Executive Value Proposition & Crew Competency
The majority of rig floor incidents, hand and finger injuries, dropped objects, and costly operational delays stem from inadequately trained entry-level floor crews. Inexperienced personnel who lack deep familiarity with pipe handling tongs, slip setting dynamics, mud pit monitoring, and kick warning signs directly elevate operational risk on the rig floor.
RIG-OPS-101 builds a rock-solid operational discipline: mastering safe latching of elevators, correct torque application using hydraulic iron roughnecks, monitoring pit volume totalizers (PVT) for early influx indicators, and executing standard shut-in protocols without hesitation.
Comprehensive Modular Syllabus
Overview of onshore mast rigs, offshore jack-ups, and drillships; the 5 vital rig systems: Hoisting, Rotating, Circulating, Blowout Prevention (BOP), and Power Generation.
Detailed drill floor walkthrough; identification of crown block, traveling block, hook, swivel, kelly vs. top drive, standpipe manifold, and choke manifold.
Red Zone infractions; slip-and-trip hazards on oily drill floors; crown saver override risks.
Drill pipe (DP), Heavy Weight Drill Pipe (HWDP), and Drill Collar (DC) properties; rotary slips and elevator safety latches; monkey board racking procedures; surge and swab pressure physics.
Tripping in/out stands of 5" drill pipe on the training rig floor; throwing manual slips; operating hydraulic spinning wrenches; racking pipe in the fingerboard.
Setting slips on moving drill string; unlatched elevator accidents; improper thread dope application causing galling.
Drilling mud functions (hydrostatic head, hole cleaning, cooling bit, wall cake); mud balance, Marsh funnel viscosity, and sand content test principles; shale shaker screen mesh sizing (API RP 13C).
Operating mud testing kit; changing shale shaker screen panels; adjusting desander and desilter hydrocyclone feed pressures; mixing bentonite and barite hoppers.
Screen blinding and mud overflow; centrifugal charge pump cavitation; chemical splash hazards when handling caustic soda.
Hydrostatic pressure vs. formation pore pressure calculations; primary well control; kick warning signs (pit gain, flow with pumps off, drilling break); BOP stack configuration (annular & ram preventers).
Simulated hard vs. soft shut-in drill on drilling simulator; closing annular preventer from remote Driller's panel; operating Koomey hydraulic unit emergency bypass.
Delayed kick detection leading to wellbore blowout; closing pipe rams on tool joints; loss of Koomey hydraulic accumulator charge.
Applied Training Rig & Tools
Rig Floor Equipment
- Full-Scale 1000 HP Mechanical Drill Floor
- Varco BJ Air Slips & Manual Rotary Tongs
- NOV ST-80 Hydraulic Iron Roughneck
- Fann 35 Viscometers & Mud Balances
Well Control & Simulator Stack
- CS Inc. Full-Mission Drilling & Well Control Simulator
- Koomey 3000 psi Hydraulic Control Unit Simulator
- Cameron 13-5/8" 10,000 psi BOP Stack Cutaway
- Swaco Choke & Kill Control Console
Standards Matrix
| Standard | Title | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| IADC WellSharp | Introductory Well Control | Kick detection, shut-in procedures, basic calculations. |
| API RP 54 | Safety and Health for Oil & Gas Well Drilling | Occupational safety and rig floor operations. |
| API Spec 7K | Drilling Rotary Equipment | Rotary tables, master bushings, slips, and manual tongs. |
Assessment & Competency Verification
- Timed Pipe Tripping Drill (40%): Candidate executes 5 consecutive stands of tripping in/out with zero safety infractions and flawless slip setting within 15 minutes.
- Kick Detection & Shut-In Simulator Drill (30%): Candidate identifies kick on simulator and executes complete soft shut-in within 60 seconds.
- Written Rig Operations Exam (30%): 80-question test on rig calculations, equipment names, and safety protocols. Pass score: 80%.
