About the IADC Lexicon

The IADC Lexicon Project and this website were developed with the intent of providing a forum for critical review and analysis facilitating a better understanding of terms that are used in relation to drilling operations, particularly those that are used for regulatory purposes.

IADC views this website as a continual work in progress. IADC will use, and hopes that others will use, the information provided on this website to influence, improve, and where appropriate standardize, the use of terminology in legislation, regulations and standards.

The information with which the website was initially populated was drawn from a wide variety of sources that can be broadly categorized as:

  1. Legislation – Definitions drawn from the enactments of a legislative body of a government
  2. Regulations – Definitions drawn from a rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government
  3. Regulatory Guidance – Definitions drawn from non-legally binding guidance issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government
  4. Global Standards – Definitions drawn from material that has been developed and approved by a standards developing organization that enjoys widespread international recognition
  5. National or Regional Standards – Definitions drawn from material that has been developed and approved by a standards developing organization that enjoys primarily regional or national recognition
  6. IADC Guidelines – Definitions drawn from material that has been developed and approved by the International Association of Drilling Contractors

A listing of the sources from which this material has been drawn is provided [ See the List of IADC Lexicon Sources ]. This is not considered by IADC to constitute an exhaustive list of sources where relevant terms may be defined, and no inference should be drawn from the omission of any source.

IADC recognizes that many other sources may fall within the above categories and provide alternative definitions or additional relevant definitions. We would welcome your participation in continuing this effort by identifying and providing additional material for inclusion on this website by becoming a Lexicon Editor. [ Edit the Lexicon ]

IADC also recognizes that definitions for drilling terms may exist within standards developed at a national level, or guidelines developed by other industry organizations. We do not intend to minimize the importance of such standards, but we do not wish to emphasize including such material at this time.

ISO and IEC maintain multi-language terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses: