Department of Petroleum Engineering

PETE 203: Drilling Engineering I

3 credits: 2 50-minutes lectures and 1 3-hours laboratory session per week required

Catalog Description:The course introduces the basic concepts, theory and practices in drilling engineering. Topics include an introduction to drilling engineering, rotary drilling systems and operations, well control and monitoring systems. Specifically, drilling fluids, drilling hydraulics, formation pore and fracture pressure estimation, design of mud weight and kick evaluation are discussed. Some practical applications such as cementing and basic concepts of casing, drilling bits and bottom-hole assembly are presented. Laboratory sessions cover drilling fluids and cement formulation and testing. A rig-floor simulator is used to demonstrate drilling operations and control.

Textbook:1. Bourgoyne, A.T. Jr., et al. (1986). Applied Drilling Engineering. SPE TextbookSeries, Vol. 2, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson, Texas, USA

2. Two lab manuals that cover Drilling Fluids, cementing and drilling simulator exercises.

Prerequisite:CHEM101: General Chemistry I

PETE201: Introduction to Petroleum Engineering.

Course Objectives:

  • Become acquainted with drilling rigs and drilling operations.
  • Understand the procedure to plan and design a basic well construction scheme.
  • Understand well control techniques.
  • Become aware of safety and environmental issues.

Laboratory experiments

Experiments on Hrs

Drilling fluids and cementing:10

Rig-floor drilling simulator:4

Topics and Hours:

TopicsHours

  1. Introduction to drilling engineering and petroleum engineering units2
  2. Drilling rig systems and components, rig types, rig selection.Well control and

well monitoring systems. Organizational structure, planning andmanaging

drilling operations.4

  1. Drilling fluids composition and rheology.2
  2. Drilling fluid hydraulics (wellbore hydraulics and design of circulation system,

design of mud weight and kick evaluation).3

  1. Major Exam I1
  2. Formation pore and fractures pressure estimation (abnormal pressures

prediction, well control, fracture gradient prediction).3

  1. Cementing: composition and testing of cement, cementing equipment and

operations, quality control and remedial jobs.3

  1. Basic concepts of casing and its properties.2
  2. Basic concepts of rotary drilling bit, classification, selection and evaluation.3
  3. Major Exam II1
  4. Fundamental concepts of drill string and bottom-hole assembly.3
  5. Drilling problems, safety, and environmental issues.3

Total Hours: 30

Method of Evaluation:

Class attendance and performance: 5%

Field trip attendance, report and presentation: 5%

Homework/assignments and quizzes:20%

Laboratory experiments:20%

Major exams:25%

Final exams:25%

Total: 100%

Contribution to Professional Component:

Engineering Science and Design: All topics relate to the application of scientific and engineering principles to understanding oilfield drilling operations, estimating subsurface pressures, and design of safe and economic wellbores.

Relationship of Course Learning Outcomes to Program Educational Outcomes:

Course Learning Outcome / Program Educational Outcome
  1. Become familiar with drilling rigs and drilling operations.
  2. Ability to conduct experiments and understand the procedure to plan and design a basic well construction scheme
  3. Understand the importance of drilling fluids and well control operations.
  4. Understand the drilling operations hazards in terms of safety and environmental issues.
/
  • Ability to apply knowledge of math, science and engineering.
  • Ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpret data

Prepared by: Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Majed and Dr. M. EnamulHossain, May 2010.

Instructors: Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Majed, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, KFUPM, 15-6201, (03) 860-3888, ; Dr. M. EnamulHossain, Ph.D, Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, KFUPM, 16-273, (03) 860-273, .

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