Analysis by Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley
After years of volunteer work by numerous members of the Well Servicing Committee, the SecureWell Cased Hole Well Control and Containment Course was launched two years ago. The goal was simple. To provide the industry with a top-of-the-line training program that ensures our sector consistently delivers safe and high-quality well control to the industry. This course was developed by industry veterans to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation. In the two years since the course launched, the support has been tremendous, far exceeding our expectations in the first two years. This support has enabled EWTC to grow the course at a rate that we did not expect, and we have reached the vast majority of the US rig market.
Since its launch, over 1,219 students have completed the course. Twenty-nine companies are utilizing the course, and many of the major operators are recommending the course to their contractors. This quick adoption is much more than we could have ever expected. Many of the first-round students are now returning to the course for their 2-year recertification. This recertification will enable individuals to maintain their skill set and ensure continued compliance. The course is currently taught in most major basins, with further expansion planned soon. We now offer the course and testing in both English and Spanish. This success is thanks to our original provider, Vorenkamp Well Control Training, who has done an excellent job getting the course off the ground. We have now welcomed three new providers to support the course: Wild Well, RelyOn and American Well Control Academy.
We look forward to working with them to continue to expand the course.
Additionally, we are excited to announce that the first new SecureWell offering, the Person-in-Charge Well Control Supervisor Course, will be launched this month. This course was developed in collaboration with Vorenkamp Well Control Training. It will provide an advanced three-day certification designed for rig managers, company representatives, wellsite consultants, and anyone onsite who is responsible for overseeing well control and containment operations. This course is being launched in response to multiple industry requests for such a course and will be the ideal next addition to SecureWell’s offerings. The new offering will be available nationwide in major oil and gas-producing areas in the coming months. For a detailed schedule of course offerings, please refer to the additional information here, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
In addition to the new PIC course offering, EWTC has begun to work on two additional SecureWell offerings. In conjunction with our new training provider, RelyOn, and a working group formed from member companies of our well servicing committee, we have begun working on a P&A SecureWell offering. This course will provide students with the industry standards and best practices for P&A & work, which will be vital to ensure that P&A work is done safely and consistently around the country. Additionally, we have formed a working group led by Mikey Thompson from Ranger, which will soon begin working on a Rig Operator SecureWell offering specifically geared for rig operators. Upon completion, this course will round out our EWTC offerings to cover the majority of roles in rig operations in the US. If you have any questions about these offerings or would like to get involved, please get in touch with EWTC President Tim Tarpley at ttarpley@energyworkforce.org.
Tim Tarpley, Energy Workforce President, analyzes federal policy for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
