American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2015 - 86

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SpecialReport: Insurance Update

Simulators are becoming a bigger component of well control training, Well Control
School notes. It adds that updated standards and tougher, cheat-resistant tests are ensuring certified individuals know how to prevent and address kicks.

Well Control Training
In response to well blowouts in the
Gulf of Mexico and North Sea, the International Well Control Forum and the International Association of Drilling Contractors have tightened and refined well
control standards, notes Barry Cooper,
the business development manager for
Well Control School. "As a result, the
curriculum that accredited training
providers teach is much stronger," he reports.
In the process of refining their standards, Cooper says both organizations
have tried to discourage "teaching to the
test," a move that he endorses. "We train
students to obtain the knowledge they
need to maintain well control. Passing
the test is a byproduct of that process,
not the end goal," he stresses.
Much like the Graduate Record Exam,
IADC's tests now use random questions
delivered by a computer. Cooper says
computer-based delivery helps IADC and
training providers spot problems. "Every
question on the test is being tracked and
measured, so if several students are
missing a specific question, IADC can
look into whether it is poorly phrased or
inappropriate. If the question is sound,
the organization will let us know so we
can make sure the instructor is transferring
knowledge about that topic effectively.
"The training itself involves lectures
and simulation work that mimics realworld case studies," Cooper says. "At
least 30 percent of each course has to be
spent in simulators for it to receive accreditation. The goal is to ensure students
86 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

can control the well, spot kick indications,
and react appropriately."
Cooper indicates training providers
are looking for ways to deliver training
more efficiently. "We have been doing
that since 2000 with our e-learning courses,
which are online courses available 24
hours a day, seven days a week anywhere
in the world," he says. "The courses are
self-paced, so students can take the time

they need to comprehend the content."
The courses are designed by teams of
subject-matter experts and are monitored
carefully to ensure they are conveying
information accurately and consistently,
Cooper assures. "We rolled out an IADC
WellSharpTM introduction to drilling operations and well control in 2015, and
we will be launching a rig math course,
and possibly a stuck pipe course, in the
first quarter of 2016," he says.
"What is great about the e-learning
courses is how much they save. The students do not have to travel to a training
center, which saves on lodging, fuel and
food, and reduces the time they have to
spend away from the well site, the office
and their families," Cooper continues.
"Also, the message is the same whether
someone is in Houston, Africa, the United
Kingdom or the Middle East."
To reduce the cost of face-to-face training, Well Control School sends instructors
to clients' work sites in addition to hosting
classes at its facilities in Lafayette, La.,
Laurel, Ms., and Houston, Cooper says.
He points out that the company has expanded all three of its facilities.
"The facility in Laurel is twice the
size it was, and we have moved our
Lafayette location to a larger, more modern
building so we can offer additional classrooms, instructors, and simulators. We

The demand for first aid, cardiopulminary resuscitation and
rescue courses reflects the industry's continued emphasis on
safety. Training provider Enviro
Clean Group says it is planning
to bundle these courses with
others to reduce its clients'
training costs.

American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2015

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