course-details-portlet

TPG4210

Drilling Engineering 1

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 7.5
Level Third-year courses, level III
Course start Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement School exam

About

About the course

Course content

Basic overview of the drilling process with a primary focus on hydrocarbon production, while topics related to exploration, field development, production and later abandonment are more briefly described. Topics that are discussed in detail are rig equipment, rig selection, wellbore construction, casing design, drillstring design, the circulation system, drilling fluids, hydraulic optimalization, well control, cementing and completion. The course seeks to describe the material in a holistic view with emphasis on sustainability, health, safety and environment. Digital tools and digitalization of work processes are natural ingrediences in the course. Normally there will be an excursion to industrial facilities in the course.

Learning outcome

Ingress: This is a basic course for oil and gas drilling focusing on vertical holes in pressurized sediment formations, both offshore and onshore.

Knowledge: After fulfilment of the course, the students will understand:

  • Oilwell drilling equipment and methods for land based and offshore drilling
  • Drilling process analysis: Hoisting, rotation, pumping
  • Drillstring load analysis
  • Sedimentary formation pressure
  • Well control fundamentals
  • Drilling fluids and hydraulic optimization
  • Casing design
  • Basic cementing operation
  • Basic well completion and well intervention

Skills: After fulfilment of the course, the students will be able to make plan and make all relevant analysis and computations for an ordinary borehole, including the use of programming tools.

General competence: Qualifies for specializing at MSc level within Petroleum Engineering / Drilling Engineering.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and group work within the lectures. Compulsory exercises that includes significant amount of programming. Optional excursion when this can be arranged.

Compulsory assignments

  • Exercises

Further on evaluation

If there is a re-sit examination, the form of assessment may be changed from written to oral examination.

Course materials

Given at the beginning of the semester.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
SIG4075 7.5 sp
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Petroleum Engineering - Drilling Engineering
  • Technological subjects

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Geoscience

Timetable

Timetable

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Show detailed timetable in TP Download .ics file iCal

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: School exam
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

School exam
Weighting 100/100 Examination aids Code D Duration 4 hours Exam system Inspera Assessment Place and room Not specified yet.

Re-sit examination - Summer 2026

School exam
Weighting 100/100 Examination aids Code D Duration 4 hours Exam system Inspera Assessment Place and room Not specified yet.

All about examinations at NTNU