The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) announced the formation of the Well Control Institute (WCI), a new industry body which will provide the drilling industry with a single, universal well control training and assessment standard. The WCI is expected to be fully operational by mid-2014.
“Preventing the unwanted release of hydrocarbons is the primary process safety concern at all stages of a well’s life cycle. Proper personnel training is an essential element in preventing unwanted releases,” said Stephen Colville, IADC President and CEO. “The WCI is a cross-industry initiative to deliver a step-change in operational integrity and well control incident prevention. The goal is to develop a professional and consistent approach to ensuring competence and credentials of everyone involved in all aspects of well control.”
IADC said the WCI brings together all sectors of the drilling community to define and implement a new well control standard, which will build on the recommendations of the OGP Wells Expert Committee, IADC’s Well Control Advisory Panel and other industry stakeholders.
The training and assessment standard developed by WCI will focus on learning and learning retention and will provide rig-role-directed learning objectives with an emphasis on kick detection and well shut-in. It will focus on the use of realistic simulation in a team environment and provide a reliable, secure and trusted testing process. The flexible curriculum will cover all well construction disciplines and specialized practices and will offer continuous opportunities for new learning with an enhanced frequency of assessment.
“Existing well control training systems, including IADC’s WellCAP program, were originally based on decades-old regulatory frameworks. The WCI presents a unique opportunity to rethink what needs to be focused on for effective well control training and to modernize the industry’s training efforts through new methods and technology. In addition, the WCI has the potential to perform as a resource for collecting data to help improve well control equipment and practices,” said Steve Kropla, IADC Group Vice President, Operational Integrity.