Drilling Principles
&
Calculations
Fundamentals to Applied Engineering
Duration: 5 Days
Target Audience: Junior and Mid-Level Drilling Engineers, Wellsite Supervisors, Technical Staff Transitioning to Drilling Roles, Operations Engineers
Delivery Mode: Classroom / Virtual with Calculation Exercises, Examples, and Case Studies
Level: Intermediate
Course Overview
This comprehensive course covers the key principles of drilling engineering and essential calculations needed for planning and executing drilling operations. Participants will learn about well design, casing and cementing basics, hydraulics, bit selection, torque & drag, and common drilling problems. The course emphasizes practical calculations critical for well control, safety, and drilling performance.
Day-by-Day Outline
Day 1 – Drilling Fundamentals & Well Design
- - Overview of rotary drilling and drilling rig systems
- - Well design basics: casing strings, hole sizes, and drilling sequences
- - Drilling programs and operational planning
- - Mud systems overview and selection
- - Exercise: Calculate required casing setting depths based on pore and fracture pressure profiles
Day 2 – Drilling Hydraulics & Pressure Calculations
- - Mud weight calculations and hydrostatic pressure
- - Equivalent circulating density (ECD) concepts and prediction
- - Annular velocity and pressure loss calculations
- - Surge and swab pressure estimation
- - Workshop: Perform hydraulics calculations for different hole sizes
Day 3 – Bits, BHA & Directional Drilling Calculations
- - Drill bit types, selection, and performance optimization
- - Components of bottom-hole assemblies (BHA)
- - Directional drilling principles: azimuth, inclination, dogleg severity
- - Calculation of build/drop rates and trajectory planning
- - Exercise: Plan and calculate a directional well trajectory
Day 4 – Torque, Drag & Hole Cleaning Calculations
- - Torque and drag concepts in vertical and deviated wells
- - Calculating pick-up and slack-off weights
- - Hole cleaning efficiency calculations for various inclinations
- - Pump output and bit hydraulics optimization
- - Workshop: Calculate torque & drag profiles for a deviated section
Day 5 – Drilling Problems & Case Studies
- - Identifying and calculating well control pressures (kick tolerance)
- - Lost circulation: detection and calculation of losses
- - Stuck pipe mechanisms and free point calculations
- - Case studies: drilling issues and solutions in real wells
- - Capstone Project: Perform integrated drilling calculations for a planned well section
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Apply core drilling principles in planning and operations
- Perform critical calculations for mud weight, hydraulics, torque & drag
- Analyze directional drilling requirements and calculate trajectories
- Recognize and calculate pressures related to well control and circulation losses
- Integrate drilling calculations into comprehensive well programs
Customizable Add-ons
Tailored content for local geology (e.g. Nile Delta, Western Desert)
Lab visit or simulation hands-on demo
Integration with economics or production courses
Special Customization for Regional NOCs
- Includes legal and fiscal case examples from MENA & Africa
- Arabic-English bilingual delivery available
- Tailored licensing round simulation exercises
- Optional site visits to local oilfields or regulatory agencies
Trainer Profile
- Senior reservoir and exploration engineers from IOCs and NOCs
- Former advisors to government ministries
- Experts in petroleum contracts and economic modeling
Certification
Participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and a performance report including assessment outcomes and instructor feedback.
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