Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and for the safety of our staff and members, we have decided to cancel our face-to-face well control workshop in Baku this year and host our AGM virtually online instead.
The event will take place in webinar format on Wednesday 25th November. Webinar access will be available for every member.
Add the date to your diary today, with more registration information to follow soon.
Please contact us at membership@iwcf.org if you have any questions.
Certificate Extension Update – July 2020
Since March 2020, IWCF have continued to closely monitor the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and have worked closely with our members globally to follow regional advice.
With worldwide restrictions being imposed, we have worked to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and well operations crews are maintained by introducing the virtual classroom training option. IWCF virtual classroom training is now widely available at accredited training centres globally (see links below).
Certificate extensions have been granted for eligible candidates who were unable to re-certify between 17 February 2020 and 31 July 2020.
After carefully assessing the latest developments affecting our global membership, IWCF’s Board of Trustees have agreed to introduce a new eligibility criteria and dispensation process for the small population of individuals that continue to be affected by COVID-19 restrictions beyond 31 July 2020.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you updated with any future developments.
Information for candidates
Candidates that have an eCert expiring between 1 August 2020 and 30 September 2020 and meet the below criteria will be eligible to apply for an extension.
The booking details and employer request must be submitted by email to certification@iwcf.org.
Once IWCF has reviewed the dispensation request, eligible candidates will be granted a 90-day eCert extension.
Candidates who do not meet the above criteria will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Useful links
We have introduced a COVID-19 hub on the IWCF website for centres and candidates to use.
Open Training Centres – This page lists IWCF accredited training centres by region who are open for training and assessments, or their expected opening dates.
Virtual Training Providers – This page lists training centres by region who are accredited to offer virtual classroom training.
COVID-19 Updates – This page is updated with all COVID-19 news and updates.
COVID-19 FAQs – This page answers the most frequently asked questions from centres and candidates.
Please contact us at certification@iwcf.org if you have any questions.
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to update you with the latest certificate extension guidance.
We expect many candidates will want to gain or renew their eCert in the coming months. Due to the continuing global travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines, we recently implemented virtual classroom training as an option to continue to train well operations crews globally. This initiative will help support accredited training centres with candidate demand.
We understand that some candidates may be unable to attend virtual classroom training. Therefore, IWCF’s Board of Directors have agreed a further certification extension for candidates who cannot attend training for the following reasons.
To support candidates who are unable to attend virtual classroom training, we will implement the following measures.
Certificate Extensions
A certificate extension of 90 days will be granted to candidates who now have a certificate expiring between 17 February 2020 and 31 July 2020. All candidates must apply to receive this extension using our online form.
Example: The candidate’s initial certificate expires 31 July 2020. If they submit their details using the online form, the candidate will receive an additional 90 days. The new certificate expiry date is 29 October 2020.
Candidates with Current Certificate Extensions
If a candidate has already been granted a certificate extension and this expires, the candidate must apply for a further extension using our online form.
Example: The candidate’s certificate expired on 17 February 2020. The candidate submitted their details using the online form and received an initial extension of 90 days which then expires on 17 May 2020. The candidate must apply for a further 90-day extension through the online form on the IWCF website.
Virtual Classroom
We will recommend virtual classroom training to all candidates who have/will apply for a certificate extension. All candidates will be asked the reason why they are unable to attend virtual classroom training.
Example: The candidate’s certificate expires 31 July 2020. The candidate must remain on a rig and is unable to complete a virtual classroom training course. The candidate must complete the online form on the IWCF website to apply for a certificate extension and state the reason they are unable to attend a virtual classroom training course.
Instructors and Assessors
All IWCF accredited instructors and assessors were granted a 90-day extension in March 2020. If an instructor or assessor requires a further extension, they must apply to receive this extension using our online form.
A question has been added to the online form for candidates to indicate if they are an instructor and/or assessor.
Example: An instructor’s certificate expired on 17 February 2020. IWCF granted an initial extension of 90 days. This expired on 17 May 2020. IWCF will grant an additional extension of 90 days if the instructor is unable to attend a virtual classroom training course. The instructor must apply for an extension using the form on the IWCF website.
We will continue to monitor the developments and issue updates as required. Thank you for your support and understanding during this time.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Virtual Training Update
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented situation which has resulted in worldwide restrictions being imposed. To ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees and well operations crews is maintained, we have been investigating innovative ways for our accredited centres to deliver training during this time.
As a temporary measure, IWCF’s Board of Directors have approved the introduction of virtual classroom training. This solution allows us to accommodate the requirement for training during the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst maintaining our high standards and integrity. We are committed to collaborating with our accredited centres to ensure this can be delivered effectively to candidates globally.
Candidates must complete all assessments including practical assessments at an accredited centre once social distancing measures are lifted. There will be a maximum time of 90 days to complete assessments following training however this will be monitored in line with government advice regarding travel.
As virtual training applications are approved, we will update our virtual training page and locations map to show this as an additional delivery option. You can search for them on the map by using the the ‘Programmes’ filter and selecting “Virtual Training.”
Accredited Centres can download the guidance document and application information from our Members Login Area, or contact our accreditation team for further information.
IWCF have continued to monitor the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic over recent weeks and have been respecting and responding to local guidance as it has evolved.
We have been working closely with our centres and suppliers globally to follow regional advice. We advise our members to follow their government guidance and adhere to any restrictions that are in place.
In line with UK guidance, the IWCF head office remains closed. However, our operations and services have continued without interruption despite the transition and ongoing requirement for remote working. We are available to support you as normal so please contact us if you have any questions.
Member Questions
We have received questions from our members about accrediting virtual classroom training for all our current programmes. We are currently developing alternative solutions that will help us accommodate and adapt to the current situation without compromising our high standards or integrity. Our aim is to ensure that the delivery of training and competency can be maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to provide updates on this when they are available.
If you have any questions throughout this time, you can contact us at iwcfinformation@iwcf.org and we will collate these questions into an FAQ document on our website for all to access.
Certificate Extensions
The certificate extension procedure is continuing for candidates who have an IWCF eCert expiring between 17 February 2020 and 31 May 2020. Candidates are reminded to complete the online form then contact certification@iwcf.org to request a confirmation letter of this extension if this is required for their employer.
We will review this decision on 01 May 2020 and send out an update with further information.
Thank You
As we successfully navigate our way through these unprecedented times, never have our core values been more relevant or important.
We would like to thank you all for your continued support and for helping to share our updates during this time.
Sharing Information – IWCF’s Communication Channels
Our communication channels all feature our latest COVID-19 news, so please share the following links with your colleagues and clients to ensure they receive our important updates too.
Our channels include:
IWCF continues to closely monitor the developing COVID-19 situation. Our priority is to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, members and visitors whilst continuing to deliver our services.
We are working hard to ensure that we take all necessary steps to mitigate any possible impact to our customer operations while maintaining the welfare of our employees, customers, contractors and other stakeholders.
We wanted to share some information and new measures we have introduced to ensure we operate “business as usual” over the coming weeks.
Our Employees
We have adopted a home working policy. We are confident our approach to working remotely means the measures we have in place can ensure business continuity.
We are encouraging staff to limit face-to-face contact unless absolutely necessary to help reduce the risk of infection. Our employees are available to discuss any issues by phone, or have virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams.
All employees are available as usual on their mobile numbers and email addresses.
Travel
Travel is restricted in line with official advice. Business travel is restricted to ‘essential’ travel only.
Official guidelines on isolation are being followed for employees returning from any affected areas.
We have temporarily suspended onsite scheduled visits for audits, Train the Trainer and Assessor Courses until further notice.
Candidate Certificate Extensions
Since announcing the certificate extension procedure on Friday 13th March 2020, we have received a high volume of requests which we are currently processing as quickly as possible.
Candidates will only receive a response from IWCF regarding the extension in the following circumstances:
Otherwise, once you have completed the online form, please trust that a 90-day extension will be applied.
Future Updates
After introducing the above measures and in line with official guidance, we would like to assure you that it is business as usual within our organisation. As this is a fluid and rapidly changing situation, we will continue to closely monitor developments and will provide you with updates as required.
Please continue to share our updates.
We’d like to thank our members, stakeholders and colleagues for their patience and support during this time.
We want to give you some advance notice that we are moving our server which hosts Level 1 and WOCRM on Monday 2nd March 2020 and we expect a period of downtime which will last approximately 3 days.
During this time the Level 1 and WOCRM courses will be unavailable, as will access to your online certificate.
Please ensure you fully complete all modules by Sunday 1st March as only fully completed modules will be transferred to the new system. If you are mid-way through a module your progress will be lost, and you will need to restart the module in the new system.
When the server move is complete on Thursday 5th March 2020, you will be able to login to the new server using the same username. Due to the security in place, you will need to click Reset Password to set your new password the first time you visit.
Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Please contact level1@iwcf.org if you have any questions.
We are looking for Well Intervention Pressure Control (WIPC) experts to help us review and develop our syllabi, assessments and technical programmes.
As IWCF operate internationally, we are looking to attract consultants from all global regions. Applicants must have the ability to work remotely.
Role Summary:
Company: International Well Control Forum Operations Ltd
Skills: Well Intervention Pressure Control, Well Intervention, Completions
Other Skills: Risk Management, project management, well integrity, pedagogic competence
Experience: 15 + Years
Education: BSc or equivalent
Employment Type: Part-time consultant
Location: Home based
IWCF Technical Consultants are responsible for:
To be eligible for the position, consultants must have the following skills:
We particularly value knowledge and experience in the following areas:
How to Apply
Please apply by sending your CV and covering letter to hr@iwcf.org. The closing date for applications is 5pm (GMT) on Friday 24th January.
We are delighted to announce that Petronas will be a keynote speaker at our Workshop next month.
Shahril will discuss Petronas key initiatives including the aggressive ramping up of operations in the last year, including drilling and subsea WIPC activity.
Shahril is passionate about the industry readiness of crew and how IWCF can assist with the competency of candidates and their skill set within their roles.
You can download the full agenda for the event here.
As our annual workshop fast approaches we are pleased to announce that the agenda for the event has been released.
There will be 6 sessions. These will include:
1) Opening of Workshop – IWCF’s CEO Antony Quin will give an overview of the workshop activities and the importance of collaborating with our members and the industry to deliver our mission.
2) Human Factors – We will explore human factors and ask “With the increase in simulation training, how do we train our simulator instructors to make the most of immersive simulation?”
Speaker: Robin Adlam
3) Enhanced Well Control – This session will focus on the impact Enhanced Well Control training has on crew and demonstrate how this recently helped avert disaster.
Speakers: David Gouldin and Kim Laursen
4) IOGP Wells Expert Committee Update – This session wil investigate how the industry can collaborate to successfully integrate IOGP Report recommendations within well control training.
Speaker: Olav Skar
5) Well Intervention Pressure Control – This session will discuss the recent update to our syllabi and display statistics which demonstrate that pressure control continues to account for a large number of well control incidents.
Speakers: George Galloway and Bob Baister
6) Assessor and Instructor Competency – Here we will look at ways we can address the challenges of proving competency with accredited instructors, and assessors and look at ways to monitor this.
Speakers: Malcolm Lodge and Vitaly Baranov
After listening to presentations from our expert speakers, the workshop sessions will provide opportunity to interact and participate in discussions.
