Underbalanced Drilling Engineering Training Course

Underbalanced Drilling Engineering Training Course

Introduction

Underbalanced Drilling Engineering Training Course is a designed to equip oil and gas professionals with advanced technical knowledge and practical skills in underbalanced drilling (UBD), managed pressure drilling (MPD), reservoir protection, wellbore pressure management, and advanced drilling optimization. Underbalanced drilling is an innovative drilling technique in which the pressure exerted by the drilling fluid column is maintained below the formation pore pressure, allowing formation fluids to enter the wellbore during drilling under controlled operating conditions. This approach can improve drilling performance in depleted reservoirs, naturally fractured formations, and low-pressure hydrocarbon zones while minimizing formation damage and improving reservoir productivity. The course explores the fundamental principles of underbalanced drilling, pressure control strategies, drilling fluid selection, multiphase flow dynamics, rotating control devices, surface separation systems, gas handling, and real-time drilling surveillance. Participants will gain an understanding of how to integrate drilling engineering, reservoir engineering, well control, and digital drilling technologies to design safer, more efficient, and economically viable drilling operations.

Through engineering exercises, operational simulations, technical discussions, and industry-based case studies, participants will learn how to evaluate candidate wells, perform pressure and hydraulics calculations, assess wellbore stability, manage influxes, optimize drilling parameters, and mitigate operational risks. The program addresses critical considerations such as gas influx management, well control barriers, equipment reliability, environmental protection, operational monitoring, and regulatory compliance. Participants will also explore the role of real-time data analytics, automated pressure control, digital drilling workflows, and performance optimization in modern underbalanced drilling projects. By the end of the course, learners will be better prepared to contribute to underbalanced drilling design, execution, troubleshooting, and performance evaluation while balancing reservoir productivity, operational safety, drilling efficiency, and total well delivery costs.

Course Duration

5 days

Course Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

1. Explain the fundamental principles, applications, advantages, and limitations of underbalanced drilling technology in modern oil and gas operations.
2. Differentiate between underbalanced drilling, conventional overbalanced drilling, and managed pressure drilling techniques.
3. Evaluate reservoir pressure, pore pressure, fracture pressure, and well conditions for underbalanced drilling candidate selection.
4. Design appropriate underbalanced drilling programs using well geometry, formation characteristics, reservoir data, and operational constraints.
5. Select suitable drilling fluids, gasified fluids, foam systems, and other underbalanced drilling fluid technologies.
6. Perform essential drilling hydraulics calculations, including bottomhole pressure estimation and multiphase flow analysis.
7. Assess rotating control devices, pressure-control equipment, separators, compressors, and surface circulation systems.
8. Apply well control principles, barrier management, and risk-based engineering to underbalanced drilling operations.
9. Identify and mitigate formation damage, wellbore instability, lost circulation, and drilling-related productivity challenges.
10. Interpret real-time drilling data to improve pressure management, operational efficiency, and decision-making.
11. Develop contingency plans for gas influxes, equipment failures, pressure fluctuations, and unexpected downhole conditions.
12. Evaluate drilling performance using key performance indicators, nonproductive time analysis, and operational cost optimization.
13. Integrate digital drilling tools, operational risk assessment, and continuous improvement strategies into underbalanced drilling projects.

Target Audience

1. Drilling engineers and senior drilling engineers.
2. Petroleum engineers and reservoir engineers.
3. Well control specialists and well integrity engineers.
4. Drilling supervisors, toolpushers, and rig managers.
5. Production engineers and well intervention specialists.
6. Drilling fluids engineers and mud logging professionals.
7. Oilfield service company engineers and technical consultants.
8. Oil and gas project managers, operations managers, and technical decision-makers.

Course Modules

Module 1: Fundamentals of Underbalanced Drilling Engineering

• Definition, principles, and operating philosophy of underbalanced drilling.
• Differences between underbalanced, overbalanced, and managed pressure drilling.
• Formation pore pressure, hydrostatic pressure, and bottomhole pressure relationships.
• Applications in depleted reservoirs, fractured formations, and mature oilfields.
• Benefits, limitations, operational challenges, and economic considerations.
• Case Study: Evaluate the suitability of underbalanced drilling for a depleted oil reservoir where conventional drilling has caused significant formation damage and reduced productivity.

Module 2: Underbalanced Drilling Candidate Selection and Well Design

• Reservoir characterization and assessment of pressure conditions.
• Evaluation of permeability, porosity, formation strength, and reservoir productivity.
• Identification of candidate wells using drilling history and reservoir performance data.
• Well trajectory, casing design, completion compatibility, and operational planning.
• Technical feasibility studies, economic screening, and preliminary risk assessment.
• Case Study: Develop a candidate-selection framework for a mature field with several low-pressure wells experiencing lost circulation and poor production after conventional drilling.

Module 3: Underbalanced Drilling Fluids and Multiphase Hydraulics

• Selection of liquid-based, gasified, foam, and mist drilling systems.
• Nitrogen and compressed-air applications, including their operational limitations.
• Calculation of hydrostatic pressure, frictional pressure losses, and bottomhole pressure.
• Multiphase flow behavior, gas expansion, and temperature-pressure interactions.
• Fluid rheology, cuttings transport, hole cleaning, and fluid-system compatibility.
• Case Study: Compare nitrogen-gasified drilling fluid and foam drilling systems for a low-pressure formation, considering pressure control, hole cleaning, and operational cost.

Module 4: Surface Equipment and Underbalanced Drilling Systems

• Rotating control devices (RCDs), pressure-control equipment, and equipment selection.
• Design and operation of multiphase separators and production handling systems.
• Gas compressors, nitrogen-generation equipment, and gas injection systems.
• Choke manifolds, flowlines, pressure sensors, and surface monitoring instruments.
• Equipment inspection, maintenance planning, and operational readiness verification.
• Case Study: Review the equipment configuration for an underbalanced drilling project and identify critical equipment interfaces, capacity constraints, and contingency requirements.

Module 5: Well Control, Pressure Management, and Operational Safety

• Underbalanced drilling well control principles and barrier management.
• Management of formation influxes, pressure fluctuations, and changing downhole conditions.
• Pressure-control strategies and coordination between drilling and surface systems.
• Hazard identification, HAZID, HAZOP, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Emergency response, gas detection, ignition prevention, and well-control contingencies.
• Case Study: Develop an operational response plan for an unexpected increase in formation gas influx during underbalanced drilling, including escalation criteria and barrier verification.

Module 6: Drilling Operations, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting

• Planning and execution of underbalanced drilling operations.
• Monitoring standpipe pressure, annular pressure, flow rates, and return-fluid characteristics.
• Cuttings transport, hole cleaning, and management of downhole pressure variations.
• Troubleshooting equipment failures, unstable flow, excessive gas production, and drilling dysfunctions.
• Real-time communication, operational reporting, and drilling performance tracking.
• Case Study: Analyze a simulated drilling operation experiencing unstable bottomhole pressure, poor cuttings transport, and fluctuating surface separator loads to identify corrective actions.

Module 7: Reservoir Protection, Productivity, and Performance Optimization

• Mechanisms of formation damage associated with conventional drilling practices.
• Reduction of fluid invasion and preservation of reservoir permeability.
• Evaluation of productivity improvements and near-wellbore damage reduction.
• Integration of underbalanced drilling with completion and well-testing strategies.
• Performance benchmarking, nonproductive time analysis, and cost-benefit assessment.
• Case Study: Compare the drilling and early production performance of two similar reservoir intervals, one drilled conventionally and the other using an underbalanced approach, while accounting for geological and operational differences.

Module 8: Advanced Applications, Digital Technologies, and Integrated Case Studies

• Underbalanced drilling applications in tight reservoirs and naturally fractured formations.
• Integration with managed pressure drilling and other advanced well construction technologies.
• Real-time data analytics, automated monitoring, and digital drilling dashboards.
• Operational simulations, lessons learned, and continuous improvement frameworks.
• Project economics, environmental considerations, and future trends in underbalanced drilling.
• Case Study: Prepare an integrated underbalanced drilling proposal for a mature offshore field, covering candidate selection, equipment requirements, pressure-control strategy, risk management, digital monitoring, and economic evaluation.

Training Methodology

• Interactive lectures and presentations.
• Group discussions and brainstorming sessions.
• Hands-on exercises using real-world datasets.
• Role-playing and scenario-based simulations.
• Analysis of case studies to bridge theory and practice.
• Peer-to-peer learning and networking.
• Expert-led Q&A sessions.
• Continuous feedback and personalized guidance.

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.