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Oilfield Technology
December
2014
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Kill sheets to support simulation sessions.
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Well control complications, including plugged choke, plugged
nozzle and washed‑out choke.
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Competency‑assurance scenarios and test questions.
The system focuses on active, hands‑on learning. This is because
research shows that people typically retain only 10% of what they
read, 50% of what they see and hear, and 90% of what they do.
This is a big reason why the IADC Well Control Committee
recently mandated an increase in simulation training for WellCAP
certification.
Competency‑assurance training gives crewmembers hours
of dedicated, hands‑on training that meets an industry‑leading
standard. This is generally seen as preferable to group simulator
sessions, which typically offer minimal individual, hands‑on time.
Virtual instructor
The virtual instructor scores each crewmember on his or her
performance of every skill (or learning objective), tracking each
person’s progress over time. The system assures operators that their
contractors meet the latest standards, while contractors maintain
the privacy and security of their training records.
The system maintains crewmembers’ two‑year competency
and includes training at OGP 476 levels three and four. This allows
crewmembers to begin their recertification training at
a higher level than ever before, elevating expertise to a
higher degree across the drilling operation.
Partnerships
In fact, as operators worldwide seek means to
satisfy the new IOGP 476 standard, the well control
experts at Wild Well Control have joined forces
with Check‑6 to deliver the next generation of well
control training in their classrooms around the
world. The Wild Well Control Training School has
installed a training system for every student in its
Houston‑based classroom with plans to outfit its
other classrooms worldwide.
The company will continue to use live instructors
to teach concepts and theory, while students use
the simulation vignettes to practice well control
scenarios, giving them much greater hands‑on
experience at the individual level. The process is expected to
improve the quality of the training ten‑ to twentyfold.
Validatedbywell control experts
Check‑6 has built its reputation on expertise in training
and competency, developed through years of experience as
fighter pilots and instructors. To create a well control training
programme, the company used a broad range of subject matter
experts to ensure that physics models and training content were
accurate and realistic. A Ph.D. in modelling and simulation was
recruited: Dr. Josh ‘Doc’ Lewis, who validated the physics model
with the help of Dr. Jerome Schubert, a Texas A&M Professor of
Petroleum Engineering. Training designed solely by academia
and management often fails to inspire the end‑users and
the majority of the content is irrelevant. Conversely, Check‑6
received feedback from front‑line users to determine the true
gaps in well control understanding. By using tool pushers,
offshore installation managers, company men and drillers from
companies such as Diamond Offshore, Hess, Cobalt, Chevron
and Shell, the best practices of multiple companies and training
providers have been taken to produce relevant training content
that engages and inspires learning through a new generation of
training technology.
Figure 2.
Virtual realismputs crewmembers in familiar surroundings.
Figure 3.
Drilling engineers hone their well control skills atWildWell Control’s Houston
office.
