Directional Drilling School

Name: Directional Drilling School
Rating: 4.6 (6 reviews)

Not just a DD1 course, it’s packed with practical from 22+ years of experience, showing you exactly how to do the job

Created byOffshore Nation

Last updated 6/2025

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What you'll learn

Completed 3-week Directional Drilling School / DD1 School
Key Knowledge to Land a DD Position
Detailed Roles and Responsibilities of a Directional Driller (DD) – From Pre-Job to Job Completion
Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
Supporting Files and Documents for the Directional Driller Job

Course content

4 sections • 19 lectures • 10h 15m total length

What Makes Directional Drilling a Great Career Choice?4:55
Discover why directional drilling is one of the most dynamic and rewarding career paths in the oil and gas industry.
Introduction: Directional Drilling25:59
Define directional drilling and explain its purpose across diverse scenarios. Identify well profiles—vertical, J-type, S-type, horizontal—and deflection devices jetting, whiptock, steerable motors, rotary steerable systems.
Directional Driller Roles and Responsibilities36:56
Learn the directional driller's critical roles in safe, efficient well delivery, from prejob planning, BHA design and makeup, tool gauging, and fishing diagrams, to hsse reporting and safety leadership.

Wellbore Surveying54:43
Anti-Collision43:40
Learn anti-collision for safe well placement. Assess proximity using ellipses of uncertainty and separation factors, and apply 3d least distance, normal plane, and horizontal plane scanning.
Drill Pipe, DC, HWDP37:43
Explore drill pipe, drill collar, and heavyweight drill pipe, and their roles in weight on bit, rotation, mud circulation, and basic drill pipe design considerations.
Bottom Hole Assembly33:48
Design and analyze bottom hole assemblies to control direction in directional drilling, leveraging pendulum force, fulcrum and stabilizer placement to build, hold, or drop inclination.
Mud Motor26:23
Learn how mud motors convert fluid energy into torque to spin a bit with a rotor and stator; lobe count, stages, and ERT stator shape torque, rpm, heat, and steering.
Kick-off Techniques1:01:33
In this section, you'll find a downloadable BUR Chart, a practical tool designed to support your daily work as a Directional Driller. This chart helps you estimate the build-up rate based on motor size, hole size, and stabilizer setup—making BHA design faster, more accurate, and aligned with your planned trajectory.

Build-Up Rate (BUR) Chart – What It Is and How to Use It
The Build-Up Rate (BUR) Chart, also known as the Motor Output Chart, shows the maximum angle-building capability of a motor BHA when sliding (or orienting). This chart is extremely useful for Directional Drillers to select the right BHA design for a specific well trajectory.
Why Is It Important?
Experienced Directional Drillers with years of fieldwork often develop a sense of how much angle a certain motor BHA can build. They rely on memory and past experience with combinations of:
Bent housing angle
Stabilizer setup
Hole size and bit size
However, this approach only works well with familiar setups.
To reduce guesswork and improve accuracy, the BUR Chart provides a calculated reference based on:
Motor size
Hole size
Number and type of stabilizers (sleeve or string)
Stabilizer size
It gives a more realistic estimation of a BHA's ability to achieve the planned well trajectory and helps avoid designing a BHA that underperforms or fails to meet trajectory requirements.
While not a guarantee of success, this chart has been successfully used across Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, proving to be a practical guide in BHA planning.
What’s in This Book?
This book includes BUR charts for the most commonly used motor sizes in directional drilling:
4.75"
6.5"
6.75"
8.00"
9.625"
Each motor size is further broken down based on:
Hole size
Number of stabilizers
Stabilizer types and sizes
How to Read the Chart
The Y-axis represents the bent angle set on the motor.
The X-axis shows the expected BUR (degrees/30 m).
To find the BUR for a specific bent angle:
Start with your desired bent angle on the Y-axis.
Draw a horizontal line until it intersects the red curve on the chart.
From that point, draw a vertical line down to the X-axis.
The point where it meets the X-axis is your estimated BUR.
This simple process helps Directional Drillers make more informed decisions when designing the BHA to match the planned trajectory.

Make Up Directional BHA21:48
Master makeup directional BHA assembly, inspecting the bit and mud motor, dressing nozzles for target TFA, and aligning MWD tool face and scribe line for precise directional control.
Motor Operation52:33
Learn motor operation in directional drilling with mud motors, kickoff planning, and tool face concepts (mtf, gtf), plus slide calculations and slide sheets for trajectory control.
Drilling Parameters25:03
Monitor downhole drilling parameters and time-based logs, including weight on bit, torque, standpipe pressure, and mud properties, to optimize rate of penetration and detect issues.
Hole Cleaning50:18
Learn how to optimize hole cleaning in vertical and deviated wells by managing annular velocity, mud properties, and pipe rotation to prevent stuck pipe, cutting beds, and erosion.
Dogleg Severity8:43
Explore dog leg severity and its impact on wellbore trajectory, and learn to calculate buildup rate and turn rate, while understanding torque, drag, key seats, and pipe wear.
Directional Drilling Problems and Solutions9:51
Jar and Jar Placement25:58
Explore how mechanical, hydraulic, and hydromechanical jars generate controlled downhole impacts to free stuck pipe, with emphasis on jar placement, weight on bit, pump open force, and neutral point management.
Drilling Bit50:23
Explore drill bit technology across roller cone and fixed cutter bits, including mil tooth, insert, PDC, and diamond designs, their formation interaction, hydraulics, and selection for efficient drilling.
Bit Dull Grading39:23
Assess bit condition for directional drilling by grading inner and outer cutting structures, gauge wear, and dull characteristics to guide future bit selection and drilling performance.

Requirements

Rig experience is not required; however, basic understanding of drilling operations is beneficial.
Experience as an MWD Engineer, MWD Specialist, Mud Logger, or Data Engineer is an advantage.
Drilling experience as an Assistant Driller, Driller, Toolpusher, or Rig Manager is a plus.

Description

About This Course: Directional Drilling School – Launch Your Career in Oil & Gas

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a Directional Driller — one of the most respected and highest-paid positions on the rig?

Just like the 3 weeks internal DD1 Schools run by the Big 4 service companies, which cost $10,000 excluding airfare and meal allowances, this Directional Drilling School is designed to fast-track your journey. But unlike those internal programs that only train individuals who already hold DD positions and MUST be employees of the company, this course is open to everyone — whether you’re an MWD Engineer, Mud Logger, Driller, Assistant Driller, Toolpusher, or even a Technician in Maintenance & Repair.

We’ve successfully trained people from these diverse backgrounds to become Directional Drillers, and now, through this online training, we want to help even more and opening the door for you.

What You’ll Learn:

The exact knowledge and skills required to become a competent Directional Driller.
Practical strategies on how to transition from your current role into DD.
Field-proven techniques and decision-making frameworks used by experienced DDs.
What to prepare — mentally, technically, and professionally — to land your first DD role.

Why Take This Course?

Directional Drillers are often paid 2x the salary of MWDs and 3–4x more than Mud Loggers.
You’ll be trained by experienced professionals who have walked the path themselves.
This course is actionable, clear, and career-focused — designed to help you break into the role quickly and at your own pace.
You’ll gain a competitive edge that can lead to international job opportunities, promotions, and better income.
This course will give you a significant edge over other applicants, making you a top candidate for any Directional Driller position.

Whether you're already in the oilfield or looking to enter a high-demand career, this is your chance to step up and stand out.

Ready to make the leap?

Enroll now and take control of your future as a Directional Driller!

Let’s get started — your new career begins here.

Who this course is for:

Field Personnel Who Want to Become Directional Drillers
Anyone who wants to learn about Directional Drilling or plans to pursue the role.

Directional Drilling School

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction3 lectures • 1hr 8min

Fundamental Knowledge6 lectures • 4hr 18min

Operation9 lectures • 4hr 44min

Test, Interview Questions and Answers1 lecture • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: