In 2018, Queensland’s large industrial sector for the coal seam gas (CSG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) requires highly trained staff in order to maintain high standards of operation.
Today 11 more talented engineering students from The University of Queensland (UQ), were accepted into a respected well control course to be delivered by Fendley Skills Development (FSD) at the UQ Long Pocket campus in Brisbane.
Since the UQ Centre for Coal Seam Gas (CCSG) and FSD formed a collaborative relationship for research and education in early 2017, around 24 students have been enrolled in the International Well Control Forum (IWCF) courses.
The student engineers participating in the well control course are completing a Bachelor of Engineering or Masters of Petroleum Engineering and are members of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).
The Centre for Coal Seam Gas has worked with the UQ SPE student chapter to facilitate the opportunity to undertake this training in addition to their academic studies.
Fendley Operations Manager Harvey Bauman said these are certifications that all personnel working in drilling and well servicing operations in the oil and gas industry are expected to hold, as per industry practice.
“As part of the training FSD uses state-of-the-art equipment to provide realistic simulated well-control response exercises in the safety of the classroom, ensuring the highest standards of training for Australian oil and gas operations,” he said.
“The simulation facilities are an enhancement to current UQ facilities, and they will also allow opportunities for future research in simulation programming and risk behavioural studies.
“The simulation at the UQ facility is done with the FSD’s Drill Sim 500 daily. Between the classroom theory and the practical simulation students are instructed how to shut in the well, remove a hydrocarbon influx, restore primary well control plus more,” Harvey said.
CCSG Director Andrew Garnett said new and current students enrolled in UQ’s Masters of Petroleum Engineering benefit from UQ’s collaboration with FSD, with up to 25 students eligible to undertake well control levels 2 to 4 courses at the same time as their degree at no extra cost.
UQ is one of the only universities in Australia to offer students such a full range of high-level and complete well control training for drilling in the oil and gas industry. UQ alumni can also benefit from this industry relationship as the same courses are offered to alumni at a discount.
ENDS
Contact: UQ’s CCSG Director Professor Andrew Garnett ph. 07 3346 4101 or Hervey Bauman, Fendley Operations Manager ph. 07 5598 2493.
