Drilling Engineering Fundamentals: 5-Day Professional Training Course

Course Overview

This comprehensive 5-day drilling engineering fundamentals program delivers essential knowledge and practical skills for drilling operations in the oil and gas industry. Tailored for professionals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, GCC countries, and Africa, this course covers drilling theory, operational practices, wellbore design, and regional-specific challenges in onshore and offshore drilling environments.

Target Audience

• Drilling engineers and supervisors

• Petroleum engineers transitioning to drilling operations

• Wellsite supervisors and rig personnel

• Operations geologists and reservoir engineers

• HSE professionals in drilling operations

• Engineering graduates entering the drilling industry

• Technical staff from Saudi Aramco, PDO, ADNOC, and African operators

Day 1: Introduction to Drilling Engineering

Morning Session: Drilling Fundamentals

Module 1.1: Oil and Gas Well Drilling Overview

• History and evolution of rotary drilling

• Drilling rig types: land rigs, jack-ups, semi-submersibles, drillships

• Rig components and classification systems

• Regional drilling landscape: KSA’s Ghawar and Safaniyah fields, Oman’s interior basins, GCC offshore operations

• African drilling environments: deepwater West Africa, North African deserts, East African rift systems

Module 1.2: Drilling Rig Systems and Equipment

• Hoisting system: drawworks, crown block, traveling block, drilling line

• Rotating system: rotary table, top drive, kelly drive mechanisms

• Circulation system: mud pumps, standpipe, rotary hose, swivel

• Power generation and distribution systems

• Blowout prevention equipment (BOP) and well control systems

• Automated drilling systems and rig instrumentation

Afternoon Session: Well Planning Fundamentals

Module 1.3: Well Planning Process

• Exploration, appraisal, and development drilling objectives

• Well trajectory design: vertical, directional, horizontal, and ERD wells

• Subsurface data analysis and geological considerations

• Pore pressure and fracture gradient prediction

• Drilling hazards in the Middle East and Africa: salt formations, H2S, high-pressure zones

Module 1.4: Drilling Program Development

• Well design philosophy and safety factors

• Casing and tubing design principles

• Drilling fluids selection criteria

• Cementing program planning

• Time and cost estimation

• Regulatory requirements: KSA DGR, Oman MoG, African petroleum directorates

Day 2: Drilling Fluids and Hydraulics

Morning Session: Drilling Fluids Technology

Module 2.1: Drilling Mud Functions and Types

• Primary functions: cuttings removal, wellbore stability, pressure control

• Water-based muds (WBM): bentonite, polymer, salt-saturated systems

• Oil-based muds (OBM) and synthetic-based muds (SBM)

• Special fluids for challenging formations in GCC and Africa

• Environmental regulations and mud disposal practices

• Drilling fluid additives and their functions

Module 2.2: Mud Properties and Testing

• Density (mud weight) measurement and control

• Viscosity and rheological properties

• Filtration and wall-building characteristics

• API standard testing procedures

• pH, alkalinity, and chemical composition

• Contamination identification and treatment

• Field testing and quality control protocols

Afternoon Session: Drilling Hydraulics

Module 2.3: Hydraulics Optimization

• Pressure losses in the circulating system

• Annular velocity calculations

• Equivalent circulating density (ECD) management

• Surge and swab pressures

• Bit hydraulics and nozzle selection

• Hydraulic horsepower optimization

• Managed pressure drilling (MPD) concepts

Module 2.4: Hole Cleaning and Cuttings Transport

• Cuttings transport mechanics in vertical and deviated wells

• Critical flow rate determination

• Hole cleaning challenges in extended reach drilling

• Barite sagging and bed formation prevention

• Special considerations for Middle East carbonates and African shales

Day 3: Drilling Operations and Directional Drilling

Morning Session: Drilling Operations

Module 3.1: Drilling Operations Sequence

• Rig-up and rig mobilization procedures

• Spudding and conductor installation

• Surface hole, intermediate, and production hole sections

• Tripping operations: trip in, trip out procedures

• Connections and drilling break operations

• Stuck pipe prevention and remedial actions

• Fishing operations and tools

Module 3.2: Drill String Design and BHA

• Drill pipe specifications and grades

• Heavyweight drill pipe and drill collars

• Bottom hole assembly (BHA) configuration

• Stabilizers, reamers, and hole openers

• Drilling jars and shock subs

• Torque and drag analysis

• Fatigue and failure prevention

Afternoon Session: Directional Drilling

Module 3.3: Directional Drilling Fundamentals

• Directional drilling applications and benefits

• Well trajectory planning and survey calculations

• Kickoff point (KOP) determination

• Build-up, drop-off, and turn sections

• Horizontal drilling in Saudi Arabian tight reservoirs

• Maximum reservoir contact (MRC) wells in Oman

• Multilateral wells and complex trajectories

Module 3.4: Directional Drilling Tools and Technology

• Mud motors and positive displacement motors (PDM)

• Rotary steerable systems (RSS)

• Measurement while drilling (MWD) and logging while drilling (LWD)

• Survey tools and accuracy considerations

• Electromagnetic and gyroscopic survey methods

• Geosteering in thin reservoirs

• Real-time drilling optimization

Day 4: Cementing, Casing, and Well Control

Morning Session: Casing and Cementing

Module 4.1: Casing Design Principles

• Casing functions and program design

• Load analysis: burst, collapse, and tension

• Casing grades and connections

• Casing running procedures

• Centralizers, scratchers, and accessories

• Wellhead equipment and Christmas tree systems

• Regulatory requirements in KSA, Oman, GCC, and Africa

Module 4.2: Cementing Operations

• Cement slurry design and additives

• Primary cementing objectives and techniques

• Cement job design: lead, tail, and spacer fluids

• Displacement efficiency and mud removal

• Cement evaluation: CBL, VDL, ultrasonic tools

• Remedial cementing: squeeze jobs

• High-temperature cementing in deep GCC wells

• Lost circulation management during cementing

Afternoon Session: Well Control

Module 4.3: Well Control Fundamentals

• Pressure control concepts and kick detection

• BOP stack configuration and testing

• Primary, secondary, and tertiary well control barriers

• Kick warning signs and early detection

• Well control procedures: shut-in and circulation methods

• Driller’s method and wait-and-weight method

• Kill sheet calculations and procedures

Module 4.4: Well Control Scenarios

• Gas kicks in offshore GCC operations

• H2S drilling in Saudi Arabia and Oman sour gas fields

• High-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) well control

• Shallow gas hazards in African offshore drilling

• Underground blowouts and well intervention

• Well control equipment maintenance

• HSE considerations and emergency response

Day 5: Advanced Topics and Practical Applications

Morning Session: Drilling Challenges and Solutions

Module 5.1: Formation Evaluation While Drilling

• LWD technology and applications

• Resistivity, porosity, and density measurements

• Formation pressure testing while drilling

• Real-time geological steering

• Integration with reservoir engineering

• Case studies from Oman’s Khazzan tight gas field

Module 5.2: Drilling Problems and Solutions

• Lost circulation in fractured Middle East carbonates

• Differential sticking mechanisms and prevention

• Wellbore instability in reactive shales

• Salt and shale creep formations

• Torque and drag in extended reach wells

• Drill string vibrations and mitigation

• Borehole quality and rugosity management

Afternoon Session: Emerging Technologies and Case Studies

Module 5.3: Advanced Drilling Technologies

• Automated drilling systems and machine learning

• Casing drilling and dual-gradient drilling

• Underbalanced drilling (UBD) applications

• Coiled tubing drilling operations

• Drilling optimization and performance metrics

• Digital oilfield and remote operations centers

• Saudi Aramco’s unconventional drilling programs

• Geothermal drilling fundamentals

Module 5.4: Regional Case Studies and Workshop

• Saudi Arabia: Maximum reservoir contact wells in Shaybah field

• Oman: Tight gas drilling in Khazzan and Makarem fields

• UAE: Offshore HPHT sour gas drilling challenges

• Kuwait: Heavy oil horizontal drilling in Burgan field

• Africa: Deepwater drilling in Angola and Mozambique

• North Africa: Desert drilling optimization in Algeria and Libya

• Interactive drilling problem-solving exercises

• Drilling cost optimization strategies

• Q&A session and course conclusion

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will:

• Understand fundamental drilling engineering principles and calculations

• Design basic drilling programs for various well types

• Analyze drilling fluid properties and hydraulics optimization

• Apply directional drilling concepts and trajectory planning

• Implement well control procedures and kick management

• Evaluate drilling challenges specific to Middle East and African operations

• Utilize modern drilling technologies and optimization techniques

Regional Focus: KSA, Oman, GCC & Africa

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Addressing challenges in massive carbonate reservoirs, unconventional tight gas development, sour gas drilling, and maximum reservoir contact drilling techniques deployed by Saudi Aramco.

Oman: Covering tight gas formations, complex fault structures, high-angle wells in interior basins, and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) best practices.

GCC Region: Including ADNOC’s offshore sour gas operations, Qatar’s carbonate reservoirs, Kuwait’s heavy oil challenges, and Bahrain’s tight oil drilling.

Africa: Encompassing deepwater West Africa operations, North African desert drilling, East African rift exploration, and emerging plays in Mozambique, Senegal, and Uganda.

Training Methodology

• Instructor-led technical presentations

• Hands-on calculations and engineering exercises

• Video demonstrations of rig operations

• Software simulations for drilling hydraulics

• Real-world case study analysis

• Interactive problem-solving sessions

• Field trip opportunities (where available)

• Comprehensive course materials and reference guides

Duration: 5 days (40 training hours)
Delivery: Classroom, online, or hybrid format
Language: English (Arabic support available)
Certification: Professional development certificate

Keywords: drilling engineering training, oil and gas drilling course KSA, drilling fundamentals Oman, GCC drilling operations, African drilling training, directional drilling Middle East, well control training, drilling fluids course, petroleum drilling engineering, Saudi Aramco drilling, PDO drilling practices, offshore drilling GCC