We are proud to announce that four of our Petroleum Engineering students represented UL Lafayette at the 2026 IADC/S
Petroleum Engineering Students Gain Industry Insight at IADC ART Conference
Mon, 08/31/2026 - 11:41am
Petroleum Engineering students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette recently attended the IADC Advanced Rig Technology (ART) Conference & Exhibition, held August 25–26, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
The IADC ART Conference is a premier event focused on technologies shaping today’s drilling environment. The program highlighted important developments and challenges in digital twins, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, data integration, virtual sensing, and other advanced drilling applications.
For UL Lafayette students, the conference provided a valuable opportunity to connect concepts from the classroom with the technologies, workflows, and operational challenges being addressed across the drilling industry. By engaging with industry professionals, students gained insight into how rapidly evolving digital and automation technologies are influencing the future of drilling operations.
For the past seven years, UL Lafayette Petroleum Engineering students have attended IADC’s annual late-August conferences to enhance their education and gain firsthand exposure to the technologies, practices, and professional perspectives shaping today’s drilling environment.
The UL Lafayette Petroleum Engineering program sincerely thanks the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) for hosting the students and generously covering all conference-related expenses. This support made it possible for students to participate in a leading industry event and to strengthen the connection between their academic preparation and professional practice.
Experiences such as the IADC ART Conference reflect UL Lafayette’s commitment to preparing future petroleum engineers with the technical awareness, industry perspective, and professional connections needed to contribute to an increasingly advanced drilling sector.
UL Lafayette Petroleum Engineering students at the 2026 IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference & Exhibition in Austin, Texas. From left: Landon Bardales, Trent Savoie, Aedan Mills, and Bedis Mekacher.