Directional performance is the product of tool, bit, formation and parameters. A bottomhole assembly that builds reliably in one formation will drop in another; a bit that steers well may drill slowly; parameters that maximise rate of penetration may destroy tool face control. The engineering is in finding the combination that delivers both trajectory and performance.

Torque and drag is what eventually limits reach. Friction accumulates with hole angle, length and tortuosity, and when drag exceeds the string's ability to transfer weight, or torque exceeds the top drive, the well stops. Modelling torque and drag during planning, and tracking the real friction factors against the model while drilling, is what tells the team whether the well will reach its planned depth.

Hole quality is the output that matters downstream. Micro-doglegs, spiralling and ledges from poor steering create running problems, casing wear, fatigue and poor cement jobs, and they do not show up in the survey, which smooths everything between stations. Measuring and managing hole quality is therefore part of directional work rather than an afterthought.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Model bottomhole assembly behaviour and predict build, drop and walk tendencies.
• Design bottomhole assemblies for specified directional performance.
• Select steering tools and compare their performance and cost.
• Assess bit and bottomhole assembly interaction and select bits for directional work.
• Perform torque and drag analysis and calibrate friction factors.
• Predict and manage reach limits for long wells.
• Identify vibration mechanisms and apply mitigation.
• Assess hole quality and tortuosity and manage their causes.
• Design complex three-dimensional trajectories.
• Diagnose directional problems from drilling, survey and tool data.

The course is instructor-led and analysis-based, for engineers with directional experience. Participants design bottomhole assemblies, run torque and drag analyses and diagnose directional problems from real well data, including surveys, parameter logs and tool performance records. Field cases cover wells that lost trajectory control and wells that reached reach limits. Participants are encouraged to bring their own wells for discussion.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Improve directional control and reduce correction runs.
• Extend reach on long and extended reach wells.
• Improve rate of penetration while maintaining trajectory.
• Improve hole quality and reduce downstream running problems.
• Diagnose and resolve directional performance problems faster.

Participants will:

• Be able to design bottomhole assemblies for directional objectives.
• Be able to run and interpret torque and drag analysis.
• Understand vibration and its effect on directional tools.
• Be able to assess and improve hole quality.
• Be able to diagnose directional problems from field data.

• Drilling engineers with directional experience
• Directional drilling specialists and coordinators
• Rig site supervisors
• Service company directional engineers
• Well planners working on complex wells
• Drilling performance engineers

Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.

Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.