This online course covers the Principles and Procedures of Well Control in Drilling, offering a comprehensive understanding of the techniques and strategies used to manage well pressure and prevent hazards such as blowouts. The course provides essential theoretical knowledge in well control, equipping professionals in the oil and gas industry with the skills needed to respond effectively to pressure-related incidents during drilling operations. While this course is not intended to replace formal IWCF or IADC industry-certified training, it serves as a supplement to help candidates prepare for the required certification course, but MAY NOT COVER ALL THE OBJECTIVES OF THE IWCF/IADC CURRICULUMS.
In this course, while we concentrate on the Principles and Procedures of well control, we will give a brief introduction to BOP equipment, leaving the more in-depth lessons on BOP equipment for the next course.
Course Title:
Principles and Procedures of Well Control in Drilling
Course Overview:
This course introduces the principles, procedures, and equipment used to maintain well control during drilling operations. It focuses on the management of formation pressures, detection of kicks, blowout prevention, and safe wellbore practices. Participants will gain an understanding of various well control methods, tools, and industry-standard practices. The course is designed for drilling engineers, rig personnel, well-site supervisors, and anyone involved in drilling operations.
Course Duration:
- Total Duration: Typically about 10 hours taking from 2 days to several weeks.
- Delivery Mode: Online instruction with interactive quizzes.
- Time Commitment: Ten x 1-hour modules
Target Audience for Well Control:
- Drilling engineers
- Rig supervisors and operators
- Wellsite engineers
- Offshore and onshore rig personnel
- Mud Engineers
- Directional drillers
- Cementing engineers
- Logging personnel
- Safety officers
- Offshore and onshore drilling contractors’ personnel
- Students in petroleum engineering programs
- Sales personnel and office staff who would benefit from having a more in-depth knowledge of well control
Well Control Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Understand the principles of well control and the importance of maintaining pressure balance in the well.
- Recognize the signs of a kick and effectively implement well control procedures.
- Understand the operation and maintenance of blowout preventers and other pressure control equipment.
- Demonstrate knowledge of key well control techniques such as the driller’s method, wait-and-weight method, and lubricate-and-bleed method.
- Safely manage well control situations in a variety of drilling environments, including HPHT, offshore, and deepwater.
- Analyze case studies and apply lessons learned to prevent well control incidents in the future.
Evaluation and Certification:
- Quizzes and Tests: At the end of each module, participants take quizzes to test their understanding.
- Final Exam: A comprehensive online exam that covers all the course material.
- Certification: Participants who complete the entire course and pass the final exam will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Conclusion:
This online course provides in-depth knowledge of well control principles and procedures, preparing drilling professionals to manage wellbore pressure and avoid dangerous situations like blowouts. Through a combination of theoretical lessons and case studies, participants will gain the skills necessary to maintain well control in real-world drilling operations.
Curriculum
- 11 Sections
- 42 Lessons
- 10 Weeks
- Module 7 - Well Control Procedures and Techniques6
- 0.0Lesson 22 – Shut-in Procedures: Steps to take when a kick is detected
- 0.1Lesson 23 – Circulating Out a Kick: Procedures for removing formation fluids from the wellbore
- 0.2Lesson 24– Driller’s Method: The step-by-step procedure for controlling a well using the driller’s method
- 0.3Lesson 25– Wait-and-Weight Method: Procedure for controlling a well in high-pressure situations
- 0.4Lesson 26 – Lubricate and Bleed Method: Used for managing gas influxes
- 0.5Lesson 27 – Method Selection: When to use each method based on the specific well cond
- Module 6 - Kill Sheets, MAASP, ICP, and FSP3
- Module 1- Introduction to Well Control4
- 1.0Lesson 1 – Definition of well control and its importance in drilling operations
- 1.1Lesson 2 – Overview of wellbore pressures and their impact on safety
- 1.2Lesson 3 – Common well control issues (kicks, blowouts, and stuck pipe)
- 1.3Lesson 4 – Overview of industry standards and regulations (e.g., IADC, API)
- Module 2 - Basic Principles of Well Control4
- 2.0Lesson 5 – Understanding hydrostatic pressure, formation pressure, and bottom hole pressure
- 2.1Lesson 6 – The role of drilling mud and its influence on well control
- 2.2Lesson 7 – Pressure balance and the need for proper mud weight
- 2.3Lesson 8 – Calculating wellbore pressure and managing overbalanced vs underbalanced conditions
- Module 3 - Types of Well Control Problems4
- Module 4 - Detection of Kicks and Pressure Imbalances3
- Module 5 - Collecting Pre Kick Data3
- Module 8 - Well Control in Different Environments4
- Module 9 - Post-Incident Procedures and Reporting4
- Module 10 - Simulation and Case Studies3
- Module 11 - Overview of Well Control Equipment Types and Technology4
- 12.0Lesson 39– The latest technologies used in well control, including automated systems
- 12.1Lesson 40 – Advances in blowout preventer design and control systems
- 12.2Lesson 41 – Monitoring systems for real-time well pressure and kick detection
- 12.3Lesson 42 – Future trends and improvements in well control procedures
