Production Engineers

Production Engineers

Well testing is one of the many duties overseen by Production Engineers and Technologists.  These engineers are tasked with optimizing the production of their wells, and planning any well work that is required to keep wells operational.  Because these engineers are charged with looking after wells throughout their lifecycle; they must be proficient in not only deciding when to perform well tests, but also how to interpret the results of a test and decide what actions need to be taken.

The list below shows an example of the responsibilities most production engineers will have.

• Production monitoring and evaluation
• Asset management planning
• Workover design and execution
• Production equipment design
• Cost estimating and budgeting
• Interfacing with working interest partners, service companies and regulatory agencies

Well Testing for the Production Engineer

One of the primary tools to monitor and evaluate production is to perform a well test.  To monitor production, engineers are asked to view trends in well pressure and flow rate.  When these values start to trend away from expectations, the best way to diagnose your problem is by performing a well test.  By determining how wellbore and reservoir characteristics change over time these engineers can look to evaluate what has changed to cause the unexpected production behavior.  

For example, we are often asked to send out SPIDRs to test wells for skin damage.  When skin accretes in your well over time, you may see a decrease in flow rate.  There are many other possible causes of this decrease in rate, but by performing a build-up test you can easily determine if this is the cause.   If skin is an issue this will lead to requiring a workover, the third point listed above.  If skin is not the issue, this build-up test will also show you how reservoir pressure has declined over time.  The reservoir pressure may be decreasing faster than expected indicating a smaller than expected reservoir.  These are just a few examples of the many things that can be learned from performing a well test.

Having the SPIDR In Your Toolkit

Using the SPIDR will help production engineers minimize the downtime required to test a well.  To maximize company revenue many production engineers primary goal is to keep the well flowing as long as much as possible.  When tests are required the SPIDR can be used to keep the test duration as short as possible.  Because the SPIDR is used at surface, SPIDR data can be viewed and downloaded at any time.  This will allow engineers to determine when the test is finished and return to normal operations as soon as possible.

Our SPIDR technology can be a great help to Production Engineers, because it provides them with a simple risk free method of testing their wells and diagnosing any issues they may have.  By using the SPIDR in a test, they will be able to collect the data needed to make a decision without having to deal with the cost and hassle of calling out a crew to perform a wireline or slickline job.