Overview

This 5-day course aims to enhance the participants’ knowledge of well engineering and operational practices involved in designing and executing a well in the challenging environment of deepwater operations. By examining the difficulties facing today’s deepwater drilling operations personnel, this practical and engaging course aims to i) maximise drilling safety, efficiency, and hydrocarbon production, and ii) minimise the cost and risk involved in these high-cost and potentially complex wells.

Case studies are referred to throughout the course, allowing participants to actively examine and critique both the successes and the failures of past deepwater operations. The group discussions aim to increase knowledge share, improve knowledge retention, and enhance the learning experience.

The 5-day course is structured to follow a formal Well Delivery process to provide a framework to the learning activities, and the training hinges on engineering theory, operational best practices, and the fundamental differences between conventional wells and deepwater wells.

Designed For

The course has been designed for Operator personnel, senior rig crew and onshore support teams and will promote knowledge, communication and teamwork as a methodology to ensure success in a challenging deep-water environment.

The course is designed to build on previous knowledge of well design and operational practices, so it is assumed that course participants will have prior knowledge of these fundamentals.

Entry Requirements

There are no formal candidate pre-requisites for this course; however it is assumed that participants will have prior knowledge of well design and operational techniques.

This course can be customised to suit our clients’ training requirements and candidate suitability including assumed base knowledge can be discussed and agreed in the early stages of course development.

Course Delivery

The course is conducted over 5 days and is delivered through lectures, group exercises, and case studies, and aims to consolidate theory with practical simulation exercises.

An interactive, student-lead post-course assessment will ensure that any misunderstandings or learning discrepancies are addressed.

The following references are used as a basis for any teaching:
• API RP96 – Deepwater Design and Construction
• IADC Deepwater Well Control Guidelines

Certification

Successful completion of the course will result in an Aberdeen Drilling School certificate which is valid for 2 years.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course delegates will be able to:

• List and explain the differences in well design and operational practices between deepwater and conventional wells

• Support the need for training and communication as a key factor in the safe design and execution of a deepwater well

• Acknowledge the importance of ‘asking the right question’ to stakeholders and suppliers

• Understand the major environmental differences between conventional and deepwater operations

• Differentiate between the various types of deepwater drilling unit, and identify advantages and disadvantages of each type

• Understand the principles of deepwater casing design, and deepwater drilling fluids and cementing techniques

• Describe the fundamentals of deepwater wellhead architecture and blow-out prevention equipment

• Understand the differences between conventional and deepwater well control, including the concepts of a narrow mud weight window, choke line friction, ECD management, and riser margins