What the core is for determines everything about how it is taken and handled. Core for routine porosity and permeability can be handled conventionally; core for wettability or relative permeability must be preserved to protect its fluid state; core for geomechanics needs careful handling to avoid induced damage; core for fracture description must be oriented. Deciding this before the bit goes in the hole is the first task.

Recovery problems usually show in the parameters. Core jamming shows as a pressure increase and a drop in penetration rate, and continuing to drill after a jam grinds the core away. Recognising it and pulling early is better than recovering a barrel of rubble, which is why the coring operation needs close attention rather than routine drilling practice.

The first hours at surface decide the core's value. Fluid evaporates, pressure and stress release causes damage, clays dry out and the sequence can be confused if marking is careless. Wellsite handling procedures, prepared in advance and followed exactly, protect the investment the coring run represents.

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

• Define coring objectives and design a coring programme to meet them.
• Select core bits, barrels and inner barrel systems.
• Specify coring parameters and operating practice.
• Recognise and respond to recovery problems and jamming.
• Apply special coring methods, including pressure, oriented and sponge coring.
• Plan wellsite core retrieval, marking and cutting.
• Specify preservation methods appropriate to the planned analyses.
• Plan transport, chain of custody and laboratory interfaces.
• Plan and interpret sidewall coring.
• Integrate core data with logs and assess coring programme economics.

The course is instructor-led. Coring operations are covered with procedures, job records and recovery data, and handling with wellsite procedures and photographs of good and poor practice. Participants design coring programmes and wellsite handling plans for stated analytical objectives. Participants are encouraged to bring their own coring programmes for discussion.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Get core that answers the questions it was taken for.
• Improve core recovery and reduce failed coring runs.
• Protect core value through correct wellsite handling.
• Align coring programmes with laboratory and subsurface requirements.
• Assess coring cost against the value of the data.

Participants will:

• Be able to design a coring programme from analytical objectives.
• Be able to select coring equipment and parameters.
• Be able to diagnose and respond to recovery problems.
• Be able to plan and supervise wellsite core handling.
• Understand sidewall coring and core data integration.

• Wellsite and operations geologists
• Drilling engineers
• Petrophysicists and reservoir engineers requesting core
• Core analysis laboratory staff
• Rig site supervisors
• Service company coring 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.