Drilling Operations Awareness

Course overview

A practical introduction to drilling well control for personnel who work around drilling operations but do not perform a primary well control function. The course explains how pressure is managed while drilling, how a kick can develop, what the main well barriers are intended to do, and why early recognition, communication and correct response are critical to preventing escalation.

1 day (minimum 6 instructional hours).

Why this course matters

By the end of the course, participants should be able to follow basic well control discussions at the rig site, recognize the purpose of drilling fluid and BOP equipment, understand the significance of common kick indicators, and know when to report an abnormal condition to the responsible well control personnel.

Who should attend

• Service company and drilling contractor personnel
• Third-party personnel working around rig operations
• New technical staff
• HSE personnel
• Others who need a sound awareness of drilling well control without carrying out a critical well control role

Course content

• Drilling a well and basic well construction
• Formation pressure, hydrostatic pressure and wellbore pressure
• Purpose and functions of drilling fluid
• Primary and secondary well barriers
• Purpose and basic functions of the blowout preventer (BOP) system
• Kick prevention and common causes of influx
• Kick warning signs, monitoring and detection
• Surface and subsea shut-in awareness
• Basic well control methods and response philosophy
• Well control roles, communication and reporting

Assessment and certification

• A written knowledge test may be used by the training centre, but it is not mandatory for the IADC Awareness course.
• Successful completion results in an IADC WellSharp Awareness Certificate of Attendance.
• Certificate validity: no recertification is required.