IADC World Drilling 2026 Conference & Exhibition

08.30 Conference Registration, Coffee Service, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Archer, the Well Company

09.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing: Lars Nydahl Jorgensen, Regional Director Europe, IADC

09.40 Keynote Presentation: Simon Johnson, Chief Executive Officer & President, Seadrill

10.00 Featured Presentation: Ann Davies, Senior Vice President Wells, bp

10.20 Rig Market Outlook
Moderators: Josselin Gere, Vice President Marketing and Contract, Transocean, & Matt Naeher, Rigs and Geosciences Procurement Manager, ExxonMobil

• Land Market Outlook: Mark Chapman, Senior Vice President, Enverus
• Offshore Market Outlook: Rod Hutton, Associate Director, Team Lead – Petrodata Rigs, S&P Global
• Capital Market View of Our Industry: Martin Huseby Karlsen, Equity Research, DNB Carnegie

11.30 Networking Break, Poster Session & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Archer, the Well Company

12.00 Panel: Women in the Industry
Moderators: Jennifer Medcalf, President and Partner, The REACH Group & Hana Blanchfield, Contracts Advisor, Stena Drilling

In today’s talent landscape, attracting and retaining employees is a universal challenge—but traditional approaches have not delivered the same results for women. This panel will move beyond diagnosing the problem. We will explore the real opportunities, proven strategies, and emerging practices that enable organizations to successfully attract, retain, and advance women across all levels of the workforce.

• Beatriz Gonçalves, Senior Drilling Engineering Advisor, H&P
• Ariyati Faradilah, Business Development, Marriott Drilling Group

13.00 Poster Presentations
Session Chair: Lars Nydahl Jorgensen, Regional Director Europe, IADC

The following poster authors will present a 5-minute overview of their posters.

Improving Geothermal Drilling Performance through Managed Pressure Drilling Technology: Sergio Pinto de Moura Souza Borges, International MPD Project Manager & Drilling Engineer, Beyond Energy

Back to the Future: Transformational Steps in Operational Leadership, Human Performance And Crew Resource Management in Banyu Urip Drilling Operations: David Ehrmann, Regional Operations Manager SE Asia/Australia, CAVU International

Enhancing Operational Safety: Proactive Mental Health Protocol in Offshore Drilling: Fernanda Sola Ramos, Chief Executive Officer, CEPEM Business Psychology

13.15 Luncheon, Poster Session & Open Exhibition

14.30 Panel: Operators Insights; an Inside View into Their Strategies
Moderators: Celine Martin, Rigs Strategy Coordination, TotalEnergies & Guido van den Bos, Business Development Director, NOV

In the dynamic oil & gas industry, operators are gathering to share their unique perspectives and experiences. Facing key challenges such as balancing profitability with sustainability, navigating geopolitical risks, and overcoming supply-chain bottlenecks operators are holding firm to capital discipline, ensuring efficient use of resources, rethinking their portfolio to renew reserves and ensure production growth while investing to remain sustainable in a volatile environment. Join us for an enlightening conversation that promises to inspire and inform all attendees.

• Ann Davies, Senior Vice President Wells, bp
• Thomas Gautherot, Vice President Drilling & Wells, TotalEnergies
• Michael Collins, Senior Vice President Wells and Geoscience Operations, West & Global Operations Excellence, Shell
• Wllisses Menezes Afonso, Head of Drilling and Wells, Petrobras

15.50 Transforming Drilling Operations: How Digital Planning, Automation, and New Operating Models Drive Results.
Session Chairs: Brett Schellenberg, Vice President Global Sales, Nabors & Ian Ferguson, Vice President Wells Engineering, Shell

Reengineering Yesterday’s Drilling Operations for Today’s High-Intensity Environment: Siggi Meissner, President of Global Drilling & Energy Transition, Josh Price, Nabors Industries
Modern drilling delivers unprecedented speed and predictability, but at increasing costs and intensity for contractors. This presentation examines how high-intensity operations impact equipment, crews, and profitability, and why legacy commercial models are falling behind. It explores alternative approaches to better align risk, cost, and long-term sustainability across drilling operations.

Case-Study: Connecting Office and Field with Digital Well Programs Resulting in Improved Communication, Execution, and Operational Performance: Tom Fuller, Senior Wells Manager, Rafael Flores, bp, Esben Thorup, Horizon56
This presentation will share bp’s experience deploying digital well program technology across its offshore
rig fleet, focusing on improved execution consistency, and rig efficiency. The case study highlights lessons
learned, change management, and measurable value delivered by digitally connecting planning.

A Collaborative Journey: HMH and Transocean’s Deployment of Automated Drilling Controls – From Norway to the Gulf of America: Geir Bjarne Nornes, Operations Manager (NWE), Transocean, Søren Øydna, HMH
This presentation explores the successful collaboration between HMH and Transocean in deploying Automated Drilling Controls (ADC) solutions on offshore Drilling rigs. Emphasizing safety, performance, and a shared vision, the session will showcase how this partnership reduced human error and red zone exposure, setting a new standard for future ADC deployments, including the upcoming project in the Gulf of America.

16.35 IADC World Drilling 2026 Recap Day 2: David Reid, Chief Technology Officer & Chief Marketing Officer, NOV

16.50 Adjournment

The following paper proposals are presented as posters and will 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.

Foam Cementing with Underbalanced Mud Weight: Changing The Risk Picture And Probability of Success of The Martin Linge Field: Roberto Obando, HPHT Principal Engineer Drilling and Wells, Dag Ove Molde, Equinor, Sara Sanson, Weatherford, Frode Erstad, Halliburton
The first successful application of foam cementing with underbalanced mud weight in the industry. Faced with high gas and narrow operational margins in the 8½” section, a multidisciplinary task force evaluated the feasibility of combining foam cement with managed pressure cementing. The success fundamentally changed the cementing strategy for the field while dramatically increasing the probability of success of the Martin Linge Field In Norway.

Automating Daily Drilling Reports Using Generative AI: Reducing Reporting Time from Hours to Minutes: Deep Shah, Operations Performance Manager, Shelf Drilling, Arafat Osman, id3 software Ltd, Fabio Concina, Kwantis srl
GenAI solution was deployed as a web app on four rigs, using over 150 rig-days of data. It cut report preparation time by more than 50%, greatly reducing manual effort. The system reliably produced IADC-compliant Daily Drilling Reports with better parameter accuracy and clearer flat-time details, improving KPI quality. With less reporting work, teams focused more on safe, efficient drilling.

GHG Emissions Reduction Efforts at Valaris: Kamal Sanjakdar, Senior Director – Sustainability & New Energy, Senior Director – Sustainability & New Energy, Valaris
The presentation will outline Valari’s GHG reduction efforts highlighting progress made to date and the remaining opportunities for further improvement.

From Compliance to Confidence: How Noble × Pixaera Use Immersive, Multilingual Training to Engage a Global Workforce: Paulo Moritz Moritz, L&D Development Training Manager, Noble, Mousa Yassin – Pixaera
Compliance training often falls short of impact. Noble and Pixaera are transforming it through immersive, multilingual learning that builds real-world confidence. Their playbook uses authentic scenarios, emotional engagement, and interactive decision-making to drive behavior change. Delivered via VR and browser, it scales across topics and languages, with measurable insights that inform coaching and targeted refreshers.

Improving Geothermal Drilling Performance through Managed Pressure Drilling Technology: Sergio Pinto de Moura Souza Borges International MPD Project Manager & Drilling Engineer, Beyond Energy, Dwight Aaron Ledet, Beyond Energy Services & Technology
Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) enhances geothermal well construction by controlling annular pressure to reduce instability, lost circulation, and environmental risk. Adapted from complex hydrocarbon operations, MPD improves drilling efficiency, safety, and sustainability—bridging proven oil and gas technologies into geothermal applications to accelerate the energy transition and support reliable, low-carbon power generation.

Enhancing Operational Safety: Proactive Mental Health Protocol in Offshore Drilling: Fernanda Sola Ramos, Chief Executive Officer, CEPEM Business Psychology
The methodology of a proactive mental health monitoring tool, implemented in offshore units in Brazil since 2021 is presented. Based on mandatory pre-embarkation screening combined with rapid intervention protocols, findings show drilling segment consistently display worse mental health indicators, emphasizing the urge of integrating proactive risk management tools into operational safety practices.

Back to the Future: Transformational Steps In Operational Leadership, Human Performance And Crew Resource Management In Banyu Urip Drilling Operations: David Ehrmann Regional Operations Manager SE Asia/Australia, Richard Wright, CAVU International, W.C. Morris, J.P. Clayton, B.T Cook, ExxonMobil Cepu Ltd.
This presentation highlights ExxonMobil Cepu Limited’s adoption of Crew Resource Management and human performance principles in Banyu Urip drilling operations. Focusing on non-technical skills like decision-making and communication, the initiative fostered a trust-based safety leadership culture, resulting in 700+ days of safe, efficient performance. The paper outlines actionable strategies for integrating these concepts industry-wide.