It is with great sadness that Techdrill International announce the passing of Patrick A. Daget, its founder, head of drilling, author of Techdrill software. Patrick passed away peacefully on Monday 7th of November 2022, at his family home in Estoril, Portugal. He was 80 years old. We wish to express our gratitude to Patrick for his lasting legacy and pay tribute to his 30 years of commitment to Techdrill.

Born in Cluny, France, on the 23rd of August 1942, Patrick was a man of multiple dimensions, of deep integrity, enduring generosity, eclectic interests, joyful kindness, and quick-witted humour. He leaves a legacy of technological achievements, a major copyright work, and wonderful friendships. A visionary who was part of a great generation of pioneers that shaped the oil industry, Patrick made significant contributions throughout more than 50 years to making oil & gas drilling robust, safe, and scientific.

Obtaining, at age 15, the French baccalaureate in sciences, Patrick went on, after studying advanced mathematics and physics at Paris, France's Louis-Le-Grand school, to be admitted to École Centrale Paris, where his interest in mechanical engineering, particularly in strength of materials and structures, laid the foundation of his career-long passion for drilling engineering.

After serving two years as an officer in the French Air Force Mirage III Fighting Squadron, Patrick worked for Renault´s engineering department before joining Schlumberger, and then in 1969, Total – Compagnie Française des Pétroles.

At Total, quickly appointed drilling manager, Patrick's first assignment in Angola led him to meet Lena, then head of government relations for Total in Luanda, who became his wife. Back at headquarters, Patrick embarked on a journey of industry milestones, conducting fundamental research on riser technology, advancing drilling equipment with manufacturing companies like Cameron, venturing in deep-water drilling, introducing in 1971 big computers, punch cards and database systems in Total, writing the company's first ever software. During this period, he was leading engineering breakthroughs onboard dynamic positioning drillships Glomar Challenger, Pelican, Pelerin, and drilling in the middle of Labrador Sea icebergs onboard the SEDCO 445.

As head of Total´s drilling engineering department at the age of 32, Patrick was involved in the Frigg gas field development, managed special drilling projects for the French government during the first part of the 1970s, of far-reaching impact for France, and was the French representative for the deep sea (3,000m water depth) Integrated Ocean Drilling Program in the Bermuda triangle. In 1976, Patrick served two years as head of drilling operations in Aberdeen, Scotland inspiring lasting technical developments made under harsh conditions. That year he ran the industry's first use of a 15,000 psi BOP stack.

Two years later, he was promoted group deputy drilling director, overseeing drilling engineering and operations globally. With like-minded progressive colleagues, Patrick contributed to building up Total's drilling division; to him, oil & gas fields were a vast and unexplored theatre for fearless innovations.

Appointed in 1979 drilling manager of ZADCO, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Patrick designed the drilling programme of a promising field: Zakum, then a 6-billion-dollar offshore development. He oversaw the drilling & completions campaign of the first 160 wells, with up to 11 jack-up rigs between 1980 and 1982. A ground-breaking success for Total and ADNOC, today the world´s second largest offshore field, Upper Zakum field will be soon producing 1 million barrels per day.

In 1982 Patrick joined American oil entrepreneur John Blocker and ran Blocker Energy's Africa & Middle East division for several years out of Abu Dhabi and then Tunisia. Patrick then advised the Hughes Group, later Shell on the challenging Brent field, and Total on global drilling engineering and fields in the North Sea, Africa, Argentina and in the Arabian Gulf.

In 1992, Patrick fulfilled his entrepreneurial dream, as an author, founding Techdrill in Paris, France. Friends and family joined this adventure, and the company became a multigenerational family business. DSP-One, the industry's first integrated drilling engineering software package, was an immediate success: within 10 years the company had clients in 50 countries. The software was rapidly adopted by oil majors, turnkey drilling contractors, directional drilling companies. Among those historical clients were Chevron worldwide, Shell, Total, Conoco, Fina, Adnoc, Pemex, Global Marine, Transocean, Santa Fe, Gaz de France, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger.

He also advised oil companies on engineering for complex wells, HPHT, and drilling optimisation, across the Americas, Africa, the North Sea, Russia, China, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, coaching numerous drilling managers in these areas.

Patrick loved sharing his knowledge throughout his career. During the last 30 years he lectured thousands of drilling engineers in more than 45 countries, teaching in many universities, and serving 15 years as visiting professor in drilling engineering for the French Petroleum Institute master’s program in Paris, France.

A passionate communicator, Patrick was a warm humanist who had thoroughly enjoyed his hobbies, with a lifelong interest in French literature & poetry, and in French music he loved singing frequently, co-producing a musical comedy show in the 1980s in Paris, France. Last August, his 80th birthday and the company's 30th anniversary was celebrated among many old friends and family.

Patrick was grateful for the enduring friendship and support he received from countless friends during the last 30 years, and for the loyalty of so many Techdrill staff.

A caring and affectionate husband and father, Patrick will be deeply missed by his wife Lena, their four children Miguel, Daphné, Philippe and Caroline, their spouses, and 7 grandchildren.

At Techdrill, we will strive to honour and emulate his legacy.