IWCF expands well control oversight with new Quality Assured training framework
The International Well Control Forum (IWCF) has launched a new assurance framework aimed at improving the quality and consistency of non-accredited well control training across the global oil and gas industry.
The new program, called Quality Assured, provides an independent endorsement for training that falls outside IWCF’s formal accreditation scope, offering operators and employers greater confidence in the relevance, structure and delivery of specialized well control courses.
According to IWCF, the framework is designed to address training gaps in specialized and operationally embedded programs that support well integrity and risk reduction across the industry. The initiative introduces nine standards covering course design, delivery, assessment methods, digital learning and on-the-job training.
“Quality Assured is about raising confidence and consistency in well control training,” said Zdenek Sehnal, CEO of IWCF. “This goes beyond compliance. It supports a culture of accountability and continuous improvement in an industry where well control failures can have severe consequences.”
IWCF unveiled the framework during its annual members’ well control workshop and AGM in Istanbul, where industry specialists discussed emerging challenges, best practices and technological advancements in well control.
The Quality Assured framework will initially be available across four categories: specialist well control topics not covered by existing accreditation, operationally embedded training programs, training related to specialist well equipment, and continuous learning systems that support ongoing competency development.
Training providers awarded Quality Assured status will receive a 12-month endorsement, with renewal subject to maintaining standards. IWCF said the framework is intended to complement, not replace, its existing accreditation programs while expanding oversight into areas increasingly important for modern well operations.
