WELL CONTROL READINESS
Digital solutions bolster
well control training as
drilling workforce evolves
Simulators, virtual and hybrid classes, and microlearning among
ways training providers are adapting to students’ changing needs
BY STEPHEN WHITFIELD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
W ell control training courses play a critical role in the
development of skilled rig crews in the drilling indus-
try. The ability of rig personnel to respond quickly and
efficiently to well control events can save significant time, money
and potentially lives.

The fundamentals of well control training have been the same
for decades – recognizing the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in
the wellbore and the formation pressure, as well as the different
lines of defense to prevent lost circulation and potential blowouts.

However, well control training providers understand the need to
Highlights
Training experiences via simulators are
not only more immersive but also can be
more basin-specific, simulating downhole
environments very similar to what crews
might see in the field.

Training providers are working to ensure
their teaching methods are effective not
only in classrooms but also when delivered
in a virtual or hybrid environment.

Adaptive learning, microlearning and
continuous instructor training are among
other key focus areas of improvement.

26 adapt to the changing industry, incorporating more digital tech-
nologies into their classrooms and embracing the virtual e-learn-
ing courses that became prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As operators and drillers continue to focus on digitalization, well
control instructors are following suit.

“Our world is changing at an accelerated rate, and it’s going to
be necessary to ramp up our training capabilities if we’re going
to equip our students with the skills needed to succeed,” said
Ken Smith, VP of Well Control Training at Wild Well Control.

“The evolution of technologies and the rapid demographic shifts
are going to make this essential. In-person training is going to
continue to be valuable as it reinforces core learning methodolo-
gies and provides opportunities for collaboration, but I think the
future of training will reflect a digital design in both presentation
and delivery.”
The industry is also adapting to a new workforce of younger
personnel with more diverse backgrounds. The people coming
into the industry today grew up with technology in a way their
predecessors did not, and they respond to different methods of
teaching. Well control instructors are constantly looking for new
ways to reach their students, whether it’s through Zoom classes,
specialized coursework or advanced simulators.

However, even as the nature of well control training changes,
instructors know that the concepts of well control are still the
same. “We talk about automation, but if it all goes pear shaped, you
still have a human being on a choke. It’s about understanding
the basic concepts. Once the concepts have been learned, we can
adapt to technology,” said Scotty Hooper, Head of Well Control
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 • DRILLING CONTRACTOR