Condition-Based Well Test Scheduling

How we help our partners convert their well test scheduling approach from being routine-based to being condition-based.

Free up time: Free up time to focus on the important decisions by automating the data gathering and analyses
Optimize test order: Optimize the order of well tests with a balanced scheduling score to better exploit test resources
Prevent well issues: Use scheduling scores as a preventive measure by testing wells with higher likelihood of issues

A central challenge when it comes to well testing is figuring out which well to test next to best utilize the available test capacity. This is important as test capacity is often a constraining factor on many assets. This is true for both fields with test separators and fields that perform deduction testing.

It can be tedious to gather all the relevant information that needs to be evaluated to make a thorough assessment of which wells to test. Often the test schedule is a fixed rotation between wells and occasionally subjected to small changes that are based on gut feeling and subjective knowledge. If all the relevant data was readily available in one place it could lead to better condition-based decisions about which wells to test.

Solution - a transparent software that suggests which wells to test
Together with Lundin, we launched a test scheduling campaign to see if we could take advantage of our software in the decision making process. As the campaign went on, our Well Test Scheduling application emerged.

With our Well Test Scheduling application engineers get live updates on which wells to test. The recommendations are based on a weighted scores consisting of several indicator parameters for each well. The parameters and weights are configurable to match the needs of the field and even the well in question.

A list of the highest prioritized wells is available in a dashboard with a breakdown of the score for transparency and control. This way the engineers can easily check why a well gets prioritized by the algorithm, adding a new perspective to the decision process.

Outcome
During our initial two-week campaign with Lundin we already saw the potential benefits of the application. At one occasion a well was tested because the algorithm had picked up irregularities in one of its parameters. In fact, this well was not originally scheduled for testing, but Lundin sought to test it regardless.

The Well Test Scheduling can be a powerful tool to make the workflow more condition-based. All data relevant for assessing well tests have been centralized in one place. This automates the tedious, and manual work of gathering data from different sources and gives the engineers more insight and time to evaluate the wells to be tested.