As new technologies enable the drilling of increasingly complex and challenging wells, well control remains a critical operation that requires personnel to possess not only technical skill but also the ability to communicate effectively during stressful situations. This paper focuses on the preparation for, and implementation of, well-control training, while highlighting the integration of people skills into curricula and what advantages operators and drilling contractors have obtained.

Conventional Well-Control Training

Well control is of paramount importance and relies on trained teams to maintain well integrity throughout the drilling process. Conventional courses remain the cornerstone in competency training and provide a solid foundation for understanding the fundamental physics associated with well control, and should always remain part of the core curriculum. Crews that use high-fidelity simulations with integrated crew resource management (CRM) will be equipped to mitigate challenges in deepwater drilling environments better.

Students who score consistently above average on an individual well-control examination should then be considered for advanced training. Such intensive courses involve a fully immersive simulated drilling rig that mimics real-life situations and well-control scenarios while being guided by drilling and human-factors specialists. On the first day of class, participants will be tested and, upon completion of the course, will be awarded the appropriate certification. Throughout the remainder of the week, participants will be immersed in a realistic and advanced simulated environment where their behavior and interactions, as well as their technical knowledge, will be assessed.