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ONGC 100 INTERVIEW
QUESTION
SECTION 1: DRILLING ENGINEERING
BASICS
1. What is Drilling Engineering?
a. Drilling Engineering is a discipline in petroleum engineering focused on
designing and managing drilling operations to extract oil and gas safely and
efficiently.
2. What are the types of drilling methods?
a. Rotary drilling (most common)
b. Percussion drilling
c. Directional drilling
d. Dual Gradient drilling
3. What are the main components of a drilling rig?
a. Derrick (mast), Hoisting system, Rotary system, Mud circulation system,
Power system, Well control system.
4. What is the difference between offshore and onshore drilling?
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a. Onshore: Drilled on land.
b. Offshore: Drilled in oceans/lakes using platforms.
5. What is the function of drilling mud?
a. Cooling and lubrication
b. Carrying cuttings to the surface
c. Maintaining wellbore stability
d. Preventing formation fluids from entering the well
6. What are the types of drilling fluids?
a. Water-based mud
b. Oil-based mud
c. Synthetic-based mud
d. Air/mist/gas drilling fluids
7. What is a casing in drilling?
a. A pipe installed inside the wellbore to provide structural integrity and
prevent collapse.
8. What is the purpose of cementing in drilling?
a. To provide zonal isolation, support casing, and prevent fluid migration.
9. What are the common drilling problems?
a. Kick and Blowout
b. Stuck pipe
c. Lost circulation
d. Formation damage
e. Wellbore instability
10. What is directional drilling?
• Drilling a well at an angle rather than vertically to reach oil and gas reservoirs
efficiently.
SECTION 2: DRILLING EQUIPMENT &
OPERATIONS
11. What is a drill bit? What are its types?
• A tool used to cut through rock. Types:
o Roller cone bits (Tricone)
o PDC (Polycrystalline Diamond Compact) bits
o Diamond bits
12. What is the function of the blowout preventer (BOP)?
• A safety device that prevents uncontrolled fluid flow (blowouts).
13. What are the types of BOP?
• Annular BOP
• Ram BOP (Blind, Pipe, Shear rams)
14. What is a Kelly in drilling?
• A square/hexagonal pipe that transfers rotational power to the drill string.
15. What is the function of the rotary table?
• Provides rotary motion to the drill string.
16. What is drill string?
A combination of drill pipe, drill collars, and other tools used in drilling.
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17. What is wellbore stability?
• Ensuring that the walls of a drilled well do not collapse or cave in.
18. What is well kick?
• An unexpected influx of formation fluid into the wellbore.
19. What is a trip in drilling?
• The process of removing or inserting the drill string in the well.
20. What is a mud motor?
• A downhole motor that rotates the drill bit without rotating the entire drill string.
SECTION 3: DRILLING PARAMETERS &
DESIGN
21. What is ROP (Rate of Penetration)?
• The speed at which a drill bit penetrates the formation.
22. What factors affect ROP?
• Bit type, weight on bit (WOB), rotational speed (RPM), mud properties,
formation hardness.
23. What is WOB (Weight on Bit)?
• The force applied on the drill bit for effective drilling.
24. What is drilling hydraulics?
• The study of mud flow behavior in the wellbore.
25. What is a trip tank?
• A tank used to measure mud volume changes when tripping drill pipe.
SECTION 4: WELL CONTROL & SAFETY
26. What is a blowout?
• An uncontrolled flow of formation fluids to the surface.
27. What are well control methods?
• Driller’s method
• Wait and Weight method
• Bullheading
28. What is the primary well control?
• Hydrostatic pressure of drilling mud.
29. What is secondary well control?
• Blowout Preventer (BOP) system.
30. What is tertiary well control?
• Relief wells and dynamic killing.
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SECTION 5: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
CONCEPTS IN DRILLING
31. What is tensile strength and why is it important in drill pipes?
• The maximum stress a material can withstand before failure.
32. What is fatigue failure in drill strings?
• Failure due to cyclic loading and stress concentration.
33. What is yield strength in casing design?
• The stress at which material starts deforming plastically.
34. What is a drill collar?
• A thick-walled pipe used to provide weight on bit.
35. What is torque and drag in drilling?
• Torque: Rotational resistance.
• Drag: Axial resistance while moving pipe in/out.
SECTION 6: OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
OVERVIEW
36. What are upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors?
• Upstream: Exploration & Production
• Midstream: Transportation & Storage
• Downstream: Refining & Distribution
37. What is a production casing?
• The final casing string that isolates production zones.
38. What is workover?
• A process of maintaining or enhancing well production.
39. What is completion in drilling?
• The process of preparing a well for production.
40. What is fracking (hydraulic fracturing)?
• Injecting high-pressure fluid to create fractures in rock for better flow.
SECTION 7: CURRENT TRENDS &
TECHNOLOGY
41. What are smart wells?
• Wells with real-time monitoring and automation.
42. What is MPD (Managed Pressure Drilling)?
• A technique to precisely control wellbore pressure.
43. What is UBD (Underbalanced Drilling)?
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• Drilling with pressure lower than formation pressure.
44. What is directional drilling used for?
• Offshore drilling, avoiding obstacles, hitting multiple reservoirs.
45. What is an artificial lift?
• Techniques to increase oil flow in wells (ESP, Gas lift, Rod Pump).
ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL & HR
QUESTIONS
46. Why do you want to join ONGC?
• "ONGC is a leader in India's oil & gas sector. It offers technical challenges, growth
opportunities, and a chance to contribute to energy security."
47. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Strengths: Technical expertise, problem-solving, adaptability.
• Weakness: Perfectionism, taking on too many tasks at once.
48. What do you know about ONGC’s offshore operations?
• ONGC operates offshore in Mumbai High, KG Basin, etc.
49. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• "I see myself as an experienced Drilling Engineer, contributing to ONGC’s success."
50. What safety measures are critical in drilling?
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), BOP systems, Emergency response training
SECTION 8: ADVANCED DRILLING OPERATIONS &
EQUIPMENT
51. What is a top drive system?
• A motorized system that rotates the drill string, replacing the traditional Kelly
system.
52. What are the advantages of using a top drive?
• Faster drilling, improved safety, reduced pipe handling time.
53. What is a mud logging unit?
• A system that monitors drilling parameters and detects hydrocarbons.
54. What is a rotary steerable system (RSS)?
• A drilling system that allows continuous steering without stopping rotation
55. What is an underreamer?
• A tool used to enlarge the wellbore below a certain depth.
56. What is a liner in drilling?
• A partial casing that does not extend to the surface.
57. What is the purpose of drill pipe grading?
• Ensures drill pipes meet required tensile and fatigue strength standards.
58. What is packer fluid?
• A fluid used in completion to provide pressure control and prevent corrosion.
59. What is LWD (Logging While Drilling)?
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• A technology that provides real-time formation evaluation while drilling.
60. What is MWD (Measurement While Drilling)?
• A system that transmits drilling data to the surface in real-time.
SECTION 9: PRESSURE CONTROL & FORMATION ISSUES
61. What is formation pressure?
• The pressure exerted by fluids within the rock formations.
62. What is hydrostatic pressure?
• The pressure exerted by the column of drilling fluid.
63. What is overbalanced drilling?
• When mud pressure is greater than formation pressure to prevent fluid influx.
64. What is underbalanced drilling?
• When mud pressure is less than formation pressure, used for increasing production.
65. What is differential sticking?
• When the drill pipe gets stuck due to pressure differences across the formation.
66. What are lost circulation zones?
• Zones where drilling fluid is lost into the formation.
67. How can lost circulation be prevented?
• Using lost circulation materials (LCMs), adjusting mud weight.
68. What is wellbore breathing?
• Temporary fluid losses/gains due to pressure fluctuations.
69. What is fracture gradient?
• The pressure at which formation fractures.
70. What are gas hydrates?
• Ice-like solids that form when gas mixes with water under high pressure and low
temperature.
SECTION 10: DRILLING FLUID PROPERTIES &
MANAGEMENT
71. What is the density of drilling mud?
• Typically measured in pounds per gallon (ppg) or kg/m³.
72. What is viscosity in drilling fluids?
• The resistance of fluid to flow, important for cuttings transport.
73. How is viscosity measured in drilling fluids?
• Using a Marsh Funnel Viscometer.
74. What is gel strength in drilling mud?
• The ability of mud to suspend cuttings when circulation stops.
75. What is a pH value in drilling fluids?
• Indicates the acidity or alkalinity of the fluid.
76. What are the functions of barite in drilling mud?
• Increases mud weight to control formation pressure.
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77. What is water-cut in drilling?
• The percentage of water in produced oil.
78. What is mud gas separator?
• A device that removes entrapped gas from drilling mud.
79. What is a shale shaker?
• A vibrating screen that separates cuttings from drilling mud.
80. What is the impact of high solids content in drilling fluids?
• Increases mud weight, reduces drilling efficiency.
SECTION 11: OFFSHORE DRILLING & MARINE
OPERATIONS
81. What are the types of offshore drilling rigs?
• Jack-up rigs, Semi-submersible rigs, Drillships.
82. What is a riser in offshore drilling?
• A pipeline that connects the seabed wellhead to the surface.
83. What are the advantages of drillships?
• High mobility, deepwater drilling capabilities.
84. What is a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit?
• A vessel that processes and stores oil offshore.
85. What is dynamic positioning (DP)?
• A system that maintains the position of a vessel using thrusters.
86. What are riser tensioners?
• Devices that maintain tension in offshore drilling risers.
87. What is the function of heave compensators?
• Absorbs vertical movement of waves to stabilize drilling.
88. What is a tension-leg platform?
• A floating offshore platform anchored by vertical tendons.
89. What are marine risers?
• Conductors that guide drilling fluids from seabed to the rig.
90. What is a remotely operated vehicle (ROV)?
• An underwater robot used for subsea inspections and repairs.
SECTION 12: INDUSTRY TRENDS & DIGITALIZATION
91. What is automation in drilling?
• Use of AI, robotics, and real-time monitoring to optimize drilling.
92. What are digital twins in drilling?
• Virtual replicas of drilling operations for simulation and optimization.
93. What is predictive maintenance in drilling?
• Using AI to predict failures before they occur.
94. What is well integrity monitoring?
• Ensuring that well barriers and casing remain intact over time.
95. What is horizontal drilling?
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• Drilling parallel to the reservoir to maximize exposure.
96. What is extended reach drilling (ERD)?
• Drilling wells at extreme distances from the rig.
97. What is the impact of geothermal drilling on petroleum industry?
• Uses similar drilling techniques, expanding opportunities for engineers.
98. What is the significance of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?
• Reduces CO₂ emissions by storing it underground.
99. What are the key drilling trends in 2025?
• Digitalization, AI-driven optimization, automation, sustainable drilling.
100. How can you contribute to ONGC’s drilling operations?
• "With my knowledge of drilling technologies, mechanical engineering expertise,
and adaptability, I aim to improve operational efficiency and safety at ONGC."
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