Understanding human factors critical to mitigating risk in MPD operations
Focusing on the human element is critical to preventing errors within any operation, including those involving managed pressure drilling (MPD). As automated systems decrease human interactions with complex equipment while increasing cognitive workloads, the need to account for human factors has become even more important. Understanding human factors and its role in safe drilling operations can help provide a path for drillers to mitigate errors and identify the root causes of those errors should they occur, said Matt Kvalo, VP of Engineering and Technology at Stasis Drilling Solutions.
In this interview with DC from the 2024 IADC/SPE Managed Pressure Drilling and Underbalanced Operations (MPD & UBO) Conference in Rio de Janeiro on 18 September, Mr Kvalo talks about how the definition of human factors has changed, from one that identifies the root cause of most errors to a model that identifies errors as a systemic problem. He also discusses the cognitive processes that people use to concentrate on information, and the challenges these processes present when people interact in high-stress environments, such as MPD operations.
