NORMAN ARCHIBALD Doing Business As INTERNATIONAL DRILLING SCHOOLS

"OUR FORMULA FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PROGRAM"

Norman Archibald created IDS in 1982 following his success with Reading and Bates Drilling Company, when he helped develop and implement a training program for their rig personnel during the boom years of the late 70's and early 80's. At that time there was a need to train new hires quickly and advance them into key positions. Archibald accomplished this by using an accelerated training program which produced sixty (60) Driller Trainees in a three (3) year period and helped man a growing thirty rig world-wide operation. He has used this experience along with his earlier engineering, operations, management and teaching background to develop courses for the drilling industry which he and his associates teach for IDS. He feels strongly, after a lifetime spent in the training field, that the following observations have contributed to the success formula his company has used during the past few years.

• The "Transfer of Understanding" is equally important as the "Transfer of Technology"

• Rig personnel learn best by "Hands On" training so a high priority should be placed on simulator work when designing and teaching drilling related programs.

• The demonstration of competence in a technical skill by the trainee is the only proof that training has taken place. This is another reason why the simulator is so important as a training resource.

• Instructors must appreciate that rig and operations personnel are normally rewarded for their mechanical and physical skills rather than their mathematical and theoretical skills.

• Instructors should also beware of intimidating drilling people with their superior engineering knowledge of a subject. Normally the rig man could equally match this with equipment knowledge.

• Oilfield credibility of the instructor plays a more important role in presentations in this industry than in most others.

• Only a high quality of presentation will assure success on a program, because the drilling audience is generally used to attending training seminars, and can be highly critical of poor performers.

• Training Programs should be designed using a "Building Block" approach to convey technical theory, and no excuses should be made for repetition of important concepts.

• Training texts must be written in language the rig man can easily understand, because reading comprehension is not normally one of his strengths.

Above all, training sessions should be enjoyed by the trainee, (who is generally giving up his off time to attend) as this creates a good learning environment.