IADC advances well control training with launch of KREW

In April, IADC launched Knowledge Retention & Education for our Workforce (KREW), an online system designed to provide continuous learning opportunities for well control concepts and skills. The system addresses knowledge decay, guiding individual learning opportunities based on analytics and learning gaps.

In this video interview with DC, two members of the KREW Steering Committee – Mike Garvin, Senior VP Operations at Patterson-UTI, and Jeremy Sokol, Technical Training Unit Manager at Chevron, discusses the details of how KREW came to be, as well as why they believe KREW is important for the industry.

“Reinforcing previous well control training can be achieved by focusing on an effective learning structure and building a continuous application of that learning,” Mr Sokol said. “KREW focuses on the continuing learning aspect with the ultimate goal of improving safety during all of our oil and gas operations. The structure, tracking and flexibility built into KREW provides users opportunities to minimize that forgetting curve.”

KREW’s content is focused on high-risk well control topics within the IADC WellSharp curriculum, including the analysis of shut-in conditions; handling kill problems and the effect of incorrect procedures; and pump start-up and shutdown procedure. Effective 1 May, WellSharp Live test codes and certificates for Driller and Supervisor level certification courses will provide automatic access to the KREW system for two years. This is aimed at encouraging widespread use of the system within the industry.

“We’re overall very pleased with the progress we’ve made with KREW thus far, but we’re at a point now where the real challenge is going to be how do we get the wider industry to adopt KREW?” Mr Garvin said. “We will need the support of IADC member companies to embrace, encourage and drive this step change into the industry. Let’s take training to where it needs to be.”