Why You Should Consider Diagnostic

Surface Management for Oil & Gas

Wells

Operators recording characteristic measurement in an oil well. (Picture:

depositphotos.com/branex)
World-wide, 85 percent of oil & gas wells currently use some form of artificial lift,
and nearly all wells need stimulation at some point during their production. Common
artificial lift mechanisms include beam pumps, gas lift injection, submersible pumps,
and hydraulic pumpsall of which require periodic optimization.
To make appropriate adjustments, well operators must record a wells casing and
tubing pressure simultaneously to inform technicians on the characteristics of the
well. This helps determine when to transition from continuous to intermittent
stimulation and provides a metric for judging the optimal pressure settings and
duration of intervals. Several down-hole techniques exist for taking these and other
measurements. However, the use of down-hole tools is expensive, and comes with a
certain degree of risk to the completion, to field personnel, and to the tool itself.
Meanwhile, only imperfect toolsmost commonly a two-pen chart recorder or a
standard pressure gaugehave been available for measurements at the surface. A new
class of tool, called a reference recorder, makes it easier to take these important
measurements at the more desirable surface location.

The Goal: Safe Surface Monitoring

Using a reference recorder for measurements at the surface, in place of down-hole
equipment, protects the well from damage due to a lost tool, and avoids the increased
risk of a blowout or loss of seal. The risk of injury from high pressures or exposure to
hydrogen sulfide gas is also lower.
Wells with high deviation, elevated bottom-hole temperatures, or an irregular
borehole are especially well-suited to surface measurements. A reference recorder is
easily portable, allows extended, battery-powered, Intrinsically Safe measurements
without the cost of a wireline and other equipment.