Rig moves are where drilling organisations hurt people. The work involves heavy loads, confined spaces, work at height, vehicle movement and crews doing non-routine tasks under pressure to get the rig drilling again. Planning, sequencing and supervision are what keep that under control.

They are also where schedules are lost. A move that takes five days instead of three on a rig costing a hundred thousand dollars a day is a significant sum, repeated every well. The time is usually lost in preparation rather than execution: locations not ready, loads not planned, permits not obtained, cranes not available, equipment not inspected.

Pad drilling has changed much of this onshore. Skidding or walking a rig between wells on the same pad removes most of the transport and rig up work and cuts move time from days to hours, which is why multi-well pads dominate unconventional drilling. The planning discipline is different but no less important. This course covers conventional moves, pad moves and offshore moves.

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

• Plan a rig move, including scope, sequence, resources and schedule.
• Conduct route surveys and obtain the permits and approvals required.
• Specify location preparation and civil requirements.
• Plan and execute rig down sequencing and load lists.
• Plan transport and logistics for road, marine and heavy haul moves.
• Apply lifting, crane and rigging practice and certification requirements.
• Execute rig up, commissioning and pre-spud testing.
• Plan pad moves using skidding and walking systems.
• Plan offshore rig moves, including towing, positioning and preloading.
• Apply HSE control during moves and measure move performance.

The course is instructor-led. Move planning is developed through a worked case in which participants build a move plan, sequence and load list for a given rig and location. Lifting, transport and HSE topics are covered with procedures, incident cases and inspection requirements. Participants are encouraged to bring their own move experience and problems for discussion.

Organisations sending participants to this training will:

• Reduce rig move duration and cost.
• Reduce injuries and equipment damage during moves.
• Improve location readiness and logistics planning.
• Improve lifting and certification compliance.
• Measure and improve move performance between wells

Participants will:

• Be able to plan and supervise a rig move.
• Understand lifting, transport and certification requirements.
• Be able to sequence rig down and rig up operations.
• Understand pad and offshore move requirements.
• Be able to control HSE risk during moves.

• Drilling engineers and supervisors
• Rig managers and toolpushers
• Rig move coordinators and logistics staff
• HSE staff supporting drilling operations
• Civil and construction staff preparing locations
• Drilling contractor operations personnel

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.