper and completed three combat deployments leading soldiers. His military awards include the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart Medal. Patrick is an engaging facilitator that has led leadership development programs for a variety of clients, from Fortune 500 clients to small businesses and across a variety of industries. Off the proverbial leadership field, he serves his community by actively volunteering with Tee It Up for the Troops, a non-profit organization that raises money for wounded veterans. Patrick studied at Minnesota State University and received a bachelor’s degree graduating Magna Cum Laude. He also has a master’s degree in Sport Management from Minnesota State and a Masters in Organization Development from Pepperdine University.

11:30 am Annual General Meeting Luncheon Sponsored by Caterpillar Inc. Regency ABC
The luncheon will feature recognition of IADC officer nominees for 2025 and presentation of the 2024 IADC Chairman’s plaque.

Luncheon Keynote Presentation: Dale Bradford, GOM, Vice President Operations, Kosmos Energy
Dale Bradford has thoroughly enjoyed a thirty-year career in domestic and international E&P operations, with the best of times spent in the field with his drilling and production crews. In 1994, Dale earned a Batchelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He worked primarily in Deepwater drilling & production operations with Amoco, BP, BHP, and Murphy Oil where his assignments included VP of Global HSE, VP of GOM Operations, and VP of Worldwide Drilling & Completions. Today, he is VP of Gulf of Mexico Drilling, Completions, Production Assets, and HSE for Kosmos Energy.

Moderator: Brad James, Chair, IADC; Enterprise Offshore Drilling LLC
1:00 pm Featured Presentation: Doug Sheridan, Managing Director and Founder, EnergyPoint Research – Independent Research, Analysis & Opinion, Energy, Economics & Policy
Doug Sheridan is Managing Director & Founder of EnergyPoint Research in Houston, Texas. His professional background and interests include energy, energy transition, energy policy, corporate finance, capital markets, economics, economic policy, project evaluation, and market and data analysis. Has been published and cited in numerous national and global publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNBC, Fortune Magazine, The Sunday Times, and other trade, business and financial media. Sheridan holds a BA in economics and English from Vanderbilt University, and a MBA in finance, marketing and general management from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

2:00 pm Drillers Outlook
Moderator: John Williams, Unit Drilling Company 
Industry leaders representing land and offshore with US and global scope will share their views on key issues facing the contract-drilling industry from both a personal and company perspective.

Carey Ford, CFO, Precision Drilling Chris Weber, SVP & CFO, Valaris

2:30 pm Analysis of the Election: Tyler Nelson, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs
Tyler Nelson, former chief of staff to Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX), joined Cornerstone Government Affairs in June 2016. During his seven-year tenure with Congressman Olson, Tyler served in various roles including campaign manager, district director, and deputy chief of staff. In his most recent role as chief of staff, Tyler managed the Congressman’s Washington and Texas operations and oversaw all political, legislative and communications strategies. Tyler was instrumental in developing the Congressman’s agenda as a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee and guiding the Congressman’s ascension to the role of Vice Chair of the Energy & Power Subcommittee. Prior to working for Representative Olson, Tyler was a consultant with Hitachi Consulting in Houston, Texas. Before that, he was a legislative aide for the Houston City Council.

3:00 pm Coffee Service Sponsored by Pason Systems USA Corp

3:15 pm IADC’s Recommendation for How to Drill Geothermal Wells: Scott Farmer, Chair, IADC Geothermal Committee; Well Engineering Manager, Helmerich & Payne IDC
Scott graduated with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2011. He joined TotalEnergies as a graduate and held several different Drilling Engineering roles until 2021. He then joined Helmerich & Payne as a Principal Drilling Engineer before becoming the Well Engineering Manager at the beginning of 2023. In the same year, he became the first Chairman of the newly formed IADC Geothermal Committee.

3:45 pm Championing Women in the Drilling Industry
Moderators: Bill Pickering, Precision Drilling & Amelia Nelson, Diamond Offshore

Flipping the Barrel: Jamie Elrod, Global Sales & Key Account Director, Baker Hughes
Jamie Elrod is the Global Sales and Key Account Director for IET at Baker Hughes, with 12 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. She started as a Field Sales Rep for Smith Bits and has since built an extensive network of clients who follow her career journey to this day. Jamie is passionate about creating change in the energy sector by advocating for more women in oil and gas and raising awareness of the industry’s positive impact. In 2019, she co-founded Flipping the Barrel with Massiel Diez to provide a resource for those interested in pursuing or learning more about the industry and to create a more inclusive workforce. 

Women Offshore: Laura McFalls,

4:30-5:00 pm IADC Board of Directors Meeting (IADC Directors Only) Regency EFGH

6:00-8:00 pm Annual General Meeting Reception Sponsored by HMH Garden Terrace
Hosts: Eirik Bergsvik & Roy Dyrseth, HMH

8:00-10:00 pm Networking Event hosted by IADC YP Committee, Pink Shark Bar (203 N Presa St)  Registration Requested

Friday, 15 November

8:00 am Registration & Coffee Service Regency ABC Foyer

8:20 am NOV Breakfast & Rig Census Regency ABC
Host: Joe Rovig, President, Energy Equipment, NOV
This year, NOV proudly celebrates its 71st  Annual Rig Census. The 2024 edition will feature insights from focus group discussions with industry experts, exploring innovative ways to enhance collaboration with rig and service providers. Joe Rovig, President of NOV’s Energy Equipment business unit, will share valuable insights on advancements in technology automation, data sharing, and potential industry synergies. He will also present this year’s census, offering a major statistical benchmark for the land and offshore drilling sectors, along with key focus group highlights.

Presentation of the 2024 IADC Contractor of the Year
Host: Joe Rovig, President, Energy Equipment, NOV
This annual award was established in 1988 to recognize an individual drilling contractor’s outstanding lifetime achievement in technical innovation, safety, and economic efficiency within the drilling industry. The prestigious industry award is the only one reserved exclusively for drilling contractors. All recipients of the Contractor of the Year Award are nominated and selected by other drilling contractors who are IADC members.

Featured Address: Nick Olds, Executive Vice President, Lower 48, ConocoPhillips
Nick Olds is executive vice president, Lower 48, responsible for leading the company’s Lower 48 operations. Nick has 31 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. He previously served as executive vice president, Global Operations, responsible for the company’s operations in Alaska, Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, Middle East & Africa. Other leadership roles he has held include vice president, Corporate Planning & Development, vice president, Mid-Continent Business Unit in the Lower 48 and vice president, North Slope Operations and Development in Alaska. He began his career with predecessor company Conoco in Houston in 1992. Since then, Nick has served in numerous engineering, development, and operations and management positions in the United States, Nigeria, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Canada and Alaska.  

10:00 am Coffee Service Regency ABC Foyer

10:15 am IADC Advanced Rig Technology Showcase Regency EFGH
Moderator: Linda Hsieh, IADC
Highlights from the IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference held in August, showcasing innovative insights into the interconnection between drilling and ESG performance, remote operations, and real-time data wrangling.

Real-time Data Wrangling through Distributed Data Engine Technology: Russell Whitney, IIoT Manager, Precision Drilling, Andy Wang, CEO, Pablo Acosta-Serafini, Prescient Devices, Inc.
Our presentation introduces a distributed low-code data engine capable of working with massive real-time data from warehouses like Snowflake. This drag-and-drop, hierarchical, and graphical data workflow builder efficiently processes data for upstream analytics. It enables quick engineering of complex real-time data streams, supporting tasks like anomaly detection. The engine’s scalability allows easy deployment and customization, facilitating rapid scaling across rig fleets. We will then showcase how this data engine serves as the cornerstone for implementing a digital twin solution for rig operations, highlighting the transformative impact of rapid data wrangling on rig operations.

Rigflation: How Performance Affects ESG & Economics: David Gibson, President, Gibson Reports
David Gibson’s career has evolved from working as an MWD field engineer in Australia to becoming a prominent figure in the oil and gas industry. With over 15 years of experience, David has not only mastered the technical aspects of the sector but has also transitioned into entrepreneurship, founding and leading multiple innovative businesses, including Gibson Reports, Dent Impact, Daisy Chain Technology, and Gibson Catalyst. Now an oil and gas operator, he is actively investing in wells and partnering on his own drilling programs. His expertise and leadership extend to significant roles within key industry associations such as IADD, SPE, and AADE, where he is recognized as a thought leader. A published SPE author and the host of the popular #Vdoorlocksmith livestream, David has been featured on over 25 industry podcasts and livestreams. His mission is to drive innovation and shape the future of the oil and gas industry with his deep technical knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit.

Remote Operations and Emerging Technology: Ian Landgraf, Remote Operations Center Lead, ExxonMobil Upstream Integrated Solutions Company
After graduating from Texas A&M in 2006, Ian spent the last 18 years with ExxonMobil.  He has held various operations and technical roles throughout drilling, completions, and global projects that allowed him to specialize in control systems automation and enterprise data management.  Over the past 4 years he designed and built out ExxonMobil’s Wells Remote Operations Center that provides 24/7 Directional Drilling, Geosteering, Well Planning, Fluids Automation, Frac/Well Stimulation, Wireline, and Performance Engineering.  Currently he’s working on integrating the heritage Pioneer and XTO remote centers that will support 40+ drilling rigs and 20+ frac fleets across 7 Unconventional basins.       

11:00 am Market Outlook
Moderator: Brad James, Chair, IADC; Enterprise Offshore Drilling LLC
These highly regarded market specialists will provide perspective to current market trends and some guideposts to 2025 and beyond.

Dan Romito, Managing Director, Pickering Energy Partners
Dan Romito is a Managing Director at Pickering Energy Partners focusing on quantitative ESG strategy and implementation. Throughout his career, Dan has advised several hundred private companies, public issuers, and asset managers on how to optimize capital deployment strategies, pursue quality pools of capital and employ ESG-related directives. He received a BA from the University of Chicago, an MBA in Finance from DePaul University, and is a professor at Marquette University where he teaches ESG implementation, strategy, and certification.

Geoff Jay, Partner, Daniel Energy Partners
Geoff Jay is a partner at Daniel Energy Partners. Prior to joining Daniel Energy, Geoff was a buy-side energy analyst for more than 20 years, with roles at Janus Capital Management, Citadel, and Berger Funds. During this time, Geoff has covered nearly every subsector in energy and developed strong relationships with both company managements and institutional-investment peers. Geoff holds a BA in Philosophy from Northwestern University.

Noon  Adjournment: Jason McFarland, President, IADC

Sponsorship

There are five levels of sponsoring: Diamond sponsors, Platinum Sponsors, Gold Sponsors, and Silver Sponsors. Event sponsorships are also available and will be categorized by monetary contribution with the appropriate level of sponsorship. Please find the benefits of the sponsor packages below. The conference sponsor will receive high profile recognition before, during and after the conference. Note: no refunds for cancellations of sponsorships will be issued.

*Comps refer to number of complimentary registration
Interested? Contact stephanie.carling@iadc.org / +1.713.292.1945

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

Become a Sponsor

Learn more about IADC Conference sponsorship.