Company Announcement - Affordable, advanced level 4 drilling well control training course now available thanks to a new collaboration to make operations safer. The Well Academy and Lloyd’s Register Energy’s Drilling Training Academy have successfully launched their first combined training program; a new IWCF certified enhanced drilling well control training course. The enhanced course, delivered in February in The Well Academy’s Netherlands facility, provides a unique combination of real-life scenario based well control training together with Lloyd’s Register’s advanced well control equipment training.

David Conroy, IWCF’s Chief Technical Officer who participated in this first enhanced program says: “The purpose of this new training initiative is to improve the well control knowledge for senior personnel at a higher level above and beyond the current IWCF Level 4 Well Control training and assessment. I have witnessed first-hand what can be achieved when two leading industry institutes combine forces to gain accreditation for enhanced well control training through IWCF. As the leading well control certification body, this enhanced program meets our requirements and high standards.”

The five-day course gave delegates from TAQA Energy, KCA Deutag and Swift Drilling a fully immersive experience in obtaining IWCF certification at the highest competency level 4 by introducing an interactive learning environment on a high fidelity simulator combined with an extensive well control equipment curriculum. Based on the outcome of International Association of Oil & Gas Producers report 476, the mandatory course was developed specifically to adopt the recommendations for advanced well control training, whilst providing a more interesting and challenging course.

“This combined course creates a more challenging learning environment for those persons responsible for supervising drilling operations and ensures they are much better prepared for dealing with a well control situation should it arise,” said Jeroen Bergevoet, Academy Training Manager and Technical Knowledge Manager Lloyd’s Register Energy. 

Course participants were experienced oilfield professionals who had been recertified at level 4 several times during their careers. A level 4 IWCF certification, which is valid for two years, is endorsed by the IOGP, and has a stronger focus on human factors since the 2010 Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico. The new enhanced renewal course offers a learning experience that provides delegates with an opportunity to bring their IWCF certification to the next level.

Steven Leijnse, delegate from TAQA Energy highlights: "This is an extremely good opportunity to actually learn something new and go for the next level.”

By combining The Well Academy’s IWCF accredited Level 4 Supervisor’s certificate course with Lloyd’s Register’s Advanced Well Control Equipment training, participants can gain from both companies’ industry-leading well control training portfolio’s in one integrated program. This has significant financial benefits during times that training budgets are scrutinized.

Ivo Nijhuis, Director of The Well Academy explains: “This enhanced course is the first of several combined training programs under development via our collaboration with Lloyd’s Register Energy’s Drilling Training Academy and we look forward to rolling out more programs across different locations.”

Companies interested in scheduling a class, can learn more at www.thewellacademy.com or www.lredacademy.org or can contact Ivo Nijhuis or Jeroen Bergevoet for more information.