IADC Well Control Committee
 
 
IADC Well Control Committee

2008 CHAIRMAN
Chairman:  Mark Milne, Transocean


General Information

 

Mission, Structure  & Policy
Meeting Schedule & Notices
 

Meeting Minutes

 

Well Control Accreditation Program (WellCAP)

WellCAP PLUS

Meeting Presentations


Feedback Requested -- Introductory Level Well Control Training

 

Richard Grayson of Nabors Offshore addressed the Well Control Committee in November in regards to Introductory Level training. His purpose is to return to a one-time only training with no refreshers required. Feedback will be discussed at the next Well Control Committee meeting.

Click here for more information
 
Opinions and Comments Sought -- WellCAP Proposed Instructor Qualifications The Instructor Qualifications Subcommittee has proposed  requirements for instructor qualifications.  All opinions and comments are requested and will be discussed at the next Well Control Committee meeting scheduled 13 March 2008.

Click here for more information
 

IADC Well Control Online Materials

IADC's Well Control materials available for online purchase.

NEW -- WellCAP Killsheets now available for use!


NOTICE -- New Draft version of IADC WellCAP Killsheet available.

IADC is pleased to announce the release of its first set of standardized kill sheets.  The official version of the Wait and Weight method killsheets are now available, for surface and subsea stack in a variety of units of measurement. Click here for details.

In addition, the first draft versions of the Bullheading killsheet are available for comment.  Click here for details.
 

NOTICE - WellCAP Plus Application Materials now available for download.

A set of materials for programs interested in applying for WellCAP Plus accreditation is now available for download.  Click here for details.
 

MMS seeking industry thoughts on "Hands-On" Testing Joseph Levine, Chief of the Operations & Engineering Division of the US Minerals Management Service, addressed the IADC Well Control Committee in January regarding the agency's possible plans to pursue "hands-on" testing of rig employees.

MMS training regulations provide for hands-on safety, simulator, or live well testing to assess the effectiveness of training for field personnel.

Mr. Levine discussed several options that may be considered by MMS for hands-on testing, including live well tests at dedicated facilities and tests using simulators and computers at facilities operated by training providers. Another option open to MMS would be to formalize well control drills required by the current regulations to satisfy the hands-on testing needs, he stated.

MMS is request comments from operators, contractors, training providers and other interested parties regarding the issue.  Contact information is available in Mr. Levine's presentation, available at the link below.

Click here to access the MMS Presentation (PDF file, approx 500 KB)
 

Regulatory Notice (U.S.)

On 14 August 2000, the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) published a new final rule regarding  the training of employees working on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  The new Subpart O rule became effective on  13 October 2000, and provides for a two-year transition period from existing MMS regulations.  All lessees on the OCS will  be required to comply as of 15 October 2002, or may do so earlier provided they notify MMS.

With this rule, MMS has shifted to a "performance-based" type of regulation which extends a great deal of flexibility to  operators in determining how their employees (and their contractors' employees) are to be trained.  The rule largely does away  with existing requirements for well control training, leaving it to operators to determine the best way to accomplish this.

IADC recommends that operators and contractors adopt WellCAP as their company standard for well control training.  General  acceptance of WellCAP will avoid conflicting training requirements between operators, and would ensure operators that their  contractor personnel have been trained to acceptable standards as defined by industry experts.

In the 14 August 2000 Federal Register, MMS wrote: "MMS commends IADC for the WellCAP program and acknowledges  the value WellCAP could bring in providing minimum well control training requirements to lessees and contractors worldwide."   MMS stated they intend to publish a proposed rule which would incorporate WellCAP into the Subpart O regulations.

On 5 November 2001, MMS issued a Notice to Lessees clarifying certain parts of the training rules.  This NTL discusses validity  of training certificates during the transition period, and addresses questions concerns over "alternative training methods."

Click here to download the NTL (PDF format, 70K)

Click here to download the MMS Subpart O Guidance Document (PDF format, 218K)
(Second edition, November 2002)

MMS recently opened a discussion board for operators and contractors to post questions regarding Subpart O regulations.  
The board is located at http://www.mms.gov/subpartODiscussion/

Additional information on Subpart O can be accessed from the Lessee Training section of the MMS web site.

 


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