Merlin ERD

Houston, TX, Open Seat, Horizontal and High Angle Engineering and Operations Course
2022-08-08 - 2022-08-10 | Houston, Texas
Book This Course

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Course Overview
Painful experience has shown that even the most robust drilling programme can fail through incorrect implementation techniques.
Due to the increased challenges and numerous procedural revisions associated with high angle wells, educating personnel on how to identify issues before they become problems is crucial in delivering a successful deviated well
Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin ERD’s Horizontal & High Angle Operations & Engineering Training Course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Mon: 8am – 16.30pm
Tue: 8am – 16.30pm
Wed: 8am – 16.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 8.5 hours including 3 short breaks and 1 hour for lunch.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

SESSION 1

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

SESSION 2

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

SESSION 3

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

Book This Course

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Online Open Seat, Horizontal and High Angle Engineering and Operations Course - West Hemisphere
2022-09-19 - 2022-09-22 | Western Hemisphere
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Multiple Booking Enquiries

Course Overview
Painful experience has shown that even the most robust drilling programme can fail through incorrect implementation techniques.
Due to the increased challenges and numerous procedural revisions associated with high angle wells, educating personnel on how to identify issues before they become problems is crucial in delivering a successful deviated well
Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin ERD’s Horizontal & High Angle Operations & Engineering Training Course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Mon: 8am – 12.30pm
Tue: 8am – 12.30pm
Wed: 8am – 12.30pm
Thu: 8am – 12.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 4.5 hours. Actual start times will vary based on the geographical location of delegates.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

Session 1 – Introduction and Fundamentals

Session 2 – Fundamentals

Session 3 – Operations

Session 4 – Engineering and Stuck Pipe Avoidance

Introduction & Objectives

Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.

Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.

Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.

Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.

Torque & Drag
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.

Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.

Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.

Connection Practices
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.

Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.

Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.

Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.

Differential Sticking
Understanding the problem, the risk factors and how to manage the risk of differential pressure sticking on high angle wells.

Session 1 – Introduction and Fundamentals

Introduction & Objectives

Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.

Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.

Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.

Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.

Session 2 – Fundamentals

Torque & Drag
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.

Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.

Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.

Session 3 – Operations

Connection Practices
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.

Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.

Session 4 – Engineering and Stuck Pipe Avoidance

Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.

Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.

Differential Sticking
Understanding the problem, the risk factors and how to manage the risk of differential pressure sticking on high angle wells.

Book This Course

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Online Open Seat, Managed Pressure Drilling Course - East Hemisphere
2022-10-17 - 2022-10-20 | Eastern Hemisphere
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Multiple Booking Enquiries

Course Overview
Merlin’s open seat MPD training course is designed to ensure that well construction personnel, from the drilling engineer to the drilling manager are up to speed on the fundamental factors which lead to successfully planned and executed managed pressure drilling operations. We often see drilling teams bring in external parties to support or manage these operations, commonly through lack of experience in the core team. Our course is designed to plug the gaps, ensuring that the team is aware of the benefits of various MPD techniques, how these apply to their specific well scenario and how to ensure the benefits are fully realised.
The course is delivered over a period of 5 half-days and taught online, leaving some time available for your day job. Topics include deep dives into the drivers for MPD use, types of MPD systems, the design criteria associated with each type, how to decide which system to use, management of anchor points, well control considerations, equipment specifications and much more.

What will I learn?

What is MPD? Where and how can I use it?
Benefits and risks of using a particular MPD technique.
Data required to run MPD simulations.
How to select anchor points and design a well around them.
How does MPD impact fluid design and well control?
Understand the equipment and the external standards associated with it.
Issues associated with the design, specification and management of an MPD equipment spread.
Deepwater project planning and considerations.
In depth analysis of Constant Bottom Hole Pressure, Pressurised Mud Cap, Continuous Circulating and Controlled Mud Line MPD techniques.
And much more….

Example Schedule

Mon: 8am – 12.30pm
Tue: 8am – 12.30pm
Wed: 8am – 12.30pm
Thu: 8am – 12.30pm
Fri: 8am – 12.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 4.5 hours. Actual start times will vary based on the geographical location of delegates.

Who Should Attend?

Drilling Engineers, Superintendents and Managers involved in planning and executing MPD projects.
Key third party personnel who are impacted by the use of MPD on their well or project.
Wellsite personnel planning to use MPD systems or who will be exposed to MPD systems on location.
Anyone that wants a better understanding of MPD, to learn more about the many applications available.

Course Schedule

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

SESSION 4

SESSION 5

Conventional drilling vs. MPD / closed loop drilling / golden rules of MPD
MPD applications / when and where to use them
Drivers for MPD / pros and cons of using MPD
MPD design objectives / MPD IADC classiﬁcation system

Fluids Basics / rheology models / weighted ﬂuid systems / clear ﬂuid & 2-phase systems
Surface back pressure (SBP) MPD design / data requirements / limitations / design steps / swab-surge / anchor point selection / design parameters
Advantages of SBP MPD – ballooning / constant bottom hole pressure (CBHP) / wellbore stability (WBS) / narrow windows / ERD / HPHT / pressure proﬁling
Well control (WC) / MPD v conventional / inﬂux management envelope (IME) /challenges with MPD WC (rig & operator)
MPD standards and references / classiﬁcations & requirements

MPD project planning / rig surveys / drawings and layouts / risk assessments / HAZID – HAZOP / equipment preparation / spares
MPD equipment: RCDs / chokes / meters / valves / PRVs / NRVs

Deepwater: above tension ring (ATR) / below tenstion ring (BTR) / other equipment
Rig surveys / drawing and layout diagrams / temporary installation design and planning / standard operating procedures (SOPs) and limitations

Pressurised mud cap drilling (PMCD) / subsurface drivers / design and planning / limitations / SOPs
Tripping / completions with PMCD – gunk plugs / mud capping / downhole deployment valve’s (DDV)

SESSION 1

Conventional drilling vs. MPD / closed loop drilling / golden rules of MPD
MPD applications / when and where to use them
Drivers for MPD / pros and cons of using MPD
MPD design objectives / MPD IADC classiﬁcation system

SESSION 2

Fluids Basics / rheology models / weighted ﬂuid systems / clear ﬂuid & 2-phase systems
Surface back pressure (SBP) MPD design / data requirements / limitations / design steps / swab-surge / anchor point selection / design parameters
Advantages of SBP MPD – ballooning / constant bottom hole pressure (CBHP) / wellbore stability (WBS) / narrow windows / ERD / HPHT / pressure proﬁling
Well control (WC) / MPD v conventional / inﬂux management envelope (IME) /challenges with MPD WC (rig & operator)
MPD standards and references / classiﬁcations & requirements

SESSION 3

MPD project planning / rig surveys / drawings and layouts / risk assessments / HAZID – HAZOP / equipment preparation / spares
MPD equipment: RCDs / chokes / meters / valves / PRVs / NRVs

SESSION 4

Deepwater: above tension ring (ATR) / below tenstion ring (BTR) / other equipment
Rig surveys / drawing and layout diagrams / temporary installation design and planning / standard operating procedures (SOPs) and limitations

SESSION 5

Pressurised mud cap drilling (PMCD) / subsurface drivers / design and planning / limitations / SOPs
Tripping / completions with PMCD – gunk plugs / mud capping / downhole deployment valve’s (DDV)

Get In Touch

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Houston, US, Classroom Based, Horizontal and High Angle Engineering and Operations Course
2023-05-08 - 2023-05-10 | Houston, Texas
Book This Course

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Upskill with Merlin and learn to drill further, faster, more efficiently.
Our industry-leading school is essential for anyone planning or drilling long lateral, extended reach or complex wells – regardless of your basin or field. You will learn how to mitigate the key drilling risks associated with these types of wells, as well as understanding the factors in planning and execution which drive success. We believe in education; being able to identify issues before they become problems is crucial for delivering successful wells.
Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin’s Horizontal & High Angle Operations & Engineering Training Course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Mon: 8am – 16.30pm
Tue: 8am – 16.30pm
Wed: 8am – 16.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 8.5 hours including 3 short breaks and 1 hour for lunch.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

SESSION 1

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

SESSION 2

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

SESSION 3

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

Book This Course

Multiple Booking Enquiries

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Classroom-based, Horizontal and High Angle Engineering and Operations Course
2024-11-05 - 2024-11-07 | Abu Dhabi
Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Upskill with Merlin and learn to drill further, faster, more efficiently.
Due to the increased challenges and numerous procedural revisions associated with high angle wells, educating personnel on how to identify issues before they become problems is crucial in delivering a successful deviated well. Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin’s Horizontal & High Angle Operations & Engineering Training Course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Tue: 8am – 16.30pm
Wed: 8am – 16.30pm
Thu: 8am – 16.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 8.5 hours including 3 short breaks and 1 hour for lunch.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

SESSION 1

Introduction & Objectives
Introduction and overview of course objectives, schedule course resources.
Industry Achievements
Latest Industry achievements in deviated, complex and ERD wells.
Differences to low angle wells
Important differences between high angle and low angle wells.
Hole Cleaning
Explanation of fundamentals, how material is removed and why we can assume the hole is never fully clean.
Torque & Drag & buckling
Explanation of T&D fundamentals, their impact in high angle wells and options for reducing T&D loads.
Rig Equipment & drill pipe
How to determine minimum rig requirements for your well and necessary safety factors for success. Options to drill further without rig upgrades.

SESSION 2

Tripping & Back-reaming
How to clean up a deviated hole. Fit for purpose tripping procedures and avoiding pack-offs and stuck pipe while back-reaming.
Connections
Outline of procedures for making safe connections in high angle wells. Techniques to avoid damage to the wellbore and prevent stuck pipe.
Hole Conditioning Monitoring
How to interpret downhole conditions from surface measurements to provide objective repeatable indication of hole condition. Dynamic changes in cuttings, torque, drag and PWD. How to get early warning of approaching problems.
Hydraulics & ECD Management
ECD definition, influencing factors and options for reducing ECD.
Swab & Surge
Why swab and surge effects are amplified in ERD wells. Techniques for managing cyclic loading.
Wellbore Stability
Causes of instability. Solutions for preventing and/or recovering from a wellbore stability problem.

SESSION 3

Casing & Cementing
Key risks installing casing in ERD and high angle wells. Latest techniques to get tubulars predictably to depth. Cementing issues for high angle wells.
Casing Wear
Types of casing wear, identifying a problem, consequences and risk reduction options.
Well Trajectory Design
Understand what’s important in trajectory design when planning how to meet the well’s subsurface objectives.
Bit & BHA
Bit and BHA design considerations for high angle wells over and above ROP, data collections and directional control.
Drilling Limiters
Identification of common drilling limiters and a methodical approach to extending limiters while managing risk.
Stuck Pipe Avoidance
Fundamentals of stuck pipe, identification and avoidance.

Highly recommended course

Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Houston, TX, Classroom-based, ERD Engineering & Operations Course
2025-06-17 - 2025-06-19 | Houston, Texas
Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Upskill with Merlin and learn to drill further, faster, more efficiently.
Due to the increased challenges and numerous procedural revisions associated with high angle wells, educating personnel on how to identify issues before they become problems is crucial in delivering a successful deviated well.
Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin’s ERD Engineering & Operations course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Tue: 8am – 16.30pm
Wed: 8am – 16.30pm
Thu: 8am – 16.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 8.5 hours including 3 short breaks and 1 hour for lunch.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

Day 1 - Fundamentals

Day 2 - Operational Practices

Day 3 - Performance Improvement

Additional Training Material

The course starts with content intended to ensure the attendees have a common understanding of how mechanical and hydraulic loads are generated while drilling and the factors that influence the magnitude of the loads, as well as covering options for reducing loads. The second part of the first day is spent ensuring attendees have a thorough understanding of how rig, downhole equipment and geological limits are defined and the factors that influence these limits. The modules covered are listed below:
• ERD risk reduction and performance improvement
• Drilling loads
⁃ Torque, drag and buckling
⁃ Surface pressure, ECD, swab and surge
• Equipment limits
⁃ Rig system operating limits
⁃ Drill string operating limits
• Geological limits
⁃ Instability
⁃ Losses

The second day is focused on ensuring the attendees understand the importance of clear and specific operational instructions as well as the specifics of hole cleaning, low risk tripping and back-reaming practices, tubular installation and drilling surveillance.
• Operational instructions
• Hole cleaning
• Connections
• Tripping
• Tubular installation
• Drilling surveillance

The content on day three is intended to ensure all attendees understand what tools and methodologies are available to eliminate major NPT events and progress to industry leading drilling performance.
• Shocks and vibrations
• Drilling Assemblies
• Well planning and optimisation
• General stuck pipe prevention

We have the following additional training material to cover specific client needs:
• Narrow margin drilling
• Low energy drilling operations
• Drilling problem event RCA
• Other material on request

Day 1 - Fundamentals

The course starts with content intended to ensure the attendees have a common understanding of how mechanical and hydraulic loads are generated while drilling and the factors that influence the magnitude of the loads, as well as covering options for reducing loads. The second part of the first day is spent ensuring attendees have a thorough understanding of how rig, downhole equipment and geological limits are defined and the factors that influence these limits. The modules covered are listed below:
• ERD risk reduction and performance improvement
• Drilling loads
⁃ Torque, drag and buckling
⁃ Surface pressure, ECD, swab and surge
• Equipment limits
⁃ Rig system operating limits
⁃ Drill string operating limits
• Geological limits
⁃ Instability
⁃ Losses

Day 2 - Operational Practices

The second day is focused on ensuring the attendees understand the importance of clear and specific operational instructions as well as the specifics of hole cleaning, low risk tripping and back-reaming practices, tubular installation and drilling surveillance.
• Operational instructions
• Hole cleaning
• Connections
• Tripping
• Tubular installation
• Drilling surveillance

Day 3 - Performance Improvement

The content on day three is intended to ensure all attendees understand what tools and methodologies are available to eliminate major NPT events and progress to industry leading drilling performance.
• Shocks and vibrations
• Drilling Assemblies
• Well planning and optimisation
• General stuck pipe prevention

Additional Training Material

We have the following additional training material to cover specific client needs:
• Narrow margin drilling
• Low energy drilling operations
• Drilling problem event RCA
• Other material on request

Highly recommended course

Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Online Open Seat, ERD Engineering & Operations Course - East Hemisphere
2025-09-22 - 2025-09-25 | Eastern Hemisphere
Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Upskill with Merlin and learn to drill further, faster, more efficiently.
Due to the increased challenges and numerous procedural revisions associated with high angle wells, educating personnel on how to identify issues before they become problems is crucial in delivering a successful deviated well.
Invest in yourself, your team and ultimately your results by attending Merlin’s ERD Engineering & Operations course.

What will I learn?

How to determine the maximum reach from your location
Key planning considerations to delivering trouble free wells
Root cause of problems encountered in high angle wells
Identifying minimum equipment specifications for ERD projects
What others are doing around the world to assure success
Latest tools and techniques used to reliably deliver ERD projects
How to minimise downtime due to 3rd party tools

Example Schedule

Tue: 8am – 12.30pm
Wed: 8am – 12.30pm
Thu: 8am – 12.30pm
Fri: 8am – 12.30pm

*Daily sessions are typically 4.5 hours. Actual start times will vary based on the geographical location of delegates.

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

Day 1 – Fundamentals

Day 2 – Operational Practices

Day 3 – Performance Improvement

Additional Training Material

The course starts with content intended to ensure the attendees have a common understanding of how mechanical and hydraulic loads are generated while drilling and the factors that influence the magnitude of the loads, as well as covering options for reducing loads.
The second part of the first day is spent ensuring attendees have a thorough understanding of how rig, downhole equipment and geological limits are defined and the factors that influence these limits. The modules covered are listed below:
• ERD risk reduction and performance improvement
• Drilling loads
⁃ Torque, drag and buckling
⁃ Surface pressure, ECD, swab and surge
• Equipment limits
⁃ Rig system operating limits
⁃ Drill string operating limits
• Geological limits
⁃ Instability
⁃ Losses

The second day is focused on ensuring the attendees understand the importance of clear and specific operational instructions as well as the specifics of hole cleaning, low risk tripping and back-reaming practices, tubular installation and drilling surveillance.
• Operational instructions
• Hole cleaning
• Connections
• Tripping
• Tubular installation
• Drilling surveillance

The content on day three is intended to ensure all attendees understand what tools and methodologies are available to eliminate major NPT events and progress to industry leading drilling performance.
• Shocks and vibrations
• Drilling Assemblies
• Well planning and optimisation
• General stuck pipe prevention

We have the following additional training material to cover specific client needs:
• Narrow margin drilling
• Low energy drilling operations
• Drilling problem event RCA
• Other material on request

Day 1 – Fundamentals

The course starts with content intended to ensure the attendees have a common understanding of how mechanical and hydraulic loads are generated while drilling and the factors that influence the magnitude of the loads, as well as covering options for reducing loads.
The second part of the first day is spent ensuring attendees have a thorough understanding of how rig, downhole equipment and geological limits are defined and the factors that influence these limits. The modules covered are listed below:
• ERD risk reduction and performance improvement
• Drilling loads
⁃ Torque, drag and buckling
⁃ Surface pressure, ECD, swab and surge
• Equipment limits
⁃ Rig system operating limits
⁃ Drill string operating limits
• Geological limits
⁃ Instability
⁃ Losses

Day 2 – Operational Practices

The second day is focused on ensuring the attendees understand the importance of clear and specific operational instructions as well as the specifics of hole cleaning, low risk tripping and back-reaming practices, tubular installation and drilling surveillance.
• Operational instructions
• Hole cleaning
• Connections
• Tripping
• Tubular installation
• Drilling surveillance

Day 3 – Performance Improvement

The content on day three is intended to ensure all attendees understand what tools and methodologies are available to eliminate major NPT events and progress to industry leading drilling performance.
• Shocks and vibrations
• Drilling Assemblies
• Well planning and optimisation
• General stuck pipe prevention

Additional Training Material

We have the following additional training material to cover specific client needs:
• Narrow margin drilling
• Low energy drilling operations
• Drilling problem event RCA
• Other material on request

Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Online Open Seat, ERD Engineering & Operations Course - West Hemisphere
2025-10-06 - 2025-10-09 | Western Hemisphere

ERD Engineering & Operations Course
2026-03-09 - 2026-03-12 | Western Hemisphere
Book This Course

Discuss your training requirements now

Upskill with Merlin and learn to drill further, faster, more efficiently.
Stuck pipe is one of the greatest risks when drilling complex wells, regardless of the trajectory, drilling location or wellbore architecture. That’s why Merlin’s “Horizontal, High Angle & ERD Engineering & Operations” course focuses on providing drilling teams with practical tools to avoid or mitigate the effects of these events, reducing the risk of NPT, lost BHAs and sidetracks.

What will I learn?

The real stuck pipe drivers in high‑angle and ERD wells
Proven design, planning and operational practices to avoid stuck pipe issues
Clear guidance on managing key parameters related to hole cleaning, T&D model interpretation and wellbore stability
Lessons from real‑world incidents: what went wrong, and how to stop history repeating

Course Delivery

Online, instructor-led via Teams
4 half days, typically 4.5 hours per day
Delivered in English
Start-time: 07:00 Calgary / 08:00 Houston / 14:00 GMT

Who Should Attend?

All Drilling professionals involved with high angle wells
Drilling Managers, Superintendents & Engineers
Drilling Supervisors, Drillers, Tool Pushers, AD & Derrickmen
Directional Drillers, MWD, Mud Engineers & Mud Loggers

Course Schedule

Day 1:

ERD – What’s Different?
Hole Cleaning (part 1)
Hole Cleaning (part 2)
Exercises

Day 2:

Torque and Drag
Hydraulics and ECD Management
Surge and Swab
Connection Practices
Exercises

Day 3:

Tripping and Backreaming
Wellbore Monitoring
Wellbore Stability
Exercises

Day 4:

Casing and Cementing
Casing Wear
Differential Sticking
Closing Remarks and Recap
Exercises
