WorldWide Drilling Resource

33 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MAY 2014 Focus on Join WWDR in Billings, Montana, for the 15 th Energy Exposition held June 25-26, at the MetraPark Trade Center. Wednesday begins with breakfast and a movie at 7:00 a.m. Then the trade show exhibits are open until 5:00 p.m. Be ready to connect with other profes- sionals and view the latest equipment, supplies, and services for the energy sector. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see this year’s keynote speaker, the 46 th Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney at the industry networking dinner Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Tim Wigley of Western Energy Alliance; and Mark Mathis, creator of the movie spOILed are presenting, with Wyoming State Representative Nathan Winters as moderator. Breakfast and a movie is set for Thursday morning too, followed by the expo displays which close at 4:00 p.m. Don’t miss the charity golf tourna- ment scheduled for Tuesday before the Energy Exposition, and continuing edu- cation credit classes during the event. For more information, call 307-529-3976 or visit www.energyexposition.com CJ and Walker for Conley Equipment Company, LLC at the 2013 Energy Expo. WWDR photo. HCC Announces New Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center Adapted from Information by Houston Community College In response to the challenging needs of the oil and gas industry, Houston Community Col lege (HCC) has an- nounced a project which will change the way drilling rig crews are recruited, trained, and developed. The industry has been faced with the need to not only fill the vacant positions of retiring personnel, but to also increase and train crews for new drilling rigs under construction. “The drilling industry is faced with the challenge to bring 24,000 new hires on- board within the next few years,” said Diamond Offshore Drilling CEO and President Larry Dickerson. “Diamond Offshore and other drilling contractors have worked with HCC education experts over the past year to create a program that produces better trained candidates for the drilling industry of the future.” HCC plans to build a new oil and gas drilling training center. Educators have been working with drilling contractor rep- resentatives on an advisory committee to set the parameters of a program. The vision is to create a realistic drilling environment for new-hire induc- tion, orientation, and training which will provide drilling contractors with a reliable source of qualified entry-level crew mem- bers. Construction of the HCC Global Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center will in- clude a rig safety and skills laboratory on their Northeast Campus. This skills laboratory will be known as RIG-ONE and will replicate the essential compo- nents of the rig work environment for new hires. A two-week, hands-on program will provide trainees with experience in work- ing around cranes, forklifts, and air tug- gers to acquire skills in safe pipe and cargo handling. Other skill areas include material handling, tank cleaning, confined space entry, routine maintenance, and hand tool skills. Basic first aid, firefighting, station bills and muster, lock-out/tag-out, and other safety procedures such as helicopter underwater evacuation training and safe driving will also be integrated into this real world experience. The training curriculum is aligned with the InternationalAssociation of Drilling Contractors (IADC) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities profiles. The entire project will be more than just the usual training of new hires. It will be an experience! Trainees will confront daily, real-life situations requiring aptitude, knowledge, and skills. According to Dr. Lee Hunt, president emeritus of the IADC and strategic advisor of RIG-ONE, elements of the program include courses accredited by IADC. Renee Byas, HCC acting chancellor said, “The RIG-ONE experience is a visionary collaboration of industry experts and college educators to induct new employees into the world of drilling who are retainable, promotable, and safety conscious. We are excited about the in- dustry being able to offer thousands of new jobs to people right here in Houston, Texas, the energy capital of the world.” Initial training classes are expected to begin in the Spring 2014 semester. High school seniors, returning veterans, and other workforce personnel will be offered the opportunity to train, get hired, and go to work in a challenging, exciting, and well-paid industry. Future expansion of the Global Oil and Gas Drilling Center will include ad- vanced training in specialty areas such as electronics, mechanics, hydraulics, or other drilling positions such as floorhand, assistant driller, and driller. A two-year drilling associate degree is also being discussed.