A good programme answers the questions the rig will ask before they are asked: what mud weight, what parameters, what to do if returns are lost, when to stop and circulate, what to run and when. A poor programme states what will be done without saying what to do if it cannot be, and leaves every deviation to be resolved by phone.

The basis of design serves a different purpose. It records why the well is designed as it is: the pressure profile assumed, the design factors used, the standards applied, the temperature and hazards expected. When conditions turn out differently or somebody proposes a change, the basis of design is what tells the engineer whether the change is acceptable or whether it invalidates an assumption the design depends on.

Both documents are written for people who are tired, busy and working at three in the morning. Clarity, structure and consistent terminology matter as much as technical content. This course covers the technical content and the writing discipline together.

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

• Define the purpose, scope and content of a basis of design.
• Record design premises, assumptions and constraints clearly.
• Select and apply design criteria, standards and regulatory requirements.
• Prepare a drilling programme section by section.
• Write procedures that are usable at the rig.
• Prepare contingency procedures for the credible problem scenarios.
• Define interfaces with completion, subsurface, logistics and HSE.
• Run review and approval processes for well documentation.
• Apply management of change during execution.
• Prepare the supporting documents and data packs the rig requires.

The course is instructor-led and document-based. Participants write sections of a basis of design and a drilling programme for a given well, then review each other's work against criteria used in operating companies. Good and poor examples of real programmes are examined, together with cases where unclear documentation caused problems at the rig. Participants are encouraged to bring their own documents for discussion.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Improve the quality and consistency of well design documentation.
• Reduce decisions escalated from the rig because the programme was unclear.
• Make design assumptions explicit and auditable.
• Improve management of change during well execution.
• Meet regulatory and audit expectations for well documentation.

Participants will:

• Be able to write a basis of design that records the real assumptions.
• Be able to prepare a complete and usable drilling programme.
• Be able to write procedures and contingencies clearly.
• Understand review, approval and change control requirements.
• Be able to review others' well documentation effectively.

• Drilling and well engineers
• Well delivery and project engineers
• Completion engineers
• Drilling supervisors contributing to programmes
• Technical authorities reviewing well documentation
• Graduate engineers preparing well documents

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.