Petroleum Engineering Students

Hands-on Experience for Future Petroleum Engineers

December 11, 2006 - The College of Engineering's newly re-initiated Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering program is well underway. On November 11, sixteen students from M.P.Sharma's Drilling class visited a British Petroleum (BP) drilling rig south of Wamsutter, Wyoming. Drilling for deep, tight-gas reservoirs is a major industry effort in western Wyoming. Efficient and environmentally sound drilling of oil and gas wells is one of the key areas in petroleum engineering.

Petroleum Engineering Students

The rig, a Nabors 481, is a new AC (frequency converter) rig under a two-year contract to drill gas wells near Wamsutter. The rig is fully automated and drills at a rate of about 350 feet per hour. It is equipped to drill horizontal and deviated wells, so that several wells may be drilled from the same pad, thus minimizing environmental impacts during the drilling process.

The students gained hands-on experience on the various aspects of drilling, including: (1) the drilling circulation system, (2) the rotary system and top drive, (3) the well control system, and (4) the rig power system. Students also toured BP production facilities and learned more about natural gas production. The field trip was a valuable learning experience for all concerned.