Special honor for IADC and OOC

Petroleum News

The International Association of Drilling Contractors and the Offshore Operators Committee are being recognized for their development of deepwater well control guidelines. The special citation from the Offshore Technology Conference will be presented at an awards luncheon May 4.

The IADC and the OOC formed a deepwater well control task force in 1997 to address safety and environmental issues as the industry moved into operations in deeper water, and published its original guidelines in 1998. The task force was led by Moe Plaisance, a vice president at Diamond Offshore Drilling.

In 2000, a supplement was added to the guidelines to address unplanned disconnects of the risers that carry drill pipe and drilling fluids to the well.

Well control involves the safeguards needed to prevent discharges of hydrocarbons during drilling operations.