Minimizing production costs. Pt. 1. Computerized engineering cuts production spending

Developing optimum plans and designs for new field production and making effective operational analyses of existing field systems to improve performance, are crucial. Progress has been made in recent years in these areas: (1) applied engineering technology of production, especially 2-phase fluid flow (oil, gas, water) field research and technology; (2) development of effective computer methods to accurately and rapidly simulate complex producing configurations, both for single-well systems and multiwell 2-phase networks; and (3) development of effective optimization methods that enable computation of all optional changes to producing configurations and their economic evaluation. Six field case histories are discussed illustrating the application of computerized engineering systems and methods.