Advanced Level 4 Drilling Well Control Certification Program: Supervisory Competence Development

Day 1: Foundations of Advanced Well Control

Principles and Procedures Overview

• Analysis of significant well control incidents and their lessons learned.
• Comprehensive overview of well control training and rigorous assessment methodologies.

Introduction to Advanced Well Control Concepts

• Mastering hydrostatic pressure dynamics and its implications.
• Understanding formation pressure and its critical role in well integrity.
• Analyzing fracture pressure and its boundaries for safe operations.
• Advanced strategies for primary well control.
• Techniques and protocols for secondary well control.
• Detailed examination of secondary well control equipment and its operational readiness.

Well Control Barriers and Management

• In-depth exploration of the multi-barrier concept in well control.
• Strategic barrier management for enhanced operational safety and integrity.

Integrated Risk Management in Drilling Operations

• Designing and executing effective well control and emergency drills.

Practical Exercises and Strategic Case Study Analysis

Day 2: Kick Causes, Advanced Detection, and Shut-In Protocols

Root Causes of Kicks

• General principles and contributing factors.
• Consequences of hydrostatic pressure loss.
• Impact of hydrostatic effect on well stability.
• Identifying and managing gas cutting phenomena.
• Addressing lost circulation scenarios and their implications.
• Mitigating swab and surge effects during operations.
• Well control considerations during tripping operations.

Kick Warning Signs and Critical Indicators

• Recognizing advanced kick warning signs and immediate first actions.
• Interpreting critical kick indicators for timely intervention.
• Strategies for managing shallow gas encounters.

The Circulating System: Principles and Performance

• Definition and operational principles of the circulating system.
• Optimizing slow circulation rates (SCR) for well control.
• Understanding fracture pressure and Maximum Allowable Annulus Surface Pressure (MAASP).

Influx Characteristics and Dynamic Behavior

• Fundamental principles governing influx behavior.
• Analyzing dynamic influx behavior under varying conditions.

Advanced Exercises and Real-World Case Study

Rigorous Shut-In Procedures

• General principles and best practices for well shut-in.
• Step-by-step shut-in procedure execution.
• Techniques for hanging off operations.
• Well control during wireline operations.
• Interpreting shut-in data and observations.
• Monitoring and managing influx migration.

Day 3: Advanced Well Control Methods, Operations, and Contingency Strategies

Comprehensive Well Control Methods

• Core principles underlying various well kill methods.
• Advanced kill method principles and application.
• Understanding and managing choke line friction.
• Detailed application of Driller’s Method and Wait and Weight Method.
• Performing pre-tour kill sheet calculations.
• Executing post-kick kill sheet calculations.
• Volumetric methods for complex well control scenarios.
• Lubricate and bleed method techniques.
• Advanced stripping operations.

Well Control During Casing and Cementing Operations

• Managing well control while running and pulling casing and liner.
• Well control considerations during cementing casing and liner.
• Specialized shut-in procedures when running casing.

Strategic Well Control Management

• Conducting effective and realistic well control drills.

Robust Contingency Planning and Emergency Response

• Recognition of impending problems and decisive first actions.
• Addressing pressure gauge failure scenarios.
• Optimizing mud/gas separators (MGS) performance.
• Responding to Blowout Preventer (BOP) failure.
• Managing hydrate formation in challenging environments.
• Handling lost circulation during a well-controlled event.

Intensive Exercises and Advanced Case Study

Day 4: Well Control Equipment: Blowout Preventers (BOPs) Mastery

Advanced Blowout Preventers (BOPs)

• Optimizing BOP stack configuration for various drilling scenarios.
• Detailed understanding of ram type preventers.
• Functionality and application of blind/shear ram preventers.
• Operation and maintenance of annular preventers.
• Strategic use of side outlet valves.
• Secure connections and sealing mechanisms.
• Diverters and their role in shallow gas management.

Day 5: Associated Well Control Equipment and Systems

• Mastering Inside BOPs (IBOPs) and Drill Pipe Safety Valves (DPSVs).
• Design and operation of choke manifolds and chokes.
• Strategic routing of lines for efficient well control.
• Proficiency with manual and remote chokes.
• Understanding auxiliary well control equipment.
• Advanced mud gas separators (MGS) and their applications.
• Operation of vacuum degassers.
• Rigorous testing protocols for well control equipment.
• Comprehensive BOP and equipment testing procedures.
• Executing inflow testing for well integrity verification.
• Detailed analysis of BOP control systems.
• Specialized subsea BOP control systems.