Wellbore Design and Construction

About the Course

Oil well construction is a complex and highly specialised process. It involves the engineering and execution of various stages to drill, complete, and operate a well effectively for the extraction of oil and natural gas from underground reservoirs. The construction of an oil well is crucial to the overall success of an oil and gas operation, as it directly impacts its efficiency, safety, and productivity through its operational life span.

This 5-day Wellbore Design & Construction training course will discuss the process of oil well construction, which typically begins with careful planning and site operation, followed by the wellbore drilling using advanced drilling technologies and equipment. Various types of drilling techniques, such as rotary drilling, directional drilling, and hydraulic fracturing, may be employed depending on the geological characteristics of the reservoir. Once the well has been drilled to the desired depth, casing and cementing operations are carried out to secure the wellbore and protect it from potential hazards such as formation collapse and fluid migration.

Completion activities involve the installation of production tubing, wellhead equipment, and other components necessary to extract oil and gas from the reservoir. Proper well construction ensures efficient hydrocarbon production, reservoir integrity, and environmental protection. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and maintenance are vital to optimise well performance and mitigate risks associated with drilling and production activities. Oil well construction requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining expertise in geology, engineering, technology, and environmental management to achieve safe and reliable operations in the oil & gas industry.

Core Objectives

Upon the successful completion of this training course, the delegates will be able to:

• Familiarise with wellbore construction, explain the geoscience, engineering, and other operations factors affecting the design of the wellbore
• Illustrate the proper procedure for data acquisition, analysis, and management, which includes validation, storing, retrieval, and application
• Explain the role of reservoir models as well as the importance of reservoir surveillance in the design
• Apply the different methods of calculations & give emphasis on the integration of production/injection data, log data, pressure data, and any subsurface data for analysis
• Use the best production and safety equipment that should be run into the well to ensure sustained production.
• Provide details on the economics, which includes economic criteria, scenarios, economic evaluation, risk, and uncertainties
• Apply the required methods and technology to perform the construction of the wellbore processes related to drilling, casing design & use, and cementing methods to ensure better performance
• Plan the outlook and the next step & be ready with the current challenges and areas of further work for wellbore endurance along its lifespan

Training Approach

This training course will utilise various proven adult learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. It is designed as a blended environment of presentations, workshops, group work, practical exercises, field application/analysis, and several industry videos showing all processes and general discussions.

The Attendees

This training course suits engineers, geologists, geophysicists, field operation staff, managers, government officials involved with environmental activities, and others involved with reservoirs and production engineering.

Likewise, it will be valuable to the professionals but not limited to the following:

• Mid-Level Manager
• Senior Engineer
• Senior Geologist
• Senior Technician involved in RE
• Senior Government Official

Daily Discussion

DAY ONE: PORE PRESSURE & INTEGRITY TESTS

• Pore Pressure, Causes, & Measurement
• Formation Integrity Tests
• Fracture Gradient Determination
• Theory of Wellbore Breakage
• Predicting Fracture Gradient
• Casing Seat Selection
• Kick Elements & Calculations

DAY TWO: CASING FUNCTIONS & DESIGN

• Casing Functions
• Casing Types
• Data Collection
• Factors Influencing Casing Design
• Design Criteria
• Collapse Criterion, Burst, Tension & Compression
• Combination Strings
• Biaxial Effects

DAY THREE: CEMENTING

• Functions of Cement
• Cementing Additives
• Slurry Testing
• Casing and Cementing Hardware & Mechanics
• Displacement Theory & Spacers
• Cementing Calculations
• Cementation of Liners
• Squeeze Cementing & Plugs
• Cement Evaluation Tools

DAY FOUR: DRILLING FLUIDS & BIT SELECTION

• Drilling Fluid Selection, Function, and Additives
• Drilling Fluid Types
• Drilling Mud Properties & Problems
• Solids Control Equipment
• Practical Hydraulics Equations
• Optimisation of Bit Hydraulics
• Bit Types & Selection Guidelines
• IADC Bit Classification for Roller Cone Bits

DAY FIVE: DRILL STRING DESIGN & HOLE PROBLEMS

• Drill Pipe Selection
• Bottom Hole Assembly Selection
• Drilling Jars & Shock absorbers
• Drill string Design Criteria
• Dogleg Severity
• Drill string Vibration & Harmonics
• Identification of Hole Problems
• Differential and Mechanical Sticking & Freeing Pipe
• Free Point Determination and Back-Off Operations
• Lost Circulation