The Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” Volodymyr Onyshchenko and the Director of Wellsite Digital Ltd Ihor Vitryk cut the symbolic ribbon at the entrance to the new training centre in presence of numerous guests, such as Andriy Bobliakh, a member of Parliament of Ukraine; Kostiantyn Kasai, our University’s graduate and Oleksiy Ishchenko, the head of the Department of Economic Development of Poltava Region State Administration and others,
“The location of the Training Laboratory was not chosen randomly, for Poltava region is the centre of the oil and gas industry in Ukraine. The purpose of the modern Training Centre opening is to improve students’ and employees’ knowledge level and practical skills, to combine efforts of educational institutions and business on the question of thorough oil and gas specialist training. As for the University, this is about the possibility of educating high-quality staff for the industry, ready to work right after completing a course and receiving the IWCF certificate. This is an opportunity for the youth to try themselves in conditions as close to reality as possible and decide on their career future without leaving the university. As for the oil and gas companies, it will allow to prevent or decrease the financial risks as the qualified specialists will make correct decisions,” said Ihor Vitryk. “Investing in the University, as I imagine it myself, is of great interest for business, because we will be able to hire prepared competitive specialists without the need to explain anything additionally to them. They will already be adapted to the modern conditions. It won’t be necessary for the company to re-teach the young people coming to them from the university. We believe that opening powerful laboratories will help us balance the level of workers’ under-qualification which we can observe at the oil and gas market in Ukraine.”
Rector, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko says, “Together with our partners, Wellsite Digital Ltd, today we open a Training Centre for oil and gas specialists’ education and certification. This event clearly acknowledges the high quality of education provided at our university. This is kind of a sign; if business invests in our University, then our educational activity is appreciated at the highest level. I would like to thank the companies for continuously updating our facilities and resources and creating better conditions for oil and gas specialists’ education.” Three main factors influenced the company’s decision; first was Poltava region being one of the main oil and gas regions in Ukraine, secondly, the Educational and Research Institute of Oil and Gas functioning at the University the students and teachers of which were offered a priceless experience. And thirdly, as early as in the 1960s, a Mechanotronics and Building Equipment Laboratory was created. It is still in use today.
Ihor Vitryk presented the Educational Centre and spoke about the professional activity range of Wellsite Digital Ltd, emphasizing the best traditions of European business environment. The Training Centre is equipped with modern simulation systems made by the international company Drilling Systems.
“The opening of a modern Training Centre in Poltava for me personally is a landmark event. This is my hometown, I was born and grew up here. Where did the idea to create such a centre in Ukraine come from? I came across the Drilling Systems simulators for the first time in Aberdeen, Scotland, while taking a training course back in 2008. Once again I had a chance to work with their updated mobile version at an offshore drilling platform. This technology can help save resources and time as the cost of one offshore drilling platform operation is from $250,000 to $500,000 a day. The price of mistakes, as you see, is incredibly high,” the speaker added.
Oleksandr Kukharets’, a production engineer, explained the meaning of quality education, “The Wellsite Digital laboratory is created for oil and gas specialists’ education. We have specific goals, such as the industry workers’ education and getting the IWCF certificate, which is the best quality indication in the oil and gas industry. In particular, the specialists will be taught certain actions in case of oil and gas shows. Nowadays, it is one of the most important problems in well drilling, which often leads to deaths, major financial loss for oil and gas companies, negative consequences for nature.”
As for today, the centre is equipped with simulators DrillSim:50 and DrillSim:Educator. DrillSim:50 allows for the drilling and well control training in accordance with the IWCF standards recognized generally as the confirmation of specialists’ professional level all around the world. DrillSim: Educator combines an interactive well control simulator and two graphic screens which make it possible to visualize and understand the drilling and well control operations.
Two large screens allow to see what happens to surface equipment and the situation in the well itself at the same time. The screen shows the main technological features of the drilling well, while the simulator realistically recreates sounds taking place during the drilling process at the surface and the processes inside the well.
This allows to clearly understand the operations performed at the well site, influencing the well and its condition. The Drilling Systems company has been developing innovative technologies for the oil and gas industry around the world for more than 30 years.
“You can see with your own eyes the uniqueness of this equipment. The simulator recreates a drill operator’s working place atmosphere, there can be found all the instruments of drilling and production process control,” added the expert.
The use of Drilling Systems simulators has important advantages for oil-and-gas, drilling and service companies, which can apply them in their operation, as it causes no human life risk, no ecological problems, no serious financial losses.
“Thank you sincerely for realizing such a great mission! By investing in education you invest in the country’s future. By teaching the young progressive specialists we contribute together in the development of oil and gas education. The combination of science and business, education and better European traditions, is a powerful answer to the challenges of today, our common investments in the future,” said Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko.
The Centre will hold five-day theoretical classes for young and experienced oil and gas specialists. It will be used as a place for further education courses and employees’ certification. The first enrolment for learners will open in June, 2020; now the Drilling Systems software is being installed and configured, the equipment is functioning in test mode.
Simultaneously, eight people can work in the Centre. According to the European IWCF standards, their number can be up to 15, but the company decided to provide more opportunities for hearers to communicate personally with their instructor or mentor.
Classes will be held in two languages - English and Ukrainian, and an online-test will be taken in English. The certification will be carried out by the IWCF, an international organization from the United Kingdom. After successfully passing the test, the student or the worker will get the IWCF certificate. The instructor does not have any influence on the test results. Depending on the difficulty level, the certificate validity term can vary from two to five years.
The IWCF certification has numerous advantages, such as lowering the human life risks, decreasing environment pollution chances and the great financial risks for oil and gas companies. Thanks to the knowledge confirmed by the certificate, the specialists are able to quickly and correctly decide on the drilling field in case of a dangerous situation during drilling or well work-over, to prevent complications and accidents during operation.
The study plan consists of four main levels.
Level 1. Well control, elementary knowledge.
This is an informational course which is meant to give the specialist basic knowledge on well construction, types of complications and methods of their elimination and prevention. It is recommended for people working in the oil and gas field, but not participating directly in the well construction.
Level 2. Introduction, basic level.
This is a basic course intended for deepening the basic knowledge of well control during oil, gas and water shows and ways to prevent complications connected with them. It is advised for assistant engineers and workers operating directly at the drilling site.
Level 3. Controlling the drilling well (“Driller’s” level).
This course is necessary for those participating firsthand in the shutting-in and killing the well. The aim of taking this course is to get and strengthen the knowledge of drill crew members.
Level 4. Controlling the drilling well (“Supervisor’s” level).
This course is designed for senior engineering personnel, holding well construction at drilling site or in the office, and deciding on the prevention or elimination of complications connected with oil, gas and water shows.
“The general European practice of higher education institutions cooperating with leading oil and gas companies is very important. Over the last few years, our university has become a place for effective conversation between education and science, business and government. Borrowing the progressive European experience, opening new laboratories are yet another step into the future. I am sure that we are not going to stop here, and this is only the beginning,” emphasized Rector of National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”, Professor Volodymyr Onyshchenko.
The Wellsite Digital Ltd plans on expanding the line of simulators, including addition of the full-sized simulator DrillSim:5000, a complete copy of a traditional rotary table that allows to recreate the feeling of real work at the drill site during well drilling with the help of 3D-modelling. Also, study programs on well work-over and wireline operation using simulators of coiled tubing and logging are to be introduced.
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