Features Archives - Drilling Contractor https://drillingcontractor.org/features Get the latest oil drilling news with DrillingContractor.org Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:31:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 202015461 UK offshore industry calls for policy changes that face market realities https://drillingcontractor.org/uk-offshore-industry-calls-for-policy-changes-that-face-market-realities-78028 https://drillingcontractor.org/uk-offshore-industry-calls-for-policy-changes-that-face-market-realities-78028#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:28:52 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=78028 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Heading deeper into the latter half of the 2020s, the offshore oil and gas industry in the UK is at an inflection point. The country will continue to need significant volumes of oil and gas for decades. According to Offshore Energy UK’s (OEUK) Business Outlook Report 2026, oil and gas …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/uk-offshore-industry-calls-for-policy-changes-that-face-market-realities-78028/feed 0 78028 No more tradeoffs: RSS innovations allow drilling speed, precision to coexist https://drillingcontractor.org/no-more-tradeoffs-rss-innovations-allow-drilling-speed-precision-to-coexist-77233 https://drillingcontractor.org/no-more-tradeoffs-rss-innovations-allow-drilling-speed-precision-to-coexist-77233#respond Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:11:10 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=77233 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Rotary steerable systems (RSS) have become indispensable in some basins, as operators continue to push the boundaries of directional drilling with longer laterals and more complex well designs. However, with the higher costs required compared with conventional downhole tools, this means the performance of RSS is always put under a …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/no-more-tradeoffs-rss-innovations-allow-drilling-speed-precision-to-coexist-77233/feed 0 77233 Mitigation strategies advance as industry digs deeper into HFTO origins https://drillingcontractor.org/mitigation-strategies-advance-as-industry-digs-deeper-into-hfto-origins-77237 https://drillingcontractor.org/mitigation-strategies-advance-as-industry-digs-deeper-into-hfto-origins-77237#respond Wed, 04 Mar 2026 21:11:10 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=77237 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor High-frequency torsional oscillation (HFTO) has been increasingly identified as a major culprit in downhole tool damage and lost time in recent years. The issue has grown in scope along with the continuing increase in drilling speeds, especially in unconventional reservoirs. While the industry has worked to ruggedize downhole tools to …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/mitigation-strategies-advance-as-industry-digs-deeper-into-hfto-origins-77237/feed 0 77237 Transparency on risks, vendor flexibility among OEM strategies to drive technology adoption https://drillingcontractor.org/transparency-on-risks-vendor-flexibility-among-oem-strategies-to-drive-technology-adoption-76619 https://drillingcontractor.org/transparency-on-risks-vendor-flexibility-among-oem-strategies-to-drive-technology-adoption-76619#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:08:06 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=76619 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Jeff Fisher is VP – Products & Innovation (Pressure Control) at HMH. We know that acceptance and adoption of new technology can be slow in the risk-averse drilling industry. What do you see as the biggest challenges to encouraging stakeholder investment in technology development today? This industry absolutely adopts new …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/transparency-on-risks-vendor-flexibility-among-oem-strategies-to-drive-technology-adoption-76619/feed 0 76619 Aging jackup fleet, dim potential for newbuilds set scene for supply scarcity in coming years https://drillingcontractor.org/aging-jackup-fleet-dim-potential-for-newbuilds-set-scene-for-supply-scarcity-in-coming-years-76565 https://drillingcontractor.org/aging-jackup-fleet-dim-potential-for-newbuilds-set-scene-for-supply-scarcity-in-coming-years-76565#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:08:06 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=76565 By Linda Hsieh, Editor & Publisher Mohamed Farouk is Group CEO & Vice Chairman of ADES Group. From your role as CEO of ADES Group, what comes to mind as the top one or two issues that are most critical for drilling contractors right now? Safety has always been and will always remain our greatest …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/aging-jackup-fleet-dim-potential-for-newbuilds-set-scene-for-supply-scarcity-in-coming-years-76565/feed 0 76565 Tech adoption becomes easier when incentives align with economic realities of business https://drillingcontractor.org/tech-adoption-becomes-easier-when-incentives-align-with-economic-realities-of-business-76588 https://drillingcontractor.org/tech-adoption-becomes-easier-when-incentives-align-with-economic-realities-of-business-76588#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:08:06 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=76588 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Ryan Dawson is Chief Corvanaut (Founder and CEO) at Corva. Coming from the perspective of a technology-driven company, how accepting do you feel drilling contractors are of innovation in general? I think drilling contractors are increasingly open to innovation, but they’re still pretty pragmatic. When they can see new technology …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/tech-adoption-becomes-easier-when-incentives-align-with-economic-realities-of-business-76588/feed 0 76588 Vertical integration improves capital efficiencies through scale, stability, goal alignment https://drillingcontractor.org/vertical-integration-improves-capital-efficiencies-through-scale-stability-goal-alignment-76600 https://drillingcontractor.org/vertical-integration-improves-capital-efficiencies-through-scale-stability-goal-alignment-76600#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:08:06 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=76600 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Sarah Fenton is Executive VP of Upstream at EQT Corp. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the industry right now? I think we’d take a more optimistic view to that question. For us as an operator, we’re always looking at our gas demand. Who’s looking for our …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/vertical-integration-improves-capital-efficiencies-through-scale-stability-goal-alignment-76600/feed 0 76600 Drillers keep eye on technologies for tomorrow even as investors focus on getting returns today https://drillingcontractor.org/drillers-keep-eye-on-technologies-for-tomorrow-even-as-investors-focus-on-getting-returns-today-76608 https://drillingcontractor.org/drillers-keep-eye-on-technologies-for-tomorrow-even-as-investors-focus-on-getting-returns-today-76608#respond Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:08:06 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=76608 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Carey Ford is President and CEO of Precision Drilling. What do you see as the most critical challenges facing the onshore drilling industry right now? When I think about that question, first I think about how the industry is always facing challenges and how, no matter what those challenges are, …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/drillers-keep-eye-on-technologies-for-tomorrow-even-as-investors-focus-on-getting-returns-today-76608/feed 0 76608 Offshore likely to remain a waiting game until expected uptick in 2027 https://drillingcontractor.org/offshore-likely-to-remain-a-waiting-game-until-expected-uptick-in-2027-75703 https://drillingcontractor.org/offshore-likely-to-remain-a-waiting-game-until-expected-uptick-in-2027-75703#respond Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:35:29 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=75703 By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor Looking at the offshore market heading into 2026, the sentiment among analysts could best be described as cautiously optimistic – with the rig count likely to stay flat next year after falling this year. Wood Mackenzie, for instance, estimates that 2025 will see an average marketed floating rig demand of …

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]]> https://drillingcontractor.org/offshore-likely-to-remain-a-waiting-game-until-expected-uptick-in-2027-75703/feed 0 75703 LNG potential to provide upside in otherwise flat onshore market in 2026 https://drillingcontractor.org/lng-potential-to-provide-upside-in-otherwise-flat-onshore-market-in-2026-75732 https://drillingcontractor.org/lng-potential-to-provide-upside-in-otherwise-flat-onshore-market-in-2026-75732#respond Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:35:29 +0000 https://drillingcontractor.org/?p=75732   By Stephen Whitfield, Senior Editor The answer to the question of where the global onshore drilling market sits heading into 2026 is simple, if unsatisfying: It depends on how you look at it. For the most part, the market looks flat. Brent pricing appears to have settled from the uncertainty that was introduced into …

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