Production Workflows
Production is where the oilfield generates revenue. Digital workflows in production focus on maximising oil and gas output, minimising losses, and ensuring equipment runs efficiently. This is where real-time data has the most immediate financial impact.
Digital Production Workflow
Real-Time Rate Monitoring
Flow meters, multiphase meters, and test separators continuously measure oil, gas, and water production rates at each well. Data is transmitted to a central system for allocation and tracking.
Example: A multiphase flow meter at a wellhead measures 2,500 bbl/d oil, 1.2 MMscf/d gas, and 800 bbl/d water - updating the dashboard every 30 seconds.
Well Performance Analysis
Engineers compare actual production against expected performance (from nodal analysis or decline curve models). Deviations trigger investigations - is it a choke issue, scaling, or reservoir depletion?
Example: A well producing 15% below its model prediction triggers an alert. Investigation reveals wax deposition in the tubing; a hot oil treatment restores production.
Production Optimisation
Optimisation algorithms adjust choke settings, gas lift injection rates, or ESP pump speeds to maximise total field production while respecting facility constraints (separator capacity, water handling, gas export limits).
Example: A field-wide optimiser reallocates gas lift across 30 wells, increasing total field production by 800 bbl/d without any additional gas injection.
Loss Accounting & Deferment Tracking
Digital systems automatically calculate production losses (deferred production) due to planned shutdowns, equipment failures, or well interventions - and categorise them by cause.
Example: A deferment dashboard shows that 60% of last month's production loss was due to ESP failures, guiding the team to prioritise ESP reliability improvements.
Common Production KPIs
Gross Production
Total oil + gas + water (boe/d)
Water Cut
% of produced fluid that is water
GOR
Gas-Oil Ratio (scf/bbl)
Production Efficiency
Actual vs potential production (%)
Uptime
% of time wells are producing
Deferred Production
Lost volume due to downtime (bbl)