Programme overview
Introduction:
Rig move planning and safety on land drilling operations decides how many days a rig sits idle between wells and how many people are injured while it is dismantled, hauled and reassembled. Moves still run on informal load lists, unverified routes, crowded crane lifts and night driving, and struck-by, pinch-point and road incidents follow. This Core Concept course trains land rig teams to sequence rig-down, haul and rig-up, survey routes, control lifts and handover checks, and track move time. Participants build a Rig Move Plan and Risk Assessment for a case land rig.
Course Objectives:
- Break a land rig into its move phases and loads and assign rig-down, haul and rig-up responsibilities to named roles
- Build a load list and hour-by-hour move schedule that matches trucks, trailers, cranes and forklifts to each load
- Survey a haul route and new location for width, bends, bridges, overhead lines, soft ground and pad readiness
- Control rigging, lifting, load securing and convoy hazards through lift plans, exclusion zones, escorts and journey management
- Apply SIMOPS, weather hold and night-work rules and run pre-move meetings and rig-up acceptance checks before spud
- Measure move performance with KPIs and cut non-productive time using delay logs from previous moves
Target Audience:
- Drilling supervisors who represent the operator during rig-down, haul and rig-up and release the rig to spud
- Rig managers and toolpushers who plan crew tasks, equipment sequence and move duration on land rigs
- Rig move and logistics coordinators who book trucks, trailers, cranes and escorts and manage load flow between pads
- HSE advisers who assess move hazards, run toolbox talks and verify lifting and road transport controls
- Wellsite and production supervisors who manage live wells and facilities next to an arriving or departing rig
Course Outline:
Day 1: Rig Move Lifecycle and Current Move Performance
- Land Rig Move Phases: Rig-Down, Load-Out, Haul, Spotting and Rig-Up
- Rig Move Roles Chart: Rig Manager, Toolpusher, Move Coordinator, Truck Pusher and HSE Adviser
- Rig Component Breakdown by Load: Substructure, Mast, Mud Tanks, Pumps and Camp
- Rig Move Incident Pattern Review: Struck-By, Rollover, Pinch-Point and Dropped Object Events
- Previous Move Baseline: Release-to-Spud Days, Load Count and Recorded Delays
Day 2: Move Planning, Load Lists, Scheduling and Route Survey
- Rig Move Plan Structure and Move Sequence Logic
- Load List Build: Weights, Dimensions, Centre of Gravity and Trailer Type per Load
- Hour-by-Hour Move Schedule and Truck and Crane Allocation Chart
- Route Survey Checklist: Road Width, Bends, Bridges, Overhead Lines and Soft Ground
- New Location Readiness: Pad Level, Cellar, Rig Mats and Anchor Point Survey
Day 3: Rig-Down, Heavy-Haul Transport and Lifting Interface
- Rig-Down Sequence, Energy Isolation and Mast Lowering Controls
- Heavy-Haul Load Securing: Chains, Binders, Lashing Points and Restraint Checks
- Convoy Management: Escort Vehicles, Movement Permits, Speed Limits and Journey Management Plan
- Crane and Forklift Interface: Lift Plans, Tag Lines, Exclusion Zones and Banksman Signals
- Truck Loading and Unloading Rules: Spotters, Blind Spots and Reversing Controls
Day 4: Hazard Controls, SIMOPS, Weather Limits and Rig-Up Handover
- Dropped Object and Pinch-Point Controls During Pin Pulling, Skidding and Mast Raising
- SIMOPS Matrix for Adjacent Producing Wells, Flowlines and Wellsite Facilities
- Weather and Night-Work Limits: Wind Speed Holds, Sandstorms, Heat Stress and Lighting Rules
- Pre-Move Meeting, Job Safety Analysis and Radio Communication Protocol
- Rig-Up Acceptance Checklist, Handover Punch List and Spud Readiness Sign-Off
Day 5: Case Land Rig Move Plan and Risk Assessment
- Case Rig Briefing: Rig Inventory, Departure and Arrival Pads and Route Survey Data
- Move KPI Set: Rig Move Days, Loads per Day, Non-Productive Time and Incident Rate
- Non-Productive Time Reduction Review Using a Previous Move Delay Log
- Bow-Tie Risk Assessment Drafting for Critical Rig Move Tasks
- Rig Move Plan and Risk Assessment Presentation and Peer Challenge
Skills You Will Gain:
- Rig Move Sequencing
- Load List and Trailer Matching
- Haul Route Surveying
- Heavy-Haul Load Securing
- Crane and Forklift Lift Coordination
- Convoy and Journey Management
- Rig Move Hazard Control
- Move Time and NPT Analysis
Why Attend This Course:
- Return with a Rig Move Plan and Risk Assessment built on a case land rig and ready to adapt to your next move
- Spot the route, lifting and load securing gaps that lead to rollovers, struck-by injuries and lost days
- Practise setting weather holds, night-work rules and SIMOPS limits with drilling, logistics and HSE peers
- Compare move durations and delay causes with rig teams from operators, drilling contractors and transport companies
Conclusion:
A land rig move is safe and quick when every load is listed, every route is surveyed, every lift is planned and every crew knows the sequence before the first pin is pulled. The course moves from move phases and past performance, through load lists, scheduling and route surveys, to rig-down, heavy-haul transport and lifting, then hazard controls, SIMOPS, weather limits and rig-up handover. The final day turns these methods into a Rig Move Plan and Risk Assessment for a case land rig.