IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
The drilling program requires a formation integrity test (FIT) to 15.2 ppg Equivalent Mud
Weight (EMW) at the casing shoe. Shoe Depth = 4,000' (TVD); 5,500' (MD). Mud Weight = 9.5
ppg.
What surface pressure is required to test the shoe to the 15.2 ppg EMW?
1976 psi
1186 psi
1630 psi
2382 psi - ANSWER---1186 psi
A gas kick is being circulated out using the Drillers Method. What will happen to the bottom
hole pressure if the gas bubble is not allowed to expand as it is circulated up the hole?
-It will increase
-Stays the same
-It will decrease - ANSWER---It will increase
During a trip out, it is calculated that 5 bbls has been swabbed into the well. A flow check is
negative. It is decided to continue with the trip. If the kick is gas what may happen in the well?
-Gas may migrate and expand causing reduction in hydrostatic pressure.
-Gas will stay in position and be pushed back into the formation when you run back in the hole
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-Gas will migrate but not expand so hydrostatic pressure will stay constant.
-Gas will migrate and expand causing hydrostatic pressure to increase. - ANSWER---Gas may
migrate and expand causing reduction in hydrostatic pressure.
The Driller has swabbed 5 bbls into the well. The bit is returned to bottom and bottoms-up is
being circulated. The pit level is slowly increasing, as bottoms-up is getting closer to surface.
What is a safe action to take?
-Shut in the well and continue circulation through the choke using 1st circulation of the Drillers
method.
-Continue circulating with well open but switch on vacuum degasser.
-Shut in well, record SIDPP and use Wait & Weight method to kill the well.
-Shut in the well and use the Volumetric method to remove gas from the well. - ANSWER---
Shut in the well and continue circulation through the choke using 1st circulation of the Drillers
method.
What are the basic steps of the Weight and Wait Method?
-Circulate kill weight fluid from surface to surface following a drillpipe pressure schedule
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit holding Drillpipe Pressure constant, then circulate the kill
weight fluid to surface following a Drillpipe Pressure schedule
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit following a drillpipe pressure schedule, then circulate the kill
weight fluid to surface holding Drillpipe Pressure constant
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit holding Casing Pressure constant, then circulate the kill weight
fluid to surface holding Drillpipe Pressure constant - ANSWER---Circulate kill weight fluid to
bit following a drillpipe pressure schedule, then circulate the kill weight fluid to surface holding
Drillpipe Pressure constant.
The pump was shut down part way through the first circulation of the Driller's Method. The
Shut-in Drillpipe Pressure (SIDPP) now reads 525 psi and the Shut-in Casing Pressure (SICP)
now reads 700 psi.
Well Information: Initial SIDPP = 450 psi
Initial SICP = 600 psi
Initial Circulating Pressure = 800 psi
Mud Weight = 11.2 ppg
How much overbalance is currently on the well?
-75 psi
-100 psi
-175 psi
-150 psi - ANSWER---75 psi
When killing a well with a horizontal section, what will happen if you use a vertical kill sheet to
circulate out the kick?
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-The strokes to the bit will be wrong.
-You will be applying too little pressure to the well.
-The FCP is more difficult to calculate.
-You will be applying too much pressure to the well. - ANSWER---You will be applying too
much pressure to the well.
While performing the 1st circulation of drillers method, the pump was incorrectly shut down
keeping DP pressure constant at ICP. What is the current overbalance?
Initial SIDPP - 400 psi
Initial SICP - 450 psi
Current CP - 975 psi
ICP - 850 psi
-450 psi
-525 psi
-575 psi
-50 psi - ANSWER---450 psi
There is no loss of hydrostatic head until gas arrives at the inclined or vertical section of the well
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
The drilling program requires a formation integrity test (FIT) to 15.2 ppg Equivalent Mud
Weight (EMW) at the casing shoe. Shoe Depth = 4,000' (TVD); 5,500' (MD). Mud Weight = 9.5
ppg.
What surface pressure is required to test the shoe to the 15.2 ppg EMW?
1976 psi
1186 psi
1630 psi
2382 psi - ANSWER---1186 psi
A gas kick is being circulated out using the Drillers Method. What will happen to the bottom
hole pressure if the gas bubble is not allowed to expand as it is circulated up the hole?
-It will increase
-Stays the same
-It will decrease - ANSWER---It will increase
During a trip out, it is calculated that 5 bbls has been swabbed into the well. A flow check is
negative. It is decided to continue with the trip. If the kick is gas what may happen in the well?
-Gas may migrate and expand causing reduction in hydrostatic pressure.
-Gas will stay in position and be pushed back into the formation when you run back in the hole
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-Gas will migrate but not expand so hydrostatic pressure will stay constant.
-Gas will migrate and expand causing hydrostatic pressure to increase. - ANSWER---Gas may
migrate and expand causing reduction in hydrostatic pressure.
The Driller has swabbed 5 bbls into the well. The bit is returned to bottom and bottoms-up is
being circulated. The pit level is slowly increasing, as bottoms-up is getting closer to surface.
What is a safe action to take?
-Shut in the well and continue circulation through the choke using 1st circulation of the Drillers
method.
-Continue circulating with well open but switch on vacuum degasser.
-Shut in well, record SIDPP and use Wait & Weight method to kill the well.
-Shut in the well and use the Volumetric method to remove gas from the well. - ANSWER---
Shut in the well and continue circulation through the choke using 1st circulation of the Drillers
method.
What are the basic steps of the Weight and Wait Method?
-Circulate kill weight fluid from surface to surface following a drillpipe pressure schedule
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit holding Drillpipe Pressure constant, then circulate the kill
weight fluid to surface following a Drillpipe Pressure schedule
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit following a drillpipe pressure schedule, then circulate the kill
weight fluid to surface holding Drillpipe Pressure constant
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-Circulate kill weight fluid to bit holding Casing Pressure constant, then circulate the kill weight
fluid to surface holding Drillpipe Pressure constant - ANSWER---Circulate kill weight fluid to
bit following a drillpipe pressure schedule, then circulate the kill weight fluid to surface holding
Drillpipe Pressure constant.
The pump was shut down part way through the first circulation of the Driller's Method. The
Shut-in Drillpipe Pressure (SIDPP) now reads 525 psi and the Shut-in Casing Pressure (SICP)
now reads 700 psi.
Well Information: Initial SIDPP = 450 psi
Initial SICP = 600 psi
Initial Circulating Pressure = 800 psi
Mud Weight = 11.2 ppg
How much overbalance is currently on the well?
-75 psi
-100 psi
-175 psi
-150 psi - ANSWER---75 psi
When killing a well with a horizontal section, what will happen if you use a vertical kill sheet to
circulate out the kick?
, IWCF Level 4 – Drilling Well Control (Supervisor)
Practice Exam Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
-The strokes to the bit will be wrong.
-You will be applying too little pressure to the well.
-The FCP is more difficult to calculate.
-You will be applying too much pressure to the well. - ANSWER---You will be applying too
much pressure to the well.
While performing the 1st circulation of drillers method, the pump was incorrectly shut down
keeping DP pressure constant at ICP. What is the current overbalance?
Initial SIDPP - 400 psi
Initial SICP - 450 psi
Current CP - 975 psi
ICP - 850 psi
-450 psi
-525 psi
-575 psi
-50 psi - ANSWER---450 psi
There is no loss of hydrostatic head until gas arrives at the inclined or vertical section of the well
