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Category
Drilling & Well Engineering
Work Pattern
Onshore (with regular rig visits)
Reports To
Drilling Superintendent / Wells Manager
Position Overview
The Senior Drilling Engineer leads the well design and engineering function for complex drilling campaigns, providing technical oversight, mentoring junior engineers, and ensuring well designs meet safety, environmental, and commercial objectives. This role typically carries accountability for the most challenging wells in a portfolio — deepwater, HPHT, or extended-reach — and serves as the technical authority for drilling engineering decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead well design for complex wells including deepwater, HPHT, ERD, and multilateral applications.
- Approve drilling programs, casing designs, and barrier plans prepared by drilling engineers.
- Conduct peer reviews and technical assurance on well designs across the drilling portfolio.
- Develop and maintain well design standards, guidelines, and engineering best practices.
- Manage well integrity through design, ensuring compliance with API 96, NORSOK D-010, and operator-specific barrier standards.
- Lead risk assessments (HAZID, HAZOP, Bow-Tie) for drilling operations and well designs.
- Provide real-time engineering support during critical drilling operations (casing running, cementing, BHA deployment).
- Evaluate and introduce new drilling technologies (MPD, casing while drilling, rotary steerable systems).
- Mentor and develop drilling engineers, conducting competency assessments and training planning.
- Interface with regulatory bodies on well design approvals and variance requests.
Qualifications
Required
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Petroleum, Mechanical, or Drilling Engineering (Master's preferred).
- Certifications: IWCF Level 4 (Supervisor); BOSIET/FOET with CA-EBS; Offshore Medical.
- Experience: 10–15+ years in drilling engineering with direct experience in complex well delivery.
- Technical Skills: Advanced well engineering capability across all design aspects; proficiency in well design software; deep understanding of well control, barrier management, and regulatory compliance.
Preferred
- Track record of delivering HPHT or deepwater wells as lead engineer.
- Experience with managed pressure drilling and underbalanced drilling design.
- Chartered Engineer status.
- Familiarity with drilling automation and digital well delivery platforms.
Market Intelligence
$1,000–$1,400/day
Shortage Level: High
Key Skills Gap: Senior engineers with complex well design credentials (deepwater + HPHT) and the ability to provide technical leadership under operational pressure are scarce; many experienced engineers have moved to commercial or management roles.
Regions in Highest Demand: Middle East, West Africa, North Sea, Australasia
Demand Drivers: Increasing well complexity requiring senior technical oversight; deepwater project sanctions rising; regulatory tightening on well design assurance.