An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Drilling Engineering for Managers & Commercial Teams
Drilling Explained for Managers
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 2,500
Starting From
20 Mar 2027
Drilling Engineering for Managers & Commercial Teams
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Drilling Engineering for Managers & Commercial Teams - DC-DEM-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-DEM-PEA27 | 20 - 24 Mar 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours / Day |
Online |
USD |
2500 |
Need this for a group? We deliver the same course in-house — face-to-face at your location or online — tailored to your assets and team level. Contact info@peassociations.com
Boost your team's skills and your budget! Enjoy group discounts for collaborative learning. Send an inquiry to info@peassociations.com.
Drilling Engineering for Managers & Commercial Teams
This course explains drilling and well engineering for managers and non-technical staff. Participants study well purpose and design, the drilling process and equipment, the main operations and their risks, well control, costs and what drives them, contracts and contractors, schedule and performance, HSE and regulation, and the questions managers should ask.
Description
Many of the people who approve well budgets, manage drilling teams, negotiate drilling contracts, handle well-related finance or support drilling from other functions have no technical drilling background. They need to understand what is being done, why it costs what it does, what the risks are and which questions to ask.
This course provides that understanding without assuming an engineering background. It explains why wells are drilled and how they are designed, the drilling process from site preparation to completion, the rig and its main equipment, and the operations that make up a well: drilling, casing, cementing, logging, testing and completing. It covers the things that go wrong and what they cost, well control and why it dominates safety thinking, the cost structure of wells and its real drivers, drilling contracts and contractor relationships, schedule and performance measurement, HSE and regulatory requirements, and the questions a manager should ask when reviewing a well plan or a performance report.
Time is the cost. A drilling rig costs the same amount whether it is drilling, waiting or stuck, which means almost every cost conversation in drilling is really a time conversation. Understanding that one point explains most of the decisions drilling teams make.
The risks are not evenly distributed. A well spends most of its time in routine operations and most of its risk in a few transitions: drilling through pressured formations, running and cementing casing, displacing to completion fluid. Knowing where the risk concentrates makes performance and safety reports much easier to read.
Good questions are better than technical knowledge. A manager who asks what the basis of design assumed, what the contingency covers, what happened to the time against plan and what the biggest risk in the next section is will understand a well project well enough to govern it, without being a drilling engineer.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Explain why wells are drilled and how they fit into field development.
- Describe how a well is designed and what the design is based on.
- Describe the drilling process from site preparation to completion.
- Identify the main rig equipment and its functions.
- Describe the main well construction operations and their purposes.
- Explain common drilling problems and their cost consequences.
- Explain well control and why it governs drilling safety.
- Analyse well cost structure and the drivers of cost and schedule.
- Understand drilling contracts and contractor relationships.
- Ask effective questions when reviewing well plans, budgets and performance reports.
The course is instructor-led and non-technical, using diagrams, photographs, video descriptions and field examples rather than equations. Participants review real well plans, cost estimates and performance reports and practise identifying the questions worth asking. It suits mixed audiences from management, commercial, finance and support functions.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Improve decision making by non-technical staff involved in drilling.
- Strengthen governance and review of well plans and budgets.
- Improve communication between drilling teams and other functions.
- Reduce misunderstanding of drilling cost and schedule.
- Support new managers taking drilling accountability.
Participants will:
- Understand how wells are designed and drilled.
- Understand what drives well cost and schedule.
- Understand drilling risks and how they are managed.
- Be able to read well plans and performance reports.
- Be able to ask useful questions of drilling teams.
- Managers with drilling accountability
- Commercial, finance and procurement staff
- Subsurface and facilities staff working with drilling teams
- HSE and regulatory personnel
- Partner and joint venture representatives
- Support function staff in drilling organisations
Module 1: Why Wells Are Drilled
- Exploration, appraisal and development wells
- Injection and other well types
- How wells fit into field development
- What a well is expected to deliver
- Well life cycle overview
Module 2: How Wells Are Designed
- Target and trajectory
- Casing and the reason for multiple strings
- Pressure and what it means for design
- Basis of design and its assumptions
- Why designs change
Module 3: The Rig and Its Equipment
- Rig types onshore and offshore
- Main systems and what they do
- The drilling crew and roles
- Support services at the rig
- What a rig costs and why
Module 4: The Drilling Process
- Site preparation and rig up
- Drilling a hole section
- Running and cementing casing
- Logging and evaluation
- Completing the well
Module 5: What Goes Wrong
- Common drilling problems
- Stuck pipe, losses and hole problems
- Equipment failures
- Weather and logistics delays
- Cost of lost time
Module 6: Well Control
- Why pressure control matters
- How kicks happen and are detected
- Blowout preventers and their role
- Well control events and consequences
- Why procedures are strict
Module 7: Cost and Schedule
- Well cost structure
- What drives cost and what does not
- Estimates, budgets and contingency
- Time versus depth and performance
- Reading a cost and schedule report
Module 8: Contracts and Contractors
- Who does what on a well
- Contract types and risk allocation
- Day rates and what they cover
- Performance incentives
- Managing contractor relationships
Module 9: HSE, Regulation and Asking Questions
- Major hazards and how they are controlled
- Regulatory requirements and approvals
- Safety performance measurement
- Reviewing a well plan
- Questions worth asking at each stage
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
