Steady-state production-well tests are a key component of day-to-day operations, providing critical data for regulatory reporting, volume allocation, and identification of well-work opportunities. This paper presents an automated workflow deployed for scheduling and validating steady-state production-well tests across more than 2,300 of the operator’s wells in the Permian Basin.
Field Instrumentation and Well-Testing Procedure
Permian Basin wells typically produce fluids containing vapor and liquid hydrocarbon phases and water. Produced fluids are routed by a well header, either a three-phase production (bulk) separator or a three-phase test separator where a single well is tested. A standard three-phase separator is configured such that the produced fluid is separated into gas, water, and liquid hydrocarbons using gravity separation.
A steady-state production-well test is initiated by physically routing a well into a test separator through the manual well-header valve or through an automated actuating valve.
