To be a leader in coiled tubing technology today requires not only state of the art technology but also professionally trained operators and engineers. The coiled tubing service line within the petroleum industry is experiencing an exponential growth in technology. For example, the use of coiled tubing is frequently encountered in combination with other service lines such as drilling, cementing, stimulation, logging, well testing, et al. As demonstrated above, coiled tubing services are very much multi-disciplinary.
Typically, oilfield personnel have achieved their skill level from hard work and hands-on experience. However, in today's industry, hands on training cannot keep pace with the developments of coiled tubing related services. Due to the immeasurable costs associated with job failures attributed to human error or incompetence, it is essential that personnel receive the proper training to elevate them to the level of competence required.
One of the most outstanding accomplishments pertaining to coiled tubing training has been the implementation of coiled tubing simulators. A coiled tubing training simulator serves much the same purpose as a flight simulator does in the aeronautical industry. Students can run a coiled tubing unit and execute a real life well scenario while being challenged by a multitude of complications involving stripper leaks, BOP failures, tight hole, parted pipe, stuck pipe, etc. The main components of a coiled tubing simulator are the student station, graphics display, sound system, instructor facility and the main multi-tasking I/O computer. In addition to operating the main control consoles, the students are responsible for defining and graphically installing, function testing and pressure testing the proper surface equipment, coiled tubing string and BHA configurations required for the particular scenario. During a job simulation, the instructor can activate a multitude of problem situations that the student will need to respond to properly, to accomplish the pre-defined objectives. All of this training can be done in an accident free environment without the loss of well production or equipment. In one week of training a student may experience many different well control procedures that in the past may have taken years to experience.
The authors' intent of this paper will be to discuss the rapid growth of the coiled tubing industry and the demand for competent operations and engineering personnel required to implement emerging technologies. Secondly the advantages and process of implementing a competence based progression program to meet the personnel demand will be reviewed. Thereafter, the synergistic benefits derived from the utilization of a coiled tubing simulator to provide accelerated training and assess personnel competence levels will also be discussed. Lastly, an outline of a comprehensive coiled tubing training program, developed to compliment a competence based progression approach will be presented.
