IADC Drilling Middle East 2023 Conference & Exhibition

07.00 Conference Registration, Coffee Service & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing: Jason McFarland, President, IADC

08.35 Keynote Presentation: Omar S. Al-Husaini, Senior Vice President Drilling & Workover, Saudi Aramco

08.35 Opening Presentation: Mohamed Hegazi, Chief Executive Officer, ARO Drilling

09.15 IADC Chairman 2023: Andy Hendricks, Chief Executive Officer, Patterson-UTI Energy

09.35 Market Outlook: Aditya Saraswat, MENA Research Director, Rystad Energy

10.00 Networking Break & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

10.30 Panel Session: Championing the Significance of Local Manufacturing and Supply Chain in Saudi Arabia
Moderators: Etienne Lichaa, Vice President, ARM, & Liban Hussein-Ismail, Operations Director, SANAD
Local manufacturing and supply chain has an invaluable impact on regional growth, job creation, and sustainable development. By promoting and supporting local production, self-sufficiency, foster economic resilience, and nurture a thriving ecosystem of innovation and collaboration will be enhanced. Through dedication, we aim to harness the full potential of the Kingdom’s manufacturing capabilities, empowering communities, and driving prosperity for generations to come.

11.30 Featured Presentation: Gene Downey, Chief Executive Officer, ARM

11.50 Luncheon & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Rawabi Pason

13.20 Energy Transition
Session Chair: Wayne Bauer, Vice President QHSE & Sustainability, Vantage Drilling

Featured Presentation: Siggi Meissner, President, Energy Transition, and Industrial Automation, Nabors Industries

A Novel AC-VFD Modular Light Workover Unit Design: Qasim Al-Rawahi, Senior Contract Holder, Petroleum Development of Oman
This presentation adds to the existing knowledge by a novel concept of a hybrid Light workover unit that eliminates the need for Heavy workover units and standardizes the substructure across different cellar types in operations. This will be the first of its kind light electric workover unit with a mobile substructure that will be interchangeable with a work platform.

Wellsite Carbon Reduction with Improved Engine Load and Count Management: Seif Badri, MENA Business Development Manager, Helmerich & Payne
The energy industry’s focus on carbon reduction requires solutions that are both cost effective and scalable across a global rig fleet to reduce excess fuel and associated emissions. The rigs of the past must be transformed into the rigs of the future, and strategic decisions must be made using existing assets without requiring complete refurbishment. As relative carbon impact is analyzed, a solution must be developed for today’s drilling rig with intentional capital investment, realizing the more complex solution is not necessarily what’s best. The quickest way to reduce drilling emissions is by reducing fuel: specifically, by reducing excess engine hours for rig activities. Using engine load threshold data for optimal engine use is a universal solution to provide carbon reduction in an efficient manner, not dependent on a rig type or specification.

Future Fuels for the Drilling Sector: Sandeep Padhi, Business Development Manager Middle East, Wärstsilä
How offshore drilling rigs can use sustainable fuels – such as ammonia – to decarbonize operations will be outlined. It will show how engines and technologies for low and zero-carbon fuels, including methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen are used.

Automated Evaluating of Carbon Dioxide Emission during Drilling Operations: Mohammed Murif Al-Rubaii, Drilling Operations Supervisor, Saudi Aramco
The Introduction, objectives, literature review, model development & methodologies will be discussed. Together with the filed applications, results, and recommendations.

15.00 Regional IADC Middle East Chapter Updates

• Liban Hussein-Ismail, Operations Director, SANAD, Chair Northern Arabian Gulf Chapter
• Wayne Bauer, Vice President QHSE & Sustainability, Vantage Drilling, Chair Southern Arabian Peninsula Chapter

15.15 Networking Break & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by KCA Deutag

15.45 Human Factors & Performance
Session Chairs: Gary Castell, Senior Business Development Manager, Sparrows Group, & Rawad El Jurdi, Business Development Manager, NOV

Human Factors: What, Why and How? Dr. Shama Egbe, HSE Human Factors Specialist, Saudi Aramco
While technology and safety management systems are fundamental to safety, a core aspect lies in safe human behavior. What influences human behavior is a multitude of factors, be it task, individual or organizational collectively called Human Factors (HF). This paper delves into the scope of HF in the oil and gas industry with a tailormade HF training program that includes a quantifiable assessment tool to enable proactive assessment of HF. It also outlines a pragmatic approach to analyzing human errors, which facilitates a more robust root cause analysis in incident investigation. This paper is a step forward in building the momentum of increasing HF awareness and capability in the oil and gas sector in the region.

Dealing with Difficult Conversations: Neil Orvay, Managing Director, Evolution U Consulting
The process of managing conflict and driving collaboration is critical in all industries and nowhere more so that the oil and gas sector where unspoken disagreements and unresolved conflict can have serious consequences in terms of both financial implications and human safety. In this presentation, a communication structure will be introduced that empowers leaders, rig managers, HSE managers and operational colleagues to communicate safely and deal with difficult conversations in a structured, repeatable format.

16.25 Adjournment

07.00 Conference Registration, Coffee Service & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Derrick Corporation

08.30 Welcome, Introduction & Safety Briefing: Hisham Zebian, Vice President Eastern Hemisphere, IADC

08.35 Keynote Presenter: Ghassan Mirdad, Chief Executive Officer, Arabian Drilling

08.55 Opening Presenter: Joseph Elkhoury, Chief Executive Officer, KCA Deutag

09.15 Market Outlook: Terry Childs, Head of Riglogix, Westwood Energy

09.40 Panel Session: Building Future Capabilities in Diverse and Sustainable Energy Industry
Moderators: Delphina Rodrigues, Marketing & Communications Supervisor, Nabors Drilling, & Salman Maimani, Wells Functional Manager (CFDH), Petroleum Development Oman

We cordially invite you to join us for an engaging panel discussion titled “Empowering the Next Generation: Building a Diverse and Sustainable Energy Industry.” As the energy sector transitions towards a lower carbon world, it is of utmost importance to cultivate a workforce with diverse backgrounds and the necessary capabilities to tackle future challenges effectively.

This panel session aims to create a collaborative environment, bringing together industry professionals from various backgrounds within the oil and gas arena. By sharing their best practices, valuable experiences, and unique individual journeys, we strive to empower the next generation of leaders and ensure equitable opportunities and representation within the industry. The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) recognizes the need to provide a platform for a diverse and skillful workforce to thrive in an era of 4IR innovation and emerging technologies.

Together, we can drive the energy industry towards a more diverse and sustainable future. The panel will delve into thought-provoking topics such as “Breaking Barriers: Empowering the Next Generation for a Diverse Energy Industry” and “Equity in Energy: Best Practices for Empowering the Next Generation Talent.” Through these discussions, we aim to explore the efforts undertaken by operators, contractors, and service providers in the oil and gas industry to build the necessary future skills and promote diversity within their workforces.

By participating in this transformative conversation, you will gain valuable insights into the industry’s vision for the future and the strategies being implemented to foster a diverse workforce. We invite you to contribute your perspectives and experiences, shaping the future of the energy industry and playing a vital role in driving positive change.

 Join us as we come together in this inspiring panel discussion, where we will collectively work towards a sustainable and inclusive energy industry that empowers the next generation of leaders. Your participation will be instrumental in shaping a brighter future for our industry.

Panelists:

• Faisal AlDihani, Direct Manager, SADA Academy
• Chris French, Business Development Executive, The REACH Group
• Saja Al Balushi, CT Account Manager, Gulf Energy
• Faiza Rahman, Editor, Oil & Gas Middle East

10.40 Networking Break & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Derrick Corporation

11.10 Technical Session
Session Chair: Nikolay Dimitrov, Commercial and Business Development Manager, KCA Deutag

Consideration of Human Factors when Automating your Rig: Graham Dey, Vice President Product Line & Business Development, Robert Goodwin, Nahum Ronquillo, Alf Fredvik, NOV
Automating the rig is proving its value. Consideration of how the crew interacts with technology is essential. This presentation chronicles the staged introduction of a process control system, a robotic system, and a vision remote system that can perform rig operations in a new way. Other industries enjoy the safety, operational efficiency, and environmental benefits of automation; we can do the same.

Auto-Detecting Drilling Vibrations through Intelligent Machine Learning Solution: Salaheldin Elkatatny, Professor, Ramy Saadeldin, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Hany Gamal, Weatherford
The current research showed a field case history for implementing the machine learning capabilities to power the drilling operation automation through predicting the downhole drilling vibrations from the surface rig sensor data. The machine learning developed model showed great potential for the application.

11.50 Luncheon & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Patterson-UTI

13.20 Featured Presentation: Aaftaab Kharbanda, Vice President Operations and Projects, Shelf Drilling

13.40 Panel Session: Driving Digital Transformation: Perspectives from Industry Leaders
Moderators: Mansur Damiev, BDM, Middle East, Pason Systems, & Mohamed Housny, Sales Manager, Drillmec
Gain valuable insights into the strategic approaches, challenges, and opportunities surrounding digital transformation from top industry leaders. Join this panel discussion to explore how digital technologies are reshaping the drilling landscape and driving operational efficiency. Discover the perspectives of executives as they share their experiences and visions for a digitally transformed future.

Panelists:

• Khalid A. Al-Abdulgader, Vice President, Southern Area Drilling & Workover Operations, Saudi Aramco
• Simon Drew, President Land Drilling, KCA Deutag
• Frode Jensen, Senior Vice President Sales and Product Line, NOV
• Mark A. Woodmansee, Senior Technology Director, Halliburton

14.40 Virtual Reality Safety Training in the DROPS Metaverse: Joachim van der Meulen, Secretary & Facilitator, DROPS Asia, Ravi Mishra, Axess Group
Dropped objects in drilling operations persist despite advancements. DROPS Asia Chapter identifies knowledge, competency, and safety attitude gaps. project offers immersive virtual reality training, transforming PPT-driven sessions into hands-on experiences. Axess, a trusted inspection provider, now emphasizes continuous prevention management with regular in-house inspections. Collaborating with DROPS Asia, Axess developed a Metaverse module to address root causes, enhance prevention efforts, and improve safety attitudes, aiming to reduce dropped object incidents.

15.00 Networking Break & Open Exhibition – Sponsored by Derrick Corporation

15.30 Technical Session
Session Chairs: Hussain Sultan, Drilling Advisor, Tatweer Petroleum, & Hervé Vigor, Well Engineering Director, H&P

Enabling Real-Time Data Exchange between Geosteerers and Directional Drillers – A Step Forward in Collaboration and Data Analytics: Kiill Ronzhin, Rogii Inc & Adam Martin, Nabors Industries, Moe Alsaqi, Rafael Aguilar, Adam Martin, Rogii Inc, Tatiana Borges, Nabors Industries
Geosteering and Directional Drilling are extremely important domains for the successful drilling of horizontal wells. This paper discusses a new approach and provides case studies on improved data exchange leading to better steering decisions, faster drill rates and better interactive wellbore positioning through real-time drilling and geosteering data analytics. The implementation of the proposed workflow resulted in data exchange automation, eliminated user errors, and streamlined the communication process.

Large Scale Drilling Troubles Identification – The Combination of Drilling Report Data Mining and Drilling Surface Sensor Data Analysis: Yusef Alaas, Petroleum Engineering Systems Analyst, Hadi H. Alsinan, Mohammed J. Dossary, Saudi Aramco
Methods used for the fusion of sensor data and unstructured manual entries to build a high-quality dataset that be used for modeling drilling troubles using AI will be outlined.

Greener Power Generation on Self Elevating Jack-up Rigs: Kiran Viswambharan, Senior Engineer, International Maritime Industries
As a response to the initiative to reduce the emissions and improving the quality by the END USER in KSA, IMI has taken several steps are being taken out in project. The project IMI-2030 as named to remind the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and as one of the first kind in terms of design, technology, and the shipyard it is being built. IMI – Shipyard of the Future is engaged in detailed designing of a bespoke design Jack-up rig for one of the region’s major operators and for the final contract to region’s largest oil producer. IMI Engineers has progressed a lot in optimizing the engine quantities to four where most of the designs has five or some units with six. Generators are fitted with best Multi Engine Optimizers to manage the engine load and active engines depending on the actual power load. As a cherry on the top, the exhaust gases are treated with DEF using SCR systems, to reduce the emission to the lowest in any Jack-up rigs active now and complying the IMO Tier III.

16.30 Adjournment

Alternates:
The following proposals are initially scheduled as alternate presentations for this event. In addition, these presentations are made available for the conference attendees.

Revolutionizing Drilling in Deep Gas Wells: A Comprehensive Approach to Reduce Formation Break Out: Ammar Maamari Operations Well Engineer, Naser Shandoudi, Yaarab Busaidi, Busaidi, Faisal, Sarfare, Manoj, Al Busaidi, Salim, Al Quseimi, Mohammed, Subhi, Hamed, PDO
The PPS aims to minimize the cost impact of formation instability during drilling by reducing back reaming, eliminating stuck, and achieving log evaluation. A problem-solving approach consisting of 8 steps was adopted, and four countermeasures were developed and tested in a newly drilled well. Measures were successful, achieving set targets with a potential cost avoidance of up to $2M. The application could benefit the oil and gas industry by mitigating the impact of formation breakout.

Enhancing Drilling Performance and Reducing Vibrations through Real-Time Drilling Optimization in Saudi Arabia: Juan Trujillo, General Manager, Rawabi Pason
An advanced drilling optimizer offering real-time drilling optimization and vibration mitigation will be explainded and the system’s benefits to reduce drilling time, improve drilling performance, and enhance safety by minimizing drill string and downhole tool vibrations will be highlighted. Case studies of technology deployment in Saudi Arabia are presented and discussed. The system deployment significantly improved on-bottom drilling performance as well as mitigated drilling dysfunctions in real time.

Unlocking Success: A Case Study of Implementing an Autonomous Directional Drilling System: Sergey Ziatdinov, Titto Thomas, Cyberloop B.V.
The advantages of an Autonomous Advisory Directional Drilling System will be shown, and it will be demonstrated how it enhances and streamlines the work of directional drillers. Attendees will gain insights into the system’s data flow process, including data reception, filtering, calculations, and actionable recommendations provided to the driller. The presentation will also feature real-world examples of successfully drilling horizontal wells in tight reservoirs, highlighting the system’s effectiveness in challenging scenarios.

Understand Your Emissions Competitiveness! Erland Bassoe, Chairman, Jaro Aarseth, Esgian
Understand your emissions competitiveness in an environment in which there are no widely accepted definitions or standards for measuring emissions. The industry is currently focusing on a standard way of reporting emissions output. At Esgian we believe that what you record from history or what you estimate for the future, and how you do it, is crucial to the output. If output is to be standardized, we first need to have a standardized way of measuring and modelling the emission sources.

Prioritizing Consistency Over Speed to Improve Drilling Performance: Ryan Mayo, Performance Engineer, Trevor Warren, Ensign Energy Services
Ensign demonstrates how prioritizing consistency over speed can improve overall drilling performance, by reviewing a case study focused on increasing consistency during drilling connections. The results highlight a significant decrease in NPT (such as unplanned trips, equipment damage, etc.), which led to a 35% improvement to overall cycle times.