Welcome
The IADC Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Conference & Exhibition serves as a leading forum to explore the state of the art in rig technology, downhole operations, and integrating the two seamlessly with minimal human intervention. The event will also review activities of the IADC ART Committee, which has steadily advanced drilling technology, by exploring future technology, drilling control systems, automation, questions of reliability and more. The committee has developed operational guidelines, assessed pros and cons of advanced drilling technology, developed new definitions and more.
2024 Event Demographics *this event rotates between the US and Europe
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
- Drilling & Completion Engineer
Attendees
Exhibitors
Registrants by Company Type
- Equipment Manufacturer
- Independent Oil Producer
- Land Drilling Contractor
- Land/Offshore Drilling Contractor
- Major Oil Producer
- Training
- Offshore Drilling Contractor
- Oilfield Service/Consultant
- National Oil Company
Registrants by Location
- Registrants
This event is advertised in industry publications media including:
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 Austin
Address 208 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas 78704
Phone +1.512.477.1234
Negotiated Room Rate $215 (plus taxes/fees)
Single/Double Occupancy
NOTE: Rates available until 3 August 2026. Please make your room reservations directly with the hotel. Please be sure to mention IADC 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.
Registration Fee: IADC Member $625, Non-Member $780
NOTE: IADC has updated our wire account. If sending payment via wire, please ensure you use the account listed on the above registration form.
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 receive the Press registration form. Submission of the form designates compliance with this policy.
Need Help? registration@iadc.org / +1.713.292.1945
Program
Monday, 24 August
1:30 pm AI Literacy & Prompt Engineering Workshop Hosted by the IADC ART Committee
*Agenda and registration link coming soon, please check back.
Tuesday, 25 August
7:20 am Registration, Coffee Service & Exhibition Sponsored by H&P
7:35 am Speaker Briefing (Conference speakers, session chairs & moderators only)
8:15 am Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing
8:20 am Keynote Presentation
Michael Winiesdorffer, Principal Advisor, Rigs & Well Technology, Chevron
8:40 IADC Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Committee Update
IADC ART Committee Co-Chairs & Session Chairs: Trent Martin, Senior Engineer, Transocean & Alex Groh, Data Science Manager, Patterson-UTI
IADC ART Subcommittees have been busy all year focusing on industry issues of high priority to IADC members. This session will provide a brief update on project progress and a synopsis of future plans.
8:50 Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning
Session Chair: Alex Groh, Patterson-UTI
- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; from Process Automation to LLM’s: David Forrest, Manager, Drilling Engineering, Precision Drilling
- A Hybrid Physics Based and Machine Learning Digital Twin Solution for Realtime Watch Circles and Drilling Operability of Dynamically Positioned Rigs: Kenneth Bhalla, Sr Vice President/Chief Technology Officer, Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
- Automating BOP Fault Tree Development Using AI-Driven P&ID Interpretation: Cody MacDonald, Chief Technology Officer, IPT Global
- A Multi-Agent Decision-Support System for Real-Time Operational Assurance in Offshore Drilling: Mohamed Ridha Znaidi, AI/ML Engineer, Aquila Engineering Emissions
9:40 am Networking Break & Exhibition Sponsored by H&P
10:10 am Contract Driller Panel
Moderator: Hal Bettis, Chevron
Contractors discuss feedback from the rig and how they deal with automation.
- Daniel Maia, Drilling Performance Engineer, Seadrill
- Jonathan Zeringue, Superintendent, Patterson-UTI
- Justin Perkins, Technology and Automation Superintendent, H&P
- Speaker to be named, Transocean
11:10 am Mechanization & Robotics
Session Chair: Robert Van Kuilenburg, Noble
- FlexRobotics- Permian Results: Todd Fox, VP Technology & Engineering, BENTEC
- Eliminating Downtime: Mini ROV Deployment 8r Diver Free Thruster Anode Exchange: William Ray, Manager – Tech and Innovation, Transocean
- Improving Rig Floor Automation through Integration of Ideal 3rd Party Equipment: James Zapico, Hydraulic/Control Systems Project Engineer, Patterson-UTI Drilling Company
11:50 pm Exhibitor Showcase
Exhibitors will share a brief overview of their products and services.
12:05 pm Luncheon & Exhibition
1:20 pm Human Factors in the Digital Oilfield
Session Chair: Rodrigo Rendon, H&P
- Managing Human Factors in Automated Drilling: A Systematic Framework to Detect and Mitigate Operator Disengagement: Leonardo Nascimento, Director of Sales, NOV
- New Tech, Same Human: Lessons from Carrier Aviation for the Rig of the Future: Dell Bull, Executive VP of Business Development, CAVU, The RelyOn Leadership Academy
- Automation Without Isolation: Preserving Human Performance in Remote Drilling Operations: Matthew Kvalo P.E., VP of Engineering & Technology, Stasis Drilling Solutions
- Remote Operations as a Catalyst for Technology Reliability and Drilling Performance: Nathan Reese, Manager, Alpha Remote Operations, Precision Drilling
- From Data Visibility to Decision Competency: Preparing the Workforce for the Next Era of Sensor-Driven Operations: Michael Fry, President, Corekognition Global
2:20 pm Safety Innovation Through Advanced Technology
Session Chair: Sarah Kern, EIC
- Enabling Shallow Water Drilling Using a Cloud-Based Digital Decision-Support for Dynamic Positioning and Watch Circle Management: Rohit Shankaran, Subsea Riser Manager, Seadrill
- Technology Roadmap to Achieve Hands-Free Control Line Clamp Installation and Zero Red-Zone Entries during Upper Completion Operations – Validated by Case Study: Neil Alleman, Completions Product Line Manager, Logan Smith, Expro
- Virtual Reality Based Training for Catline Operations: Enhancing Safety on the Drillfloor: Leonardo Albuquerque dos Santos, HSE Manager, Constellation Oil Services
- Stackout Protection System: David Siljeg, Engineering Supervisor, Nabors
- Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Drill Floor Operations: The Role of the Rotary Multi-tool (RMT): Odd Arne Edvardsen, Director of Machine Learning, NOS
3:20 pm Networking Break & Exhibition Sponsored by H&P
3:50 pm Rethinking How the Oilfield Deploys Innovation
Moderator: Blaine Dow, SLB
The oil and gas industry is operating in an environment defined by capital discipline. Access to investment is constrained, margins are scrutinized, and innovation must compete directly with near-term operational priorities. While emerging technologies continue to promise gains in efficiency, safety, and asset performance, many fail to move beyond pilot programs or isolated trials. The challenge is not a shortage of ideas. It is the absence of capital-efficient pathways that move innovation from concept to scaled deployment. This presentation explores how deployment models influence innovation outcomes, particularly in capital-constrained US land operations. Traditional corporate innovation efforts often struggle under incentive structures that reward execution over experimentation, while startups face timelines and funding cycles that rarely align with the pace of corporate decision-making. The result is friction, delay, and unrealized value. Collaborative, portfolio-based innovation models offer an alternative. By pooling capital, technical expertise, and operational access across multiple organizations, these structures reduce individual risk while accelerating learning and adoption. Shared evaluation and deployment environments increase access to subject matter experts, along with enabling earlier identification of what works, what integrates with existing equipment and workflows, and what delivers measurable operational value. Importantly, the focus shifts away from ownership and toward use, allowing participants to access innovation without bearing the full financial or organizational burden. In a capital-constrained environment, this collaborative shift shortens the path from trial to impact and turns innovation from a cost center into a practical lever for performance, reliability, and safety.
- Eric van Oort, Professor, University of Texas
- Mark Bobeck, VP Marketing and Sales, Loadmaster ERE
- Mert Geveci, Chief Technical Officer, Drilldocs Inc
- Speaker to be named, EIC
5:00 pm Welcoming Reception & Exhibition Sponsored by Patterson-UTI Drilling Company
Wednesday, 26 August
7:30 am Conference Registration, Coffee Service & Exhibition
8:25 am Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing
8:30 am Keynote Presentation: Katy Dickson, Senior Vice President of Technology, Patterson-UTI Drilling
8:50 am AI and Closed-loop Drilling Systems Panel
Discussion on systems status, kinetic vs potential, where are we today, where are we going, field operations.
- Ryan Carrol, Drilling Automation Product Champion. SLB Well Construction
- John deWardt, Global Consultant – Wells Delivery, De Wardt & Company
- Peter Kowalchuk, Director, Taurex Drill Bits
9:50 am Networking Break & Exhibition
10.20 am Systems Integration Challenges and Innovations
Session Chair: Zack Stewart, NOV
- Advancing BOP Reliability Through an AI-Driven Digital Platform for Condition-Based Elastomer Integrity Assessments: John Dady, Director of Rig Innovation and Technology, Seadrill
- Using Advanced Offsite AI Models to Directly Control Drilling Rigs: Todd Fox, VP Technology & Engineering, BENTEC
- Enabling Automated Casing Running Through Integration of Tubular Running Technologies Into Rig Control Systems: Joshua Thibodeaux, Sr Product Line Manager, Expro
- Case-study: Fleet Wide Platform Connecting Operators Well Programs to Rig Operations & Reporting: Derek Davis, Director Technology & Performance, Noble Corporation
- Data-Sharing Made Easy with Intellilift’s SmartConnect: Joacim Dybedal, Sr Systems Architect, Intellilift
11:20 am Digital Twin
- The End of Training as We Know It: How Hybrid Intelligence Will Redefine the Rig Floor: Kevin Anderson, CEO, XALTER
- Using High-Fidelity Simulation to Study Time-Dependent Drilling Risk Behavior & Validating Digital Twin–Driven Drilling and Well Control Workflows Using High-Fidelity Simulation: Samer Shiblaq, Principal Technical Advisor, Endeavor Technology
- Readiness Assessment of a Closed-Loop Drilling Automation System Based on Digital Twin: Vinicius Girardi, Head of ESSS Energy BU, ESSS Energy
12:00 pm Luncheon & Exhibition
1:15 pm Comparison of this Year’s Interactive Audience Response with Previous Years
ART Committee Co-Chairs: Trent Martin, Senior Engineer, Transocean & Alex Groh, Data Science Manager, Patterson-UTI
1:25 pm Subsea Equipment Panel
The panel will cover new BOP adoption, roadblocks, support needed, regulatory challenges and the future of BOPs.
- Wesley Hunter, Product Line Director, Drilling Technology, NOV
- Matt Givens, WCE Domain & Engineering Manager, SLB
- Speaker to be named, HMH
2:25 pm Networking Break & Exhibition
2:55 pm Artificial Intelligence for Reliability
Session Chair: Alex Groh, Patterson-UTI
- AI vs Traditional Fatigue Damage Modelling: Robert Van Kuilenburg, Sr Manager Technical Marketing, Noble Drilling
- Context-Rich Analytics for Rig Equipment Health: Linking Sensor Data, Maintenance and Operations: Flavio Teures, Sr Engineer, Reliability, Transocean
- A Deep Learning Failure Model for Rotary Steerable Systems: Kartik Chaudhari, Director of Machine Learning, Prescient Devices Inc
- From Reactive to Predictive: AI-Driven Uptime for Rig Equipment Using Operational + Legacy Data: Chad Hutchison, Industrial Data Scientist, David Smith, Principal Technical Consultant, Cognite
3:45 pm New Applications of Drilling Technologies
Session Chair: Rodrigo Rendon, H&P
- Region-Based Gain Scheduling for Auto Drillers: A Field-Proven Path to Stable, Scalable ROP Control: Raymond Fischer, Technical Product Development Manager, Patterson-UTI Drilling Company
- Case Study: Increased Mud Pump Demands in Eagle Ford and Haynesville Shales: Clifton Wade, Product Line Manager, NOV
- RAPTR – Optimizing Drilling Performance by Unlocking Untapped Standpipe Pressure: Jason Clark, Drilling SME, E3
- Re-Thinking MPD: An Integrated, On-Demand Hardware and Digital Solution: Calvin Crowdis, Product Manager – MPD, HMH, Helio Santos, President, Safekick
4:35 pm Recap & Adjournment
ART Committee Co-Chairs: Trent Martin, Senior Engineer, Transocean & Alex Groh, Data Science Manager, Patterson-UTI
Unassigned Papers of Note:
The following paper proposals may be included in the conference if a scheduled paper becomes unavailable. In addition, these presentations will be made available in the IADC conference proceedings, should the author so desire.
- Closing the Loop: A Novel Autonomous In-Line Rheometer for Real-Time ECD Management: Johnathan Dady, Seadrill Americas Inc
- Real-Time Metrics Interface in Driller’s Cabin Improves Operational Awareness: Samson Hidad, Patterson-UTI Drilling Company LLC
- Next-Generation Power Blending in Drilling Operations, Michael Weidenfeller, Caterpillar Oil & Gas
- Integration of real time mud properties analyzer into Managed Pressure Drilling system achieving real hydraulic parameters to efficiently drill wells with challenging operating windows: Michael Brzezinski, Premium Oilfield Technologies
- The Digital Oilfield Didn’t Reduce Human Error — It Moved It: Michael Fry, Corekognition Global
- Minimizing Red-Zone Exposure and Enabling Autonomous Operations with Multi Grip Slip: Aleksander Taanevig, NOV
- Field Deployment Learnings and Integration Pathways for Deepwater Drilling Automation, Barry Braniff, Inteliwell
- AI Is Not Just Software – It’s a Cyber-Physical Asset, Felipe Sabino Costa, Moxa Americas
- Red Zone Exposure Reduced Through Use of Industrial Robots: John Martin, Offshore Robotics
- AI: The Future of Safety in The Drilling Industry, Garrison Haning, Safety Radar, Inc.
Program Committee
- Alex Concha, Seadrill
- Alex Groh, Patterson-UTI
- Blaine Dow, SLB
- Dan Gudall, HMH
- Dimitrios Pirovolou, Weatherford
- Greg Myers, HMH
- Hal Bettis, Chevron
- Jarrod Chapman, Ensign Energy Services
- Keith Ross, Halliburton
- Konstantin Puskarskij, Copenhagen Energy Partners
- Robert van Kuilenburg, Noble Drilling
- Rodrigo Rendon, Helmerich & Payne IDC
- Sarah Kern, Energy Innovation Capital
- Scott Boone, Nabors Drilling
- Sean Roach, Sekal
- Trent Martin, Transocean
- Zach Stewart, NOV
- Linda Hsieh, IADC
Exhibition Information
Cost for the 10′ x 10′ space is $2,250. IADC membership required. Note: A drayage company will be required.
The space will be set with a skirted table, two chairs and access to electricity. With the space, you receive one complimentary conference registration and up to two additional registrations at half price. No refunds for cancellations will be issued.
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Exhibitors can set-up after 3:00 pm on Monday, 24 August. All booths must be completely set up by 6:30 am on Tuesday, 25 August.
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You may tear down your booth space after the last break concludes on Wednesday, 26 August.
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The exhibitor space is a 10′ x 10′ area. It will be set with a 6′ skirted table and two chairs with access to electricity. Please do not exceed 10′ across, as the space in the exhibition area will be limited.
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Wall space for signs/banners will not be available. All signs/banners must be affixed to the table or free standing.
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All personnel working the exhibition must be registered. With your space, you will receive one complimentary registration and up to two additional registrations for half price or $312.50.
- Exhibitor Showcase! At this event, each exhibiting company will have 2 minutes to address the audience during the general session to encourage traffic to their booth.
Exhibitions at IADC events will be limited to showcasing products and services that advance technology, competency or HSE. Exhibitions centered on recruitment or employment should not take space at IADC events.
Exhibition space is sold on a first come, first served basis! Please complete and return the Letter of Agreement below to reserve your space.
Interested? Contact stephanie.carling@iadc.org / +1 713.292.1945
Sponsorship Information
There are four 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.
Diamond
$25,000
(10 Comps*)
Platinum
$15,000
(5 Comps*)
Gold
$10,000
(3 Comps*)
Silver
$5,000
(1 Comp*)
Event
AVAILABLE
Contact Us
*Comps refer to number of complimentary registration
Interested? Contact stephanie.carling@iadc.org / +1.713.292.1945
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
EVENT SPONSOR
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