Production Operations & Optimization Flashcards
7 cards from real SPE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Production Operations & Optimization flashcards as text
What does the Vogel equation describe in petroleum engineering?
Answer: Inflow performance for solution-gas-drive reservoirs
The Vogel equation provides an empirical dimensionless IPR relationship for solution-gas-drive reservoirs, relating flow rate to bottomhole flowing pressure.
A surface processing facility is experiencing emulsion problems that increase treating time. Which chemical injection approach at the wellhead most effectively addresses this?
Answer: Demulsifier injection
Demulsifiers injected at the wellhead break water-in-oil or oil-in-water emulsions before they reach the separator, reducing surface treating time.
Which production optimization method involves temporarily shutting in low-productivity wells to raise reservoir pressure and then reopening them for improved production?
Answer: Production cycling
Production cycling—periodically shutting in marginal wells—allows pressure buildup that can improve inflow when the well is reopened, extending economic life.
In ESP system design, what is the significance of the pump's Best Efficiency Point (BEP)?
Answer: It is the flow rate at which the pump operates with maximum efficiency and reliability
Operating an ESP at or near its BEP minimizes vibration and heat generation, maximizing efficiency and extending pump run life.
What is the primary purpose of a subsurface safety valve (SSSV) in a production well?
Answer: To shut in the well in an emergency to prevent uncontrolled surface flow
SSSVs are fail-safe valves installed in the tubing that automatically close if surface control pressure is lost, preventing blowouts.
During a production test, a well shows a declining PI over successive flow periods with no skin increase. What is the most probable explanation?
Answer: Pressure-dependent permeability due to reservoir compaction
In compacting reservoirs, permeability decreases as effective stress increases with pressure depletion, causing a genuine PI decline unrelated to skin.
In gas lift design, what is the purpose of the unloading valves above the operating valve?
Answer: They allow the well to be unloaded of kill fluid during startup and then close sequentially
Unloading valves open sequentially during well startup to displace completion fluid, then close as injection gas transfers to the deeper operating valve.