Report was produced by Nkumba University students that participated in the Nigerian Annual International conference and exhibition.

1. (i) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
On behalf of SPE members and the team that made it to Lagos Nigeria with me, I acknowledged the great
effort, solidarity, moral and financial support accorded to us by Nkumba University’s Administration in
search for knowledge, skills and development of Petroleum career as course and students as future
expatriates for the Nation. To be audible enough, the University sponsored two round trips or air tickets
amounting to 2.9 million Ugandan shillings. I am proud to mention that I was one of the beneficiaries.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
NAICE, which is the acronym for Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition is organized on
behalf of the SPE Sections in Nigeria by the Nigeria Council. It was that same body’s council which
sponsored and facilitated most of our requirements such transport with in Nigeria, accommodation and
feeding.
Over the years, NAICE has grown to become the largest upstream Oil and Gas event in Africa. It holds
annually in Nigeria and attracts industry practitioners at all levels, as well as key stakeholders. It has
continuously served as one of the industry's opportunity to learn, debate and challenge ideas to chart the
right course towards a sustainable future for the industry.
In 2013, it was held in the ancient city of Calabar and the recent edition held in Lagos. The choice of major
cities and particularly Abuja was primarily aimed at encouraging greater government participation and to
leverage on government and industry leaders' presence to influence the direction of policies something
we must take note of as young nations in the petroleum industry which needs to learn a lot from others
to be able to chart the way forward. Key National Policies Initiated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers
through its NAICE and Annual Workshops include: Nigeria Content Development Policy, Gas flare,
Reduction Policy, National Policy on Reserves Definition, Calculation and Classification and Currently, the
society is collaborating with the Nigerian Society of Engineers to create Local Standards and Codes that
will guide the Petroleum Engineering Practice in Nigeria.
Nkumba University in conjunction with the SPE Nigeria council was able to delegate two students to
participate in the conference and I must say that the University was well represented. Amongst the
students that participated in the NAICE was Agaba Mathew and Kuorwel Ngang Jacob. Whereas Edezu
Godfrey who was meant to be with us went to Da-el-Salam Tanzania to present a paper in the African
Geologists’ Regional Summit, Guild President was not able because of other commitments. All of which
are from SCOS’s Department of Natural Resources (Petroleum and Mineral Technology) a part from the
Guild president of Nkumba University. I am proud to say that Nkumba University has once again been
heard by so many professionals from different parts of Africa and the whole world. We were the only two
students in the NAICE representing not only Uganda but also E. Africa.
2.0 METHODOLOGY
Unlike the case of other countries in Africa, Nigeria is by far ahead. There are about 18 Universities in the
country offering petroleum related and engineering courses and the country has been producing oil since
1970s. All of the sessions we attended were based on practical interactions which updated the theoretical

2. knowledge we have been getting here at the University. What made it interesting was that, the content
wasn’t new to us, in fact most of the devices we saw were familiar to us although we were seeing them for
first time. Photos speak and records provide evident, you will all agree with me that the journey was a
successful one.
Figure .1
Agaba Mathew stands next to the instructor during the Sclumberge’s launch of the new BHA equipment
(Bottom Hole Assembly Equipment)

3. Figure 2
Jacob Kuorwel Ngang (SPE president) and Agaba Mathew listened patiently to the instructor during the
exhibition at Eko Suit Hotel Lagos Nigeria.
What happened downhole in the wellbore cannot be seen but it can be diagnosed and detected on the surface
through the use of specialized devices known as “well control sensors” and “Bottom Hole Assembly”
equipment. Calipers, gauges, calibrators, flow valves, gamma rays transmitters are some examples of the
devices that are frequently used to find out what is lurking beneath.

4. Figure 4
Most of the equipment we have been hearing about were made available to us in order for us to see, touch
and operate at no cost. Among them were pressure to temperature valves or PVTs, drilling bits of various
types and capacities, i.e. Poly-crystalline-Diamond Bits and Roller cone bits which are used for drilling in
hard formations. Drilling strings, pipes and casing were all available.
3.0 Chemicals. Various chemicals that are used as additives in the drilling mud and viscosifiers were also
present. Completion fluids are placed across the chosen pay zone or production zone or reservoir casing
zone after the well has been drilled but prior to putting it on production. The following are examples of
such chemicals;
Work over fluids are used during remedial work in producing wells, usually as an attempt to
Figure 3 shows the newly invented
B.O.P

5. 4.0 Enhance or prolong the economic life of the well.
 Control subsurface pressures
 Minimize formation damage
 Maintain wellbore stability
 Control fluid losses to the formation
 Transport solids
 Maintain stable fluid properties
5.0 Types of Completion and Work over Fluids
Clear and solid free brines are the most common one used
Polymer – viscosified brines with bridging / weighting agents
Figure 5

6. Figure 6 above and figure 7 below show various types of fluids we look at during the training programme.
Such fluids perform different functions in the process of production.
Figure 7

7. Figure 5
One could physically see and read a pressure gauge showing both air pressure and water pressures. The
program was so interactive that whoever was present left the place with adequate knowledge, satisfied and
well informed. When drilling a well, the most important thing we need to be vigilant with is pressure
change. Any increase or decrease in pressure means a lot to a reservoir engineer and if not addressed, it will
constitute a disaster. You can only be on safe side if your pore pressures, formation pressures and drilling

8. fluid pressures are well balanced, otherwise, a blowout can occur (which is the violent or uncontrolled flow
out of oil and gas through the annulus and the wellbore) which is always catastrophic in nature can occur.
Figure 6

9. Figure 7
Figure 6 and figure 7 show a calibrator system used for online valve testing and data analysis. It has an
alarm, button, remotely sensed data button and well monitoring data button. It has software, and has highly
sophisticated system which can compare different systems and contrast their performance in the well.

10. Figure 8
Group of experts from Abuja University demonstrated their practical knowledge to students on oil flow,
well testing and reservoir performance during the water, gas and chemical injection. What forced oil to the
surface is always natural by lack that is through buoyance forces but human aid in relation to petroleum
technology is highly needed for the well to flow. The figure above shows students sucking water using
straws of various kinds, an illustration of how buoyance force helps oil move up to the surface for the case
of naturally flowing wells.
6.0 Well perforation:
Below is the high shot density perforating Gun (TCP type not WCP) or tubing conveyed perforation not
wireline conveyed perforation. Perforation fractures the formation and creates permeable inlets for oil to
flow into the well. In other words, perforation and fracturing allow the wellbore to communicate with the
formation in which the well was bored.

11. Figure 9
Figure 9 above shows different stages of perforation and its effects on the formation around the well
reservoir.
7.0 Friendship and networking.
Figure 10

12. We also had very good time with friends across Nigeria.
One can see the heart which the Nigeria students had for us and understand the kind of life we enjoyed
while in Lagos.
8.0 CONCLUSION
Learning is gradually a process and that is the best definition of education according to Nelson
Mandala. Experience is the best teacher and excursion is the source of experience and rediscovery.
While in Nigeria, we saw what we used to hear, we touch what we used to talk about and got exposed
to things that are not within our reach here.

13. 9.0 CHALLENGES
The most challenging thing we faced was getting air tickets and visas when the money was not paid
to Ethiopian airline. We could be told to come very early in morning and ended up being told to come
back another day.
Inadequate books and petroleum related software was one of the challenges we faced as we did not
flowing and inter-linked information in relation to petroleum industry. We could see something we
are familiar with and things we have never of before.
10.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
10.1 There is a serious problem around petroleum course in Nkumba University which need special
attention;
 Course restructuring is changing the meaning of the course for example important course
units are being replaced with course units that cannot be heard anywhere in the world.
 There is nothing called “Computer modelling” as an independent course unit but there is
something called “Reservoir characterization and modeling”
 Remote sensing and GIS have been separated to form two separate course units which
blocked the most important course units like;
 Solid and Fluids mechanics: which is important during drilling and mud circulation
processes.
 Acoustics wave propagation which is used in seismic exploration. The last stage of exploration
process that confirms the presence or absence of hydrocarbons in an area has been scrubbed
off.
 Formation evaluation:
 Completion and decommissioning:
 The argument that the course is a management course and should not be structured with
technical course units does not hold weight since Nkumba University is not an Island in the
world and is supposed to fit itself in the worlds’ system not the world to fit itself in Nkumba’s
system. Give students theoretical knowledge and the petroleum companies will know where
to begin from. There is 18 months training program for graduates which different petroleum
companies carry out in order to make new graduates fit in the industry or it aims at bridging
the gap between theoretical knowledge from the university and practical knowledge at the
field.

14.  It is sad to mention that petroleum students are writing dissertations like those in school of
social sciences and SBA instead of projects. The first question if anyone is to have and
interview with Schlumbeger Company is whether you have ever carried out a project as a
group or as an individual. Should you say no, automatically you do not qualify for the next
interview.
 The University should make use of Mr. Isaiah Tumwekirize because he has experience in the
ministry of energy and in petroleum industry. One must confess that most of his prior ideas
are practical and beneficial and can be witnessed on the ground in different parts of the
world.
 I also request the University to bring closer and maintain close relationship with petroleum
companies because they have a role to play and many are willing to cooperate but need proper
procedures to be follow.
 I would suggest that a committee comprising of staffs from the Bursa’s office, Academic
Registrar, school of sciences plus student representatives from the petroleum course be
formed to review and re-structure the tuition fees that encompasses all the activities the
students are required to undertake while studying. We must understand that there is no any
University that can own a drilling rig or an oil refinery for its students but the University can
afford sending students out for field excursions. Otherwise, producing inefficient students
that are going to compete at the world level will be a risky venture to the University in the
long run.

15. SCHOOL OF SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BACHELOR OF SCIENCES IN PETROLEUM AND
MINERAL MANAGEMENT/TECHNOLOGY
NAME: 1- KUORWEL NGANG JACOB
(SPE PRESENT)
2-AGABA MATHEW
3-EDEZU GODFREY
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2013/AUG/BPMM/B11865/DAY
LAGOS AND DAR-EL-SALAM TRIPS
REPORT
THIS REPORT WAS PRODUCED BY THE STUDENTS WHO WENT TO NIGERIA TO
ATTEND THE NACIE CONFERENCE AND THE GROUP WHO WENT TO DAR- -EL-
SALAM TANZANIA TO PARTICIPATE IN AFRICAN GEOLOGISTS REGIONAL
SUMMIT.

16. References:
Conference card
Visa receipt, air ticket and air ticket receipt