The 30th Annual Congress of the Drilling Contractors Association (DCA-Europe), which took place last week in the eternal City of Rome under the theme ‘Golden Age of HDD?’, once again attracted a record attendance of just under 300 participants.
The congress opened with a high-calibre presentation by the Dutch historian and author Sandrina Bokhorst on the topic ‘Beneath the Golden Age’ – ancient Rome, HDD and the art of connection. It was an interesting presentation that revealed deep insights into the technical capabilities of ancient Rome. Following the introductory talk, there was a presentation by the Italian transmission system operator SNAM on strategic pipeline projects in Italy. This was followed by further presentations on HDD topics from Italy, including ‘Challenges and solutions in laying a 48-inch pipeline through heterogeneous, hilly terrain’.
The focus of this year’s congress was an interactive workshop which, under the motto ‘We are in trouble – how can we shoot it?’, addressed four key aspects of the HDD sector. Topics such as “soil conditions”, “steering/locating”, “mud losses and break outs”, and “drilling tools breaking down hole” were discussed in depth during four half-hour discussion sessions. In addition to the interactive workshop, a wide variety of presentations on current HDD projects involving both small- and large-diameter drilling techniques took place on Friday.
On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the DCA once again hosted two entertaining evening events. Thanks to the very pleasant weather, the evening welcome, dinner and the subsequent ‘get-together’ were able to take place outdoors. The participants enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere on the golf club’s terrace and rounded off the first day with plenty of good conversation. On Thursday evening, in keeping with tradition, the group headed to an off-site event at the nearby La Corte di Arenaro, where participants were able to enjoy a lovely evening, partly in the open air and partly in the estate’s ballroom.
All in all, the 30th DCA Annual Congress in the eternal city of Rome offered high-calibre specialist presentations, a fully booked exhibition and in-depth discussions during the workshop, which in turn provided plenty of starting points for further rounds of discussion.
Rome, the eternal city, proved to be an absolute highlight as a host among the now approximately 30 different congress venues. All participants were able to experience this first-hand during the approximately two-hour guided tour of the heart of Rome on Wednesday or as part of the spouse programme.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank once again all the sponsors who made the staging of such an event possible in the first place.
We look forward to seeing you again on 6–8 October 2027 in Germany, at the Baltic Sea resort of Warnemünde.
Please note: Participation is restricted to DCA members.