Dave Roseland, Ben H. Siegel, Patrick B. Reynolds - Signa Engineering Corp.
As the oil and gas industry enjoys a period of enormous growth, it also experiences a vast shortage of qualified workers to supervise drilling rigs. The traditional paradigm of recruiting new well site foremen is not effectively filling the need for suitable personnel. This is witnessed by a decreasing work pool, rapidly aging workforce, and a widening technology gap between older and younger drilling foremen.
The Well site Foremen Internship Training (WFIT) pilot program was designed and implemented to provide a solution. Candidates from respected fields were chosen through a rigorous selection process and then trained by skilled drilling professionals on the multi-disciplined aspects of drilling supervision. Candidates were selected primarily from outside the energy industry to bring in “new blood” and to avoid the practice of simply redistributing existing oil and gas workers.
The WFIT program has enjoyed success in several recent installments, in which several large operators have served as sponsors. The following article and case histories illustrate how a proper WFIT program can increase the quality and quantity of well site foremen.
An evolving work environment
According to the US Department of Labor, nearly half the workforce engaged in E&P activities is eligible to retire over the next decade. A presentation given at the 2008 Oil and Gas Talent Summit by Surya Rajan illustrates a significantly higher number of aging petroleum workers.
In addition to the personnel shortage, the process by which workers are promoted to drilling foremen has become outdated. Traditionally, longtime roughnecks or floor hands move up through the ranks to obtain foreman positions. This promotion system does not necessarily fit the requirements or standards of the evolving industry, and often leads to bad habits being transferred and propagated as personnel move into drilling foreman positions.
One major drawback of the current promotion system is that core competencies are neither established nor standardized within the industry. Structured technical training is not readily available generally, nor is it required. Drilling foremen rarely are taught management or leadership skills, which are essentially paramount due to their required roles.
The current promotion system also can be a lengthy process; therefore, it does not fit within the necessary timetable to fill the increasing demand for skilled personnel. In addition, there is no traditional evaluation program to track job progression.
Candidate selection
In 2007, the WFIT internship system was implemented in a series of pilot programs to determine its viability. Candidates were hand-selected by WFIT program coordinators, who themselves possess a high level of drilling field experience and management skills. The initial screening process included a resume review, a math skills test, and face-to-face interviews. Although no oilfield experience was necessary, any relevant job experience was validated, and referrals were contacted regarding dependability.
Candidates with suitable skill levels moved into the second portion of the screening process, where they underwent background, medical, and drug tests. Test scores were reviewed by program coordinators, along with personnel from the sponsoring company, and final interviews and final selections were made. Class size varied per sponsoring company requirements.
Program structure
Once selected, interns began a seven-month program that required full-time devotion to their studies. Interns were compensated during training so they would not have to work elsewhere. Curriculum loosely followed the development of an actual drilling project. Interns first were educated in the classroom, studying topics such as data gathering, bits and hydraulics, drilling fluids, and project management. Instructors predominantly were former drilling personnel with high knowledge of oilfield subject matter and extensive teaching backgrounds.
After the first phase of classroom education, individuals were assigned to a working drilling rig under the authority of an existing drilling foreman. They undertook a hands-on approach to drilling supervision with a strong focus on equipment operation, report generation, and problem identification/solving.
An important component of the WFIT pilot program required the rig site foreman to act as a mentor, providing special insight into the inter-workings of drilling applications. To accomplish this, it was imperative the foreman spend additional, personal time with the intern to explain specific operative information that might otherwise “slip through the cracks” with the typical promotion system.
After their first work period at the rig site, interns returned to the classroom for the next curriculum level. This system was repeated throughout the program. Interns were assigned to different rigs to maximize exposure to various drilling operations, equipment, and environments.
Intertwining classroom instruction with on-the-job training was an important component of the WFIT program. This allowed interns to apply classroom instruction in the field while the topics were still fresh in their mind, and, conversely, to associate lessons learned in the field with written work upon their return to the classroom.
Testing, evaluation structure
Comprehension and progression of each intern (both classroom and field) was monitored constantly through stringent testing and evaluating. Similar to college or grade-level courses, interns were assigned homework during classroom periods, and undertook weekly written exams and a final exam.
In order for WFIT program coordinators to evaluate the training process, interns performed evaluations of the class, and, in turn, instructors performed evaluations of the interns. The system was similar for field training – each well site mentor provided an evaluation of his/her specific intern, and the intern likewise provided well site mentor evaluation.
Grades and evaluations were kept online in a password-protected Website and were transparent to the intern, meaning interns could view their grades and evaluations, and also their class ranking, but not the grades or rankings of others. Sponsoring company personnel also had access to the online files of their interns.
Pilot Program 1
One installment of the program was implemented in partnership between Signa Engineering Corp. and a large operator. Signa provided the WFIT training coordinators and training instructors; the operator served as the sponsor company and provided drilling rig locations for rigsite training.
Candidates were chosen from fields such as the US military, along with referrals from the sponsoring company. In order to avoid “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” most candidates were selected from outside the energy industry.
After initial candidates were screened, approximately 10% were chosen to participate in the program. Of those, 80% graduated seven months later. Of that group, 80%+ were hired for full-time night positions on drilling rigs leased by the operator. Six months after graduation, 50% had been promoted to full-time positions as day supervisors. This was seen as an unmitigated success by the operator.
After this pilot program, WFIT program coordinators realized the need for a more stringent qualification process. Questions used during the interview process were updated, and interviews were lengthened to extract additional information. Additional testing was applied in order to ensure a greater degree of proficiency in math and English. A personality profile test was added to determine key personality dimensions of successful job performance.
Pilot Program 2
Another installment of the WFIT program was implemented with a similar arrangement: Signa provided the WFIT training coordinators and training instructors; an operator served as the sponsor company and provided drilling rig locations for rig site training.
Several significant performance increases were witnessed during this installment. The program had garnered word-of-mouth attention within the industry and therefore a larger pool of candidates was identified. Enhanced screening methods were implemented, along with more stringent testing, and an increase was seen in overall candidate quality. Initial classroom sessions were lengthened to provide each intern with a fundamental knowledge of the oil industry prior to rigsite training.
Awareness of the program also increased as mentors saw the success of other installments. Mentors realized their feedback contributed to intern progress; therefore, they were more likely to give feedback during this installment. Additionally, their evaluations were more extensive and offered greater insight into the progress of each intern.
Conclusions
A proper WFIT program can proactively address the current and long-term demand for additional qualified well site supervisors, while increasing the quantity and quality of personnel selected for those positions. Experience shows that a synergy between a sponsor and a training provider is of utmost importance for the success of the program. Optimally, the sponsor should be able to provide quality locations and mentors for rig site training. The progression of each intern should be observed by program coordinators and changes should be made accordingly to curriculum or framework for continuous program improvement.
