An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Slim Hole & Through-Tubing Drilling
Drilling Small Diameter Wells
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
04 Oct 2027
Slim Hole & Through-Tubing Drilling
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Slim Hole & Through-Tubing Drilling - DC-SHD-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-SHD-PEA27 | 04 - 08 Oct 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours / Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Slim Hole & Through-Tubing Drilling
This course covers slim hole and through-tubing drilling. Participants study applications and candidate selection, slim hole well design, hydraulics and hole cleaning in small annuli, drillstring and bottomhole assembly design, directional control, well control in small volumes, through-tubing re-entry, completion options, and cost and value assessment.
Description
Slim hole drilling uses smaller hole and casing sizes to reduce cost, footprint and environmental impact, and through-tubing drilling goes further by drilling a new hole through an existing completion without pulling it. Both reduce cost significantly and both impose constraints: small annular clearances, limited tool availability, restricted hydraulics and very small kick tolerance.
This course covers the methods. It starts with applications and candidate selection, including exploration slim holes, infill and re-entry wells, then covers slim hole well design, hole and casing size selection and the limits on future operations. It covers hydraulics and hole cleaning in small annuli, where pressure losses are high and equivalent circulating density becomes a design constraint, drillstring and bottomhole assembly design, and directional control with limited tool sizes. It then covers well control in small annular volumes, where small influxes produce large pressures, through-tubing re-entry drilling, completion options for slim holes, and the cost and value assessment that determines whether a slim hole is the right answer.
Small annuli change the hydraulics completely. Annular pressure losses rise sharply as clearance reduces, so equivalent circulating density becomes a limiting factor at modest flow rates, and the margin between effective hole cleaning and fracturing the formation narrows. Slim hole hydraulics calculations therefore drive design rather than following it.
Well control is the sharper constraint. A small annular volume means a given influx volume occupies far more measured depth and produces far higher casing pressures than in a conventional hole. Kick detection must be fast, and kick tolerance calculations show that only very small influxes can be handled safely, which affects how the well is drilled.
Through-tubing drilling trades hole size for access. Drilling a slim lateral through the existing completion avoids a workover, keeps the well producible and reaches new reserves cheaply. The result is a small hole with limited completion options, which is acceptable where the target is good and the alternative is a new well.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify slim hole and through-tubing applications and select candidates.
- Design slim hole wells, including hole and casing size selection.
- Calculate hydraulics and assess hole cleaning in small annuli.
- Manage equivalent circulating density within narrow margins.
- Design drillstrings and bottomhole assemblies for slim holes.
- Apply directional control with limited tool availability.
- Calculate kick tolerance and apply well control in small annular volumes.
- Plan through-tubing re-entry drilling operations.
- Select completion options suited to slim holes.
- Assess cost, value and the limits slim hole design imposes on future operations.
The course is instructor-led. Hydraulics, well control and design calculations are worked through for slim hole conditions and compared with conventional wells so the differences are explicit. Participants plan slim hole and through-tubing wells for given objectives. Field cases cover slim hole programmes and re-entry campaigns. Participants are encouraged to bring their own candidates for discussion.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Reduce well cost where slim hole design is appropriate.
- Access reserves from existing wells through through-tubing drilling.
- Avoid slim hole designs that constrain future operations.
- Manage the well control risk that small volumes create.
- Assess slim hole value realistically against conventional wells.
Participants will:
- Understand slim hole and through-tubing drilling and their constraints.
- Be able to design slim hole wells and calculate their hydraulics.
- Be able to assess kick tolerance and well control in small annuli.
- Be able to plan through-tubing re-entry operations.
- Be able to evaluate the cost and value case.
- Drilling and well engineers
- Well intervention and re-entry engineers
- Production engineers assessing re-entry options
- Exploration drilling staff
- Service company engineers supporting slim hole work
- Field development engineers
Module 1: Applications and Candidates
- Slim hole exploration wells
- Infill and re-entry applications
- Through-tubing drilling
- Environmental and footprint drivers
- Screening criteria and limits
Module 2: Slim Hole Well Design
- Hole and casing size selection
- Casing programme design
- Clearance and running considerations
- Limits on future operations
- Wellhead and surface equipment
Module 3: Hydraulics in Small Annuli
- Annular pressure losses
- Equivalent circulating density constraints
- Pump pressure limits
- Flow rate selection
- Hydraulics as a design driver
Module 4: Hole Cleaning
- Cuttings transport in small annuli
- Rotation effects
- Hole cleaning in slim horizontal sections
- Recognising cleaning problems
- Practice and limits
Module 5: Drillstrings and BHAs
- Small diameter drillstring design
- Strength and torque limits
- Bottomhole assembly options
- Tool availability by size
- Fishing considerations in slim holes
Module 6: Directional Control
- Steering tools for small hole sizes
- Build rate capability
- Survey tools and accuracy
- Directional planning constraints
- Through-tubing directional work
Module 7: Well Control
- Small annular volume effects
- Kick tolerance calculation
- Detection speed requirements
- Shut-in pressures and equipment limits
- Kill procedures in slim holes
Module 8: Through-Tubing Drilling
- Drilling through an existing completion
- Access and size constraints
- Window exits through tubing
- Equipment and conveyance options
- Returning the well to production
Module 9: Completions, Cost and Value
- Completion options for slim holes
- Production capability and limits
- Cost comparison with conventional wells
- Value assessment and decision criteria
- Field experience and lessons learned
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.
