Our New Mission
To bring together operators, drilling contractors, service providers, OEM’s, academia and technology leaders to define, develop, and deploy smarter, more integrated drilling systems that drive increased value throughout the well lifecycle.
What This Means
Our new name reflects a broader focus — advancing drilling through collaboration, innovation, and systems integration.
Big-picture systems thinking
Breaking silos and connecting planning, execution, and automation.
Clarity over chaos
Actionable insights that drive real-world performance.
Human-centered design
Creating tools that guide, not overwhelm.
Collaboration
Operators, service providers, and technology leaders solving challenges together.
Upcoming Events
Webinars
SPE ENERGY STREAM • ON DEMAND • FREE FOR MEMBERS
Beyond Automation: Advancing Drilling Systems for the Future
For nearly two decades, DSATS has helped bring automation from concept to industry reality. Today, that mission has evolved. As drilling becomes increasingly digital, connected, and data-driven, DSATS is taking a broader view — advancing the entire drilling system rather than focusing on automation alone. This evolution, marked by the recent rebrand to Drilling Systems Advancement Technical Section, reflects a stronger commitment to integration, collaboration, and human-centered innovation across the well lifecycle.
In this SPE Live, DSATS leaders will discuss what this shift means for the industry and the opportunities it creates.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Maximize your visibility at the industry’s top technical gatherings with the all-inclusive 2026 Platinum Sponsorship package.
Sponsorships will fund the DSATS / ART Symposium March 16, 2026; the Drillbotics Student Competition booth in the IADC / SPE Drilling Conference Exhibition March 17 - 19, 2026; and, through DSATS, the Drillbotics 2025 - 2026 Student Competition currently underway.
Platinum · 5000 USD
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Logo and sponsorship category on DSATS/ART Symposium web page and venue signage​
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Logo and sponsorship category on Drillbotics Student Competition website and stand signage​
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Verbal acknowledgement of sponsorship and category during symposium
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Logo and sponsorship category on screen at start and during break​​ of symposium
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4 slides of your company/products/services on screen at start and during breaks of symposium
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Verbal acknowledgement of sponsorship and category at Drillbotics Student Competition events (up to 100 words)
Gold · 3000 USD
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Logo and sponsorship category on DSATS/ART Symposium web page and venue signage​
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Logo and sponsorship category on Drillbotics Student Competition website and stand signage​
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Verbal acknowledgement of sponsorship and category during symposium
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Logo and sponsorship category on screen at start and during break of symposium
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2 slides of your company/products/services on screen at start and during breaks of symposium
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Verbal acknowledgement of sponsorship and category at Drillbotics Student Competition events (up to 50 words)
Silver · 2000 USD
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Logo and sponsorship category on DSATS/ART Symposium web page and venue signage​
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Logo and sponsorship category on Drillbotics Student Competition website and stand signage​
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Verbal acknowledgement of sponsorship and category during symposium
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Logo and sponsorship category on screen at start and during break of symposium
Our Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
DSATS Subcommittees
Drillbotics® Student Competition
International competition for universities to design and build a small drilling rig that uses sensors and control algorithms to autonomously drill a rock sample, or alternately, create a virtual rig.
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Drilling Data Quality & Uncertainty Description
Increase the awareness and understanding in the drilling community on how to describe drilling data quality and uncertainty.
Verification & Validation
Increase awareness and understanding of the relevance of verification and validation in drilling systems automation.
Drilling & Wells Interoperability Standards (D-WIS)
Working on solutions to improve connectivity and data exchange between key equipment and systems deployed during well construction.
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Open Source Drilling Community (OSDC)
A repository of open-source drilling models, test cases, and benchmarks for deep drilling problems.
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DSATS Officers & Board
The DSATS leadership team represents a diverse mix of operators, service companies, technology providers, and academia—guiding the technical section’s strategic direction and initiatives.
Officers​
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Blakley Farrow - Section Chair
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Rium Johnson - Administrative Chair & Online Community Webmaster
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Sathianandan (Sam) Dharmaselvan - Treasurer
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Cody MacDonald - Membership Chair
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Moray Laing - Lead Program Chair - North America
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Nestor Ruiz - Program Chair - South America
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Serafima Schaefer - Program Chair - Europe / Sub-Saharan Africa
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Eric Cayeux - Deputy Program Chair - Europe
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Mohammad Khan - Program Chair - Middle East
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Pastor Chukwu - Program Chair - Africa
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Bineet Tripathi - Program Chair - Asia
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Indrajeet Kumar - Deputy Program Chair - Asia
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Farhan Khan - Program Chair - Australia
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Dan Sui - University Relations Chair
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Matt Isbell - D-WIS Subcommittee Chair
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Paul Pastusek - Open-Source Subcommittee Chair
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Rodica Mihai - V&V Subcommittee Chair
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Enrique Losoya - Drillbotics Subcommittee Chair
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Eric Cayeux - Drilling Data Quality and Uncertainty (DDQU) Subcommittee Chair
Board Members​
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Andre Alonso Fernandes
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Calvin Holt
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Dimitrios Pirovolou
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Karma Slusarchuk
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Shashi Talya
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Robert Wylie
Emeritus Board Members
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John de Wardt
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Fred Florence
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John Macpherson
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Society of Petroleum Engineers Staff
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Greg Hickey – SPE Technical Section Liaison
©2025 SPE Drilling Systems Advancement Technical Section