ADIPEC 2026: Building resilience through reliable drilling solutions and stronger regional capabilities

As the energy industry navigates an increasingly complex operating environment, ADIPEC 2026 reinforced the importance of energy security, operational efficiency and practical innovation.

Across conversations with customers and partners at the event, one theme stood out the most: resilience. Thomas Kipker, Vice President Sales and Shawn Tkatch, Vice President Aftermarket Solutions share their key takeaways from the event and explain why strengthening regional capabilities remains central to our commitment in the Middle East.

Energy security is sustaining demand for reliable drilling solutions

Energy security remains a priority for the global energy industry, supporting continued demand for dependable drilling infrastructure.

However, uncertainty is influencing how customers approach new projects and capital expenditure.

“There’s a lot of activity in the market right now and customers are continuing to look at investment. But they’re being more selective about where they spend their money. We’re seeing greater interest in upgrading, refurbishing and extending the life of existing equipment, rather than immediately investing in something new,” Shawn explains.

“Reliability and long-term support are increasingly important. Customers want confidence that equipment will perform, but also that spare parts and technical expertise will be available when they need them. With the supply chain challenges we’ve experienced, that reassurance matters more than ever.”

This presents opportunities to support customers through equipment modernisation, upgrades and lifecycle services.

Efficiency and operational performance are driving investment decisions

Improving productivity, reducing downtime, controlling costs and maintaining safe operations remain fundamental priorities for drilling contractors.

At ADIPEC, these objectives were reflected in discussions around rig upgrades, equipment refurbishment, automation and technologies that improve drilling efficiency.

Thomas comments, “Minimising downtime remains the number one priority for customers. They want reliable drilling equipment that delivers consistent performance, and any investment needs to demonstrate a clear operational benefit.

“We received positive feedback on our Top Drive systems, alongside interest in our remote-operated Iron Roughnecks and opportunities to increase rig automation. With the strong focus on upgrading existing rigs, we can help customers improve performance without investing in building from scratch.”

For BENTEC, combining engineering expertise with aftermarket capabilities offers an important opportunity to help customers maximise the value of their existing equipment.

Digitalisation and automation: From ambition to practical application

Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and automation featured prominently at ADIPEC 2026, but conversations suggested a shift towards more practical, results-driven applications.

“There’s certainly demand for greater automation, but customers are balancing that ambition against cost pressures and project requirements. Technology needs to deliver tangible improvements in safety, reliability, productivity or well delivery times, backed by proven performance data,” explains Thomas.

“We’re also seeing the conversation around AI evolve. Rather than relying on AI to make decisions, there’s more emphasis on using data and AI to support better-informed decisions by the people operating the equipment.”

Shawn adds “The real opportunity is combining our equipment knowledge with automation, digital technologies and aftermarket expertise. It’s not about introducing technology for its own sake. It’s about helping customers operate more safely and efficiently while improving equipment performance and reliability.”

This reinforces our focus on delivering practical, proven technologies that combine our OEM expertise with automation and digital capabilities to help achieve measurable improvements in safety, efficiency and operational performance.

Strengthening our commitment to the Middle East

Beyond these industry themes, ADIPEC reinforced the growing importance of localisation, in-country value (ICV) and resilient regional supply chains.

For customers, local presence increasingly means having access to manufacturing capabilities, spare parts, technical expertise and responsive support closer to their operations.

“Localisation is becoming even more important as customers look to reduce their exposure to international supply chain disruption. It’s not just about meeting local requirements. It’s about having the capabilities in place to support customers when they need us,” said Thomas.

“BENTEC is well positioned through our established operations in Oman and Saudi Arabia, where we have manufacturing, fabrication and engineering capabilities supported by our ISO and API certifications.”

“Our new manufacturing capability in Saudi Arabia is an important step forward, allowing us to bring critical expertise and production capacity closer to our customers. We’re also continuing to strengthen in-country value through our local workforce and the suppliers we work with,” adds Shawn.

These investments reflect BENTEC’s long-term commitment to building regional capabilities, supporting local industry development and providing dependable support throughout the equipment lifecycle.