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Advanced Drilling Engineering Courses

Drilling Operations Trainer.

Drilling Hydraulics:

After this course the student should be able to:

State the relevant parameters when considering the hydraulic conditions of a well and explain the importance of knowing down hole hydraulic conditions when drilling or planning to drill.
Explain the importance of, and describe, methods of optimizing hydraulic conditions for maximum penetration rate.
Show how mud pump pressure, flow rate and pressure losses in the system are related and how each can be measured and/or calculated.
State where pressure losses occur, how they can be calculated and how they can be reduced.
State the factors which effect the selection of mud pump operating pressure and how a selected operating pressure can be achieved.
Explain how the jet velocity can be calculated in terms of flow rate and nozzle area, the importance of calculation of the magnitude of jet impact forces and how optimum nozzle size can be calculated.
State the conditions which may make it necessary to use non-optimum, or reduced, hydraulic conditions.

Drill String Design.

After this course the student should be able to:

State the important factors that should be considered when designing a drill string.
State the special operating limitations which can lead to loss of drill pipe service life or down hole failures.
State and use the safety and design factors used in drill string design.
Calculate:

The maximum length of a given drill pipe that can be used with a given drill collar assembly and given mud.
Critical rotary speeds, given the dimensions of the pipe in a drill string, and critical depths for simultaneous transverse and longitudinal vibrations.
The maximum tool joint height above the rotary table for given tong positions.
The depth of the stuck point of a stuck drill string given the stretch under a differential pull.

Cementing.

After this course the student should be able to:

State when cementing processes are required and identify the importance of such processes.
State the main classes and properties of standards cements and show appropriate cement types may be chosen according to operating conditions.
Describe the circumstances in which special purpose cements should be used.
Describe the importance of establishing optimum slurry characteristics. Also show hew the characteristics may be affected by down hole conditions and the use of additives.
Explain the procedures which may be adopted in order to obtain optimum primary cementation characteristics. Also state the steps which may be taken to overcome the various problems which may be experienced with primary cementation operations.
State how the performance of cementing operations may be evaluated, including the identification of major and localized cement losses.
Indicate that secondary cementation is a remedial technique which is used when primary cementation is unsatisfactory. Also describe the procedure used in secondary cementation.

Casing String Design.

After this course the student should be able to:

Specify the general functions of casing and the special functions of each type of casing string and liner.
Explain why safety, control and economy are primary considerations when designing a casing string.
Explain why successful cementing of the production string is of paramount importance.
Describe the general casing program considerations: size and setting depths, hoist capacity, storage facilities and stocking arrangements.
Specify the major steps involved and the factors which should be taken into account when designing casing.
Describe and use the procedures and calculations necessary when designing conductor, intermediate, surface and production casing strings using known well data.

Pressure Control.

After this course the student should be able to:

Calculating the formation pressure when the bit is at the bottom of the hole.
Calculating the gradient of an influx and hence determining the type of influx that has entered the well bore.
Calculating the kill mud gradient and hence determining the amount of weighting material needed to balance the formation pressure.
Describe safety margins used when killing a well by the "wait and weight" method.
Describe the procedures to be followed when:
It is necessary to change to a different pump rate during the first phase of killing the well.

Describe the driller's method for killing a well and its disadvantages, and when and how a well may be killed in stages or by reverse circulation.

Circulation Losses.

After this course the student should be able to:

State the conditions which lead to lost circulation and the reasons why this is a major problem.
Indicate the importance of locating the position of circulation losses and to explain how this may be done.
Describe and explain the various methods which may be used to restore circulation. In particular to select the most appropriate methods for given operating conditions.
State the conditions in which drilling may be continued without restoring circulation. Also describe and explain the procedures used in such cases.

Directional Drilling.

After this course the student should be able to:

Describe and explain the effects of formation type on bit deviation and how these effects can be overcome.
Indicate the effects of drilling assembly flexibility on deviation control.
Construct horizontal and vertical sections of single bend wells, and stretch plots of multiple-bend wells.
Calculate the correct tool setting angles for inclination change only, azimuth change only, inclination and azimuth change and maximum azimuth change.
State why the accurate surveying of deviated wells is necessary and also to:

Specify the accuracy of and major sources of inaccuracy in surveying instruments.
State how such inaccuracies may be minimized.

Use the minimum curvature computation method to calculate the position of survey points in a deviated well.
Describe the use of curved conductors in deviated drilling operations.
Describe the use and applications of down hole motors.
Describe the use of steerable systems, rotating as well as non rotating.
Drill a complete well using the Drilling Operations Trainer.

Horizontal Drilling.

After this course the student should be able to:

This course is under development.

Hydrogen Sulphide.

After this course the student should be able to:

State and describe the properties of hydrogen sulphide with particular reference to the following:

Identify the problems and solutions to those problems associated with the presence of H2S.
State how the presence of H2S is detected.
State the necessary precautions and operations and operating procedures when drilling in a H2S area.
State the procedures to be adopted in the case of an emergency involving H2S.

Underbalanced Drilling.

After this course the student should be able to:

This course is under development.