IADC Appalachian Basin Technical Forum

7:15 am Registration & Networking Ballroom

7:45 am   Introduction & Welcoming Remarks Ballroom

• Thad Dunham, VP Government & Industry Affairs Onshore, IADC

7:50 am The Appalachian STEPS Network: Donnie Lindsey, President, Appalachian STEPS Network; Process Safety Manager, CNX

8:00 am Market Outlook: Jeff Bellman, Managing Director, Natural Gas, LNG & Power, Daniel Energy Partners  

8:30 am Keynote Presentation: Chris Menefee, Vice Chair, IADC; Executive VP & Chief Business Officer, Cactus Drilling

9:00 am Regional Rig Moves
Moderator: Jose Rodriguez, Lead Investigator, H&P
The panelists will share their insights on managing regional rig moving challenges such as safety hazards, environmental/topographical challenges and journey management.

• Ken Williamson, Account Manager, West Penn Heavy Haul, LLC
• Nicholas Warren, Crane Supervisor, Warren Trucking

9:40 am Regional MPD Operations – An Overview: Martyn Parker, VP MPD Services, Pruitt Tool
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a proven technology for mitigating drilling-related challenges such as losses, wellbore instability, and narrow pore pressure/fracture gradient margins. However, in U.S. land operations, MPD is frequently deployed reactively, introduced only after conventional drilling methods encounter problems. This approach significantly limits the true value MPD can deliver. This presentation examines the performance gap between reactive and proactive MPD applications in U.S. land environments. Field experience shows that when MPD is treated as a contingency rather than an integral part of the drilling plan, operators incur avoidable non-productive time (NPT), increased operational risk, and inconsistent well performance. Through selected case studies and operational data, this presentation demonstrates that MPD achieves its full benefit only when applied proactively. Early integration enables continuous bottomhole pressure management, prevention of drilling dysfunctions, and improved wellbore stability from spud to total depth. In contrast, reactive deployment limits MPD to a recovery tool rather than a performance enabler. The presentation also identifies key barriers contributing to reactive adoption in U.S. land operations, including planning practices and cultural perceptions, and outlines practical steps for integrating MPD into well design and execution. Ultimately, MPD is fundamentally a mitigation tool for drilling-related problems and must be applied proactively, not reactively, to fully realize its technical and economic benefits.

10:00 am Networking Break

10:15 am MPD

Well Construction Efficiency Improvements in Extended-Reach Wells Drilled in the Appalachian Basin: The Contribution from Managed Pressure Drilling – Case Histories: Isabel Poletzky, MPD Engineer, Premium Oilfield Technologies, Jared Lowery, Drilling Operations Manager, Mitchell Vitovsky, George Davis, EQT, Maurizio Arnone, Matthew Kotar, Premium Oilfield Technologies
Extended Reach Wells (ERW) on unconventional gas shales like on Marcellus or Utica are more frequent nowadays, however, the path to get at the point where we are today and what we envision for the future could not have been possible without the application of new and proven technologies like Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD). MPD has become a key enabler of ERW construction by improving rate of penetration, lowering mud weights, increasing available pump pressure, enhancing tripping efficiency and hole quality, reducing backreaming, and mitigating borehole fatigue and instability as well as floating casings efficiently to bottom. Case histories will show how MPD has evolved to support longer laterals, along with lessons learned, future technology perspectives, and opportunities for application in other regions.

The Haynesville MPD Adoption Curve: Operator Progression from Novelty to Integrated Practice: Martin Duarte, Lead MPD Engineer, Stasis Drilling Solutions
Examines MPD as a strategic drilling capability rather than simply a contingency tool or one off experience. Through Haynesville Basin case studies, it explores how long term operator adoption has enabled MPD progresses from a specialized technology to an integrated drilling practice when supported by proactive planning, workflow change, and organizational competency. The discussion also highlights how Lean methodologies can help identify and eliminate waste across the drilling value stream, improving performance, accelerating learning, and creating significant operational value.

Multi-Target MPD Automation in the Appalachian Basin: Enabling 30,000-ft+ Laterals and ~60% Trip-Time Reduction: Karnvir Gill, MPD Engineer, Yousefi Sadat Ali, Cody Shawn, Opla Energy Services, Schneider Gregory, Devon
On a recent 47-well Appalachian campaign that included a 31,296-ft lateral, among the longest in the basin to date, a new dual-target swab-mitigation automation cut strip-out time by ~60% versus conventional single-target MPD practice while staying within well-control margins. This session explores how multi-target MPD automation is unlocking the basin’s next generation of safer, longer, faster laterals.

Real Time Drilling Fluid Density and Rheology Measurements Automatically Used by Managed Pressure Drilling to Improve Well Construction Performance: Michael Brzezinski, Real Time Drilling Optimization Director, Maurizio Arnone, Cesar Peña, Premium Oilfield Technologies, Lars Olesen, Aaron Gabe, Pason
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is widely used to control annular pressure during well construction, especially in long horizontal wells with narrow operating windows.However, MPD hydraulic models still rely heavily on manual mud property inputs, typically updated only a few times per day, which can reduce pressure-control accuracy and increase operational risk. Fiield applications of a real-time fluid measurement device that continuously provides drilling fluid density and rheology data to the rig data system and directly to MPD hydraulics software will be presented. The integration enables automatic, real-time updates to annular pressure calculations, improving model accuracy, pressure-control reliability, operational performance, and safety. Results and lessons learned from multiple deployments are discussed.

11:45 am Luncheon & Networking

1:15 pm Overview of Pennsylvania’s Office of Oil & Gas Management: Deputy Secretary Seth Pelepko
Pennsylvania’s Office of Oil & Gas Management is responsible for the statewide oil and gas conservation to facilitate the safe exploration, development, and recovery of oil and gas reservoirs in a manner that will protect the commonwealth’s natural resources and the environment. The office develops and implements policy and programs for the regulation of oil and gas development and production and oversees the oil and gas permitting and inspection programs; develops statewide regulations and standards; conducts training programs for the industry; and works with the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission, the Technical Advisory Board, and the Crude Development Advisory Council. 

1:45 pm Top Basin Operators
Moderator: Jesse Kwasnicia, Precision Drilling
Regional operating representatives will share their insights into drilling outlook, safety & training, drilling efficiencies & performance and equipment.

• Josh Doak, VP Drilling, Appalachia, Range Resources
• Mark Bly, VP Drilling and Construction, Pennsylvania General Energy Co., LLC
• Ross Schweitzer, Sr. Director of Drilling, Construction & Permitting, Arsenal Resources
• Zach Zimmer, Director of Drilling, PennEnergy Resources

2:45 pm Networking Break

3:00 pm Drilling Contractors’ Panel Session
Panelists will discuss how their companies are reducing personnel exposure to the red zone through automation, improved processes, and other safety initiatives. They will share real-world examples, lessons learned, and the challenges of implementing new technologies and operational practices while improving both safety and drilling performance.

• Derek Coffey, Field Superintendent Appalachia Division, Precision Drilling
• Additional speakers to be named

4:00 pm New Basin Technologies

Offline Cementing Production Casing in Marcellus: A Solution to Safe Execution: Trenton Tunnell, US Unconventionals Drilling Manager, Josh Prater, Repsol Services Company
Despite opportunity for large efficiency gains, offline cementing the production casing hasn’t been widely adopted due to concerns over enhanced operational and HSE risk, barrier limitations, and well control.  The presentation details Repsol Service Company’s approach, equipment, procedures, challenges, and results in collaboration with various key stakeholders to safely execute the offline production cementing operations on a pad in the Marcellus Shale.

4:20 pm Drilling Performance

From Automation to Autonomy: Building Repeatable Drilling Performance Through Remote Operations and Execution Discipline: Blair Paul, ROC & Operations Manager, Grace Fosdick, Holden Currie, Nabors
Explores how remote operations, automation workflows, and disciplined execution can help bridge the gap between rig automation and supervised autonomy. Focusing on long-lateral drilling performance, it outlines a practical operating model using remote performance pods, automation recipes, exception-based intervention, and KPI discipline to improve safety, consistency, contractor accountability, and repeatable execution across rigs and crews.

4:40 pm Adjournment