Baker Hughes First Integrated Oilfield Service Company to Receive IADC Competence Assurance Accreditation

HOUSTON, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker Hughes is the first integrated oilfield service company to receive full accreditation of its Competence Management Program from the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC).

IADC's system for accrediting competency assurance programs reviews and confirms that a company's program meets accepted practices to develop and evaluate personnel across a wide array of job functions and product lines. IADC is a leader in developing standards for industry training and has exclusively represented the worldwide oil and gas industry.

The Baker Hughes Competence Management Program, based on compliance, reliability and performance gives company employees the training and tools necessary to be able to meet and exceed current and upcoming operating requirements and government regulations. It offers a way to measure the experience Baker Hughes employees bring to each project and provides them a career path.

"Proactively seeking this full accreditation of our competence system required thorough audits by IADC," Baker Hughes' President of Global Products and Services Art Soucy said. "This accreditation stands as further evidence of our company's commitment to compliance and reliability, and is a way to let our customers know each of our employees is proficient to work where they are assigned."

In order to receive the IADC Accreditation, Baker Hughes' Competence Management Program was reviewed during the course of several months, including a review of the performance criteria Baker Hughes has in place through curriculum managers and competency managers, who work closely with those in the technical, engineering and operations fields. IADC also looked at Baker Hughes' process for defining competencies, training resources and methods to support the training and development process, as well as the company's assessment system for evaluating competency. Documentation and quality assurance also was considered.

"Baker Hughes' accreditation reflects a new approach at IADC to help ensure that not only are drilling contractors meeting a high level of standards in developing employee competency, but oilfield service companies are meeting the same competency assurance standards as well," said Mark Denkowski, IADC Vice President of Accreditation & Certification Programs. "IADC congratulates Baker Hughes on becoming IADC Competence Assurance accredited and demonstrating to the industry and the public that the company has a formal system in place for evaluating the performance of its personnel."

Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. The company's 57,000-plus employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydrocarbon resources. For more information on Baker Hughes' century-long history, visit www.bakerhughes.com.

SOURCE Baker Hughes