Evolving MPD with Human Factors Approach

MPD technique has been successfully used to enable drilling in harsh environments. Despite the benefits, it is still seen with some skepticism in scenarios where it is not mandatory. In part due to the MPD failures observed and the added complexity of MPD application, when compared to conventional operations. During the evolution of the technique, with increased complexity and more challenging scenarios, a great effort has been applied to develop better training and competency of the teams, since many failures can be directly linked to human error. However, a better look should be given to the technique with a Human Factor approach. Can we really expect human not to failure in a challenging scenario with a complex technique? Although great effort was made in building competency, human error still continues. Training plays an important role on the MPD, but other aspects should be considered, such as: communication, responsibility for the task, suitability of the procedure to the task, among others. Therefore, it is crucial to consider other contributing factors like organizational (and industry), technological and environmental. This paper presents human errors collected from more than 100 wells drilled in deepwater and proposes a complementary interpretation of the raw causes with focus on human factors, beyond the need for training. It shows that human errors are often the sign of organizational or technological issues and proposes methods to mitigate them. Body text 1 paragraph. Body text 2 paragraphs.