PrintIn earlier lessons, we learned that production engineers are tasked with optimizing the production or injection from individual wells. This optimization involves monitoring the well to determine if its performance can be improved; stimulating the well with acidizing or hydraulic fracturing if there is well damage; applying artificial lift (gas lift or pumps) to improve the economics of low rate wells; performing well workovers to shut-off excess gas or water production; along with many other types of well interventions.
In order to understand how wells are performing, we must first understand the tubing hydraulics (flow behavior in production or injection wells). For this, we need an introduction to modern oil and gas wells and a brief description of the nature of the problem to be solved.