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 Textbook Series, 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:

Topics

Hours

1. Introduction to drilling engineering and petroleum engineering

units 2

1
2. Drilling rig systems and components, rig types, rig selection.
Well control and
well monitoring systems. Organizational structure, planning
and managing
drilling operations. 4
3. Drilling fluids composition and rheology. 2
4. Drilling fluid hydraulics (wellbore hydraulics and design of
circulation system,
design of mud weight and kick evaluation). 3
5. Major Exam I 1
6. Formation pore and fractures pressure estimation (abnormal
pressures
prediction, well control, fracture gradient prediction). 3
7. Cementing: composition and testing of cement, cementing
equipment and
operations, quality control and remedial jobs. 3
8. Basic concepts of casing and its properties. 2
9. Basic concepts of rotary drilling bit, classification, selection and
evaluation. 3
10. M
ajor Exam II 1
11. F
undamental concepts of drill string and bottom-hole assembly. 3
12. D
rilling problems, safety, and environmental issues. 3
To
tal 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

2
1. Become familiar with drilling Ability to apply knowledge of
rigs and drilling operations. math, science and engineering.
2. Ability to conduct Ability to design and conduct
experiments and understand experiments as well as to
the procedure to plan and analyze and interpret data
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.

Prepared by: Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Majed and Dr. M. Enamul Hossain,

May 2010.

Instructors: Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Majed, Ph.D, Associate Professor,

Department of Petroleum Engineering, KFUPM, 15-6201, (03) 860-
3888, aamajed@kfupm.edu.sa; Dr. M. Enamul Hossain, Ph.D,
Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, KFUPM,
16-273, (03) 860-273, menamul@kfupm.edu.sa.