Pictured left to right – “Jamie Wilson, IWCF Board Chairperson” “Michael Thompson, IWCF Australasian Branch Chairperson”
The International Well Control Forum (IWCF), established in 1992, is the independent global body responsible for setting standards in well control training, accreditation and certification. As a charity registered in Scotland, IWCF operates internationally with its head office in Montrose and a regional office in Brisbane, supporting global industry needs while maintaining strong engagement with the Australasian region.
Through a worldwide network of accredited training centres, IWCF delivers consistent, high-quality programmes that equip personnel with the skills and confidence required for critical well control operations.
IWCF’s mission is to define, deliver and maintain the highest possible standards in well control training, accreditation and certification, while providing global competency assurance and continuous development. Its vision is clear: no risk to life, assets, or the natural environment from well control incidents, underpinned by the core values of care, integrity, courage, and innovation.
As a global membership organisation, IWCF brings together industry stakeholders through geographically distributed branches. Regional representation plays an important role in shaping the organisation’s direction and ensuring that industry needs are reflected at both local and international levels.
Australia forms part of the Australasian branch, one of the earliest established outside Europe, with involvement dating back to January 1994.
Since then, Australia has played an increasingly influential role within IWCF. This is reflected in the organisation’s leadership, with the current chairperson of the IWCF Board, Jamie Wilson, based in Adelaide.
At the regional level, the Australasian branch is chaired by another Australian citizen, Michael Thomson, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Australasian branch ensures the well control training needs of the Australian oil and gas industry are communicated to IWCF.
At the 2024 Australian Energy Producers (AEP) Conference in Perth, Australia, IWCF published a paper, Changes in well control training to meet the challenge of reducing well control incidents (Australian Energy Producers Journal, EP23244), alongside a supporting poster session.
The well control challenges outlined in the paper are even more relevant today. While the number of serious incidents has declined overall, the frequency of well control incidents has not reduced significantly. Data from industry sources indicates a growing number of incidents occurring beyond the well construction phase, particularly during production, workovers and well intervention activities.
Notably, two of the most widely recognised incidents in recent history, Montara and Macondo, occurred after drilling operations had been completed, as a result of well integrity issues during the well suspension phase.
Looking ahead, Australia faces further complexity, with more than 500 wells expected to be decommissioned in the coming years, according to local sources. This introduces additional well control challenges, including trapped pressures, corrosion and ageing infrastructure – issues also being experienced in regions such as the North Sea.
To address evolving challenges and potential training gaps, IWCF has introduced a ‘Well Control in Design and Lifecycle Management’ course. This course reinforces that well control aspects must be addressed in the design phase and that well integrity should be maintained throughout the well lifecycle.
Later this year, IWCF will be introducing a revised Well Intervention Pressure Control (WIPC) programme structure, incorporating a workover module and changes to module selection to better align the programme with specific roles.
To further support industry competence, IWCF provides a range of free eLearning modules designed to enhance well control knowledge and professional development. These include:
- Level 1 Well Control Awareness Course
- Well Control and Pressure Control Calculations
- Well Operations Crew Resource Management (WOCRM), focused on human factors.
In late 2025, IWCF introduced Quality Assured, an assurance framework designed to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of training across its full lifecycle.
Quality Assured provides a flexible, independent endorsement for well control training that falls outside IWCF’s formal accreditation scope, giving training providers and employers confidence in the structure, delivery and real-world relevance of their programmes.
The framework establishes a benchmark for best practice in non-accredited training and is built around a set of core standards covering key elements such as course design and development, delivery, learner support, assessment, digital learning and on-the-job training. Each standard includes defined criteria against which programmes are independently evaluated.
To reflect the diversity of industry training, the framework adopts a category-based approach. This includes specialist well control topics, operationally embedded training, specialist equipment training and continuous learning mechanisms, ensuring a wide range of programmes can be recognised while maintaining consistent levels of quality and assurance.
In well control, competence is not optional; it is fundamental. IWCF does not support the use of assessment questions and memory recall as the foundation of training. Instead, its approach is centred on adult-learning best practice and reinforcing the practical skills and applied knowledge required to perform effectively in real well control scenarios.
Operators are responsible for maintaining safety and well control during operations. To support this responsibility, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers’ Report 476, Recommendations for Enhancements to Well Control Training, Examination and Certification, provides industry guidance. IWCF aligns with this guidance and aims to exceed it in the design and delivery of its programmes.
Well control incidents remain a persistent risk across the industry, and the data is clear that this risk does not diminish once drilling is completed. As the Australian industry faces an unprecedented wave of decommissioning activity, the importance of trained and competent personnel across the full well lifecycle is critical to manage this increased complexity.
Through its independent global role, strong regional engagement and continued focus on training innovation, IWCF remains committed to supporting industry competence and reducing well control incidents worldwide.
