Drilling Engineering

The Well Construction Process 

• Where drilling fits into the Exploration and Production (E&P) process
• Exploration, appraisal, and development drilling
• Rig components and operation organization
• Risk management, hazards, and loss prevention methods   

On the first day, participants will learn about the well construction process.  This will cover topics such as where drilling fits into the E&P process, what information can be obtained from drilling, and the exploration, appraisal, and development of a well.  Participants will join in a discussion over drilling rig components, crew, and operation organization.  Well costing, AFE, and drilling operation procedures will be discussed as well.  The day will conclude with drilling risk management, hazards, and loss prevention methods.   

Drilling Fundamentals 

• Sedimentary rock types, properties, and impacts on drilling
• Formation pressures and formation fracture gradient
• Predicting overpressure methods and detection
• Wellbore instability    

Drilling fundamentals will be the focus of the second day.  Participants will learn about different rock types, properties, and their impact on drilling.  Formation pressures, such as hydrostatic, overburden, and pore pressures will be covered, as well as formation fracture gradient.  The methods for predicting overpressures before drilling a well will be discussed.   Participants will also get the chance to learn about limit test and leak off test applications in drilling.  The day will end with discussion over wellbore instability, kick, and kick tolerance.      

Preliminary Well Design

• Preliminary processes
• Components and contributors of well design
• Directional drilling      

Day three will cover the preliminary well design.  Participants can expect to learn about the processes that occur prior to well design, such as land leasing, contracting, and site preparation.  Well design components and programming will be discussed, along with directional drilling, well paths, wellbore surveying, and the methods used to deflect well paths.  Types of fluids, additives, bits, and casings will all be covered and an explanation of each’s function will be given.  Different types of wellheads, as well as primary and remedial cementing will be discussed.   

Programming and Drilling  

• Components and contributors of drilling programming
• Operations
• Problems: preventions and solutions
• Calculations for killing a well

Programming and drilling a well will be the focus of day four.  The components of, and contributors to, a drilling program will be the main focus of this day.  Participants will learn about high-level operational sequences, the contents of a daily drilling report, real-time operations, and the common types of drilling problems.   Well kicks, basic calculations required to kill a well, and the main functions of the BOP system will also be covered.  The day will end with participants learning about the difference between a blow out and a well control situation.

Evaluating and Completing

• Types of evaluation methods and application
• LWD and Geosteering
• Well completion schematics and completion string
• Intelligent completions
• Well suspension and abandonment techniques    

The class will end with participants learning how to evaluate and complete a well.  The common types of well evaluation methods will be covered, along with different formation properties obtained from logs, LWD, and Geosteering.  Perforating techniques, different types of well completions, and well completion schematics will be discussed.  The day will end with participants learning about the main components of a completion string, basic descriptions of intelligent completions, as well as well suspension and well abandonment techniques.