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Optimizing well tests for high GOR wells
Faster, more accurate well tests for a Norwegian operator
Problem: Several wells at Brage produce with high gas rates and relatively low liquid volumes, which creates challenges for well testing. When these wells are tested through the separator, gas handling limits require the wells to be significantly choked, reducing production during the test period.
This creates a difficult operational trade-off:
- The well must be choked to remain within separator gas limits
- Reduced flow means lost production during testing
- Tests must run long enough to produce stable and reliable measurements
- But longer tests increase production losses
At the same time, the results of these tests are critical. Production engineers rely on well test data to:
- Validate well models
- Optimise gas lift utilisation and choke settings
- Predict production under unconstrained conditions
Given that high-GOR wells are typical of mature fields like Brage, the operator needed a smarter way to shorten test durations without sacrificing data quality.
Solution: Eigen worked closely with the operator to develop a digital well test optimisation workflow integrated into the Ingenuity platform.
The system continuously monitors live production measurements and evaluates the stability of the well test in real time. Instead of relying solely on manual monitoring, the application automatically determines when the test has reached a stable and converged production average measurement state.
Key capabilities include:
Integrated workflows
The solution connects operational data sources with engineering tools, enabling well test results to be compared with historical tests and used for model calibration.
Intelligent alerts
Once stability criteria are met, the system automatically notifies the control room and production engineers that the test can be ended.
Engineering-focused iteration
During development, Eigen refined the stability detection logic through multiple iterations. The team evaluated different statistical approaches and adapted the algorithm to handle real-world behaviors such as slugging, inconsistent gas lift measurements, and varying well conditions.
Real-time stability detection
The platform continuously evaluates production signals such as oil rate, gas rate, pressure, temperature, and choke settings to determine when the well test has stabilised.
Convergence algorithms
Advanced statistical techniques analyse rolling averages and behaviour trends to identify when measurements have become sufficiently stable for engineering analysis.
These refinements ensured the system remained robust across different wells and operating scenarios, demonstrating Eigen’s commitment to solving complex production problems in detail.
Tangible benefits
Reducing well test duration while maintaining accuracy delivers measurable operational value.
Even modest improvements can generate significant production gains.
For example:
- Reducing well test duration by just 20%
- For 500 BPD wells that must be choked by 50% during testing
- Can deliver an estimated £2 million in additional production value per year
Additional measurable benefits include:
- More wells tested within the same operational timeframe
- Reduced production losses during testing
- Faster access to validated well performance data
- Improved accuracy of production models
The system also allows the control room to confidently switch wells on test once stability is achieved, increasing operational efficiency.
Intangible benefits
Beyond the direct production uplift, the solution delivers broader operational advantages.
Better decision-making
Reliable, automatically validated well test results provide engineers with higher confidence when optimising wells.
Reduced operational overhead
Production engineers spend less time monitoring and validating tests manually, freeing them to focus on analysis and optimisation.
Improved collaboration between operations and engineering
Automated alerts and shared dashboards ensure that control room operators and engineers have the same visibility into well test progress.
Scalable digital capability
The framework can be extended to additional wells and fields, enabling operators to standardise and automate well testing practices across assets.
Impact: Well testing may appear routine, but its impact on production optimisation is substantial.
By combining operational data, engineering insight, and advanced analytics, Eigen helped transform a manual, time-consuming process into a data-driven, automated workflow.
The result is a smarter way to test wells delivering faster results, better data, and measurable production gains.
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