Oil and Gas Well Inspection

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Apply well integrity principles: the barrier philosophy (primary and secondary barriers must be in place at all times), the dual-barrier concept, barrier element identification for each well phase (drilling, completion, production, workover, abandonment), and the risk-based approach to inspection frequency and scope.
• Inspect wellhead and christmas tree equipment: component identification per API 6A (casing heads, tubing heads, casing hangers, tubing hangers, valves, flanges, spools), visual inspection criteria (corrosion, leaks, damage, paint condition, nameplate legibility), pressure testing, valve operation and function testing, and the documentation that records wellhead condition.
• Evaluate BOP inspection and testing: stack component identification (annular preventer, pipe rams, blind rams, shear rams), function testing (open/close each component), pressure testing (low-pressure and high-pressure tests), accumulator capacity verification, and the API 53 awareness that governs BOP testing frequency and criteria.
• Assess casing and tubing integrity: understanding casing programme design (conductor, surface, intermediate, production), casing pressure testing, sustained casing pressure (SCP) identification and management, corrosion monitoring methods (caliper, UT), and the integrity assessment that determines whether a well can continue producing safely.
• Evaluate subsurface safety valve function: SSSV/SCSSV purpose (automatic well shut-in if surface control is lost), testing procedures per API RP 14B, leak rate criteria (acceptable versus failed), testing frequency, and the corrective actions when safety valves fail testing.
• Inspect surface production equipment: separators (pressure, level controls, relief devices, vessel inspection), heater treaters (fire tube, temperature controls), storage tanks (integrity, level indication, venting, containment), flowlines (corrosion monitoring, leak detection, pressure rating), and the relief device inspection that prevents overpressure.
• Conduct environmental compliance inspection: SPCC plan compliance (containment integrity, secondary containment volume, transfer procedures), emissions compliance (VOC, methane, LDAR programme), produced water management, solid waste (NORM, tank bottoms), and the environmental inspection that prevents regulatory violations and environmental damage.
• Navigate the regulatory inspection framework: state oil and gas commission requirements (well permits, mechanical integrity testing, plugging requirements), BSEE requirements for offshore wells, EPA requirements (SPCC, NSPS, NESHAP), and how regulatory inspections differ from operator internal inspections.
• Document inspection findings: inspection checklists, photographic documentation, deficiency classification (critical, major, minor), corrective action tracking, inspection reports, and the documentation system that creates an auditable inspection history for each well.
• Manage the well integrity management system: risk-based inspection planning, inspection scheduling, trend analysis (annular pressure trends, corrosion rates, valve test results over time), anomaly management, and the continuous improvement process that maintains well integrity across the asset portfolio.

Core Curriculum Topics

• Well Integrity Principles: barrier philosophy, dual-barrier, barrier elements, risk-based inspection
• Wellhead and Christmas Tree Inspection: API 6A components, visual criteria, pressure testing, valve function
• BOP Inspection and Testing: stack components, function test, pressure test, accumulator, API 53 awareness
• Casing and Tubing Integrity: programme design, pressure testing, sustained casing pressure, corrosion monitoring
• Subsurface Safety Valve Testing: SSSV/SCSSV, API RP 14B, leak rate criteria, failure management
• Production Equipment Inspection: separators, heater treaters, tanks, flowlines, relief devices
• Environmental Compliance: SPCC, emissions (LDAR), produced water, NORM, waste management
• Regulatory Framework: state commissions, BSEE (offshore), EPA, inspection requirements
• Inspection Documentation: checklists, photography, deficiency classification, corrective action tracking
• Well Integrity Management System: risk-based planning, scheduling, trend analysis, anomaly management

• Basic well site awareness recommended
• No prior inspection training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English; professional proficiency required

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Well site inspectors and field inspectors who conduct well integrity inspections
• Production foremen and lease operators responsible for daily well monitoring and equipment checks
• Regulatory inspectors (state oil and gas commission, BSEE) who conduct compliance inspections
• HSE officers managing well integrity and environmental compliance programmes
• Production engineers and petroleum engineers involved in well integrity assessment
• Environmental compliance officers managing SPCC, emissions, and waste management at well sites
• Asset integrity engineers managing well integrity across a portfolio of wells

• Well Site Preparation and Drilling Safety (drilling operations safety)
• Well Site Completion and Servicing Safety (completion and workover safety)
• Offshore Oil and Gas Safety (offshore-specific operations)
• Oil and Gas Well Inspection — YOU ARE HERE (well integrity and compliance inspection)
• Oil and Gas Career Ladder: 38hr → 70hr → 112hr → 144hr → 168hr → 194hr
• International Diploma in Oil and Gas Safety Management (480-hour diploma)
• International Diploma in Process Safety Management (480-hour PSM diploma)

Four specialist courses now cover the complete upstream sector: drilling, completion, offshore, and well inspection. DIP-1010 provides the comprehensive academic diploma.