On-the-job Skills
IFP Training, in partnership with TotalEnergies, assesses and certifies key skills for safety in Oil & Gas drilling. Wellsite Geologists, Data Engineers and Mud Loggers are tested to prevent risks and improve performance.
Safety
Ensuring the safety of people and the environment must be a paramount concern in the Oil & Gas industry, particularly during drilling operations. The dramatic accident of Deepwater Horizon platform underscores the ongoing relevance and importance of this concern.
On a drilling rig, while safety is everyone's responsibility, certain positions play key roles where reactivity and quick responses can have a significant impact in preventing uncontrolled situations.
Operation geology specialists, such as Wellsite Geologists, Data Engineers, and Mud Loggers contribute to critical corrective actions with their ability to detect potential problems and execute appropriate measures.
Competency Assessment
IFP Training, in close partnership with TotalEnergies, has developed a skills assessment process to ensure that these professionals possess the necessary insight, competencies, and behaviors to identify and address operational issues early, thereby preventing potential disasters.
This competency assessment challenge is addressed by evaluating knowledge, skills and situational analysis, to provide a clear individual evaluation and definition of gaps and weaknesses, while a list of recommended and prioritized training topics helps in defining a personal competency map.
On-the-job skills
IFP Training Certificate
Building on its position as a leader in the world of oil and gas training, and thanks to its partnership with TotalEnergies, IFP Training aims to provide companies with a clear vision of workers meeting the required skills for their roles, especially helping in decision-making when deploying crews.
Candidates will be assessed on their knowledge, competencies, and situational analysis suited for one of the following three roles:
- Wellsite Geologists, Operations Geologists and other specialists -> Subsurface Geology
- Data Engineers -> Mud Logging (Data Engineer Option)
- Mud Loggers -> Mud Logging (Mud Logger Option)
Successful candidates will receive an IFP Training “On-the-Job Skills” certificate attesting to their professional skills.
Extensive Experience and Recognition
Designed eight years ago for Subsurface Geology and six years ago for Mud Logging Option Data Engineer & Mud Logger, IFP Training's “On-The-Job Skills” certificates are regularly updated in a constant quest for excellence.
Developed and maintained through the lens of excellence, On-the-Job Skills IFP Training Certificates are recognized and mandatory on TotalEnergies operation rigs, demonstrating the trust placed in them by a major player in the Oil & Gas industry.
This program, now running for 8 years for Wellsite Geologists and 6 years for Data Engineers & Mud Loggers, has issued over 575 certificates and assessed more than 590 profiles as of 2025.
Audience and Requirements
for Application
Skills assessments are intended for operations geology professionals with a university degree or equivalent in geology and a career path aligned with the objectives of assessment, such as sufficient rig experiences.
On-the-Job Skills SUBSURFACE GEOLOGY for:
- Subsurface Managers
- Operations Geologists
- Wellsite Geologists
- Petrophysicists
- Pore Pressure Engineers
- Reservoir Engineers
On-the-Job Skills MUD LOGGING Option DATA ENGINEER for:
- Data Engineers
- Field Engineers
On-the-Job Skills MUD LOGGING Option MUD LOGGER for:
- Mud Loggers
Assessment Process
To adapt to the variability of operations, staff, head office locations, the program is conducted entirely remotely, allowing candidates to follow the course from wherever they might be. The remote process, facilitated through a dedicated web platform and a video conference tool, saves significant costs related to mobilization, transport, and accommodation.
Skills assessment is conducted fully remotely and consists of two parts:
1
Test
Conducted online using IFP Training’s LMS (Learning Management System) and a dedicated remote communication system. From two to four hours, the online test covers a wide range of topics: Drilling, Mud Logging, Pore Pressure Evaluation, Wireline, Geosteering, MLWD, etc.
Topics and questions are adapted to the applied IFP Training certificate category.
2
Individual Interview
The main and most important step of the procedure, the interview, is conducted by qualified assessors online. It lasts two hours for all three assessments and covers topics such as Basic Mathematics, HSE, Roles & Responsibilities, with an emphasis on Situation Analysis.
Combining the results of the test and individual interview determines if the candidate has passed or failed. If necessary, candidates may also be eligible for a re-sit interview, allowing them to retain their test results and only redo the interview, maintaining the benefit of the test results and only retaking the interview.
A certification committee ensures that all stages of the candidate evaluation process strictly adhere to quality criteria and follow the standard of excellence upheld by IFP Training.
Results
Certified
The certificate is valid for five years from the date of the skills assessments Committee.
Re-sit Interview Eligible
The interview must take place within two to twelve months after the Committee date. Candidates receive training recommendations before the re-sit. Failure in the re-sit requires retaking the full assessment.
Failed
Candidates must retake the full assessment (test & interview) after four months, with no limit on the number of attempts.
Candidates who successfully complete the program will receive an On-the-Job Skills IFP Training certificate, validating their expertise in the field.
The assessor review provides a detailed evaluation of the candidate's performance during the interview.
Based on the assessment results, each candidate is given a recommended topic to focus on for further improvement.
