Connect to existing systems
Use historians, OPC, SQL, SCADA, DCS, separator data, test history, and facility measurements.
Oil and gas production optimization
Optimize wells, fields, and production networks under real operating constraints.
IntelliDynamics models how wells and networks behave, predicts production response in real time, then calculates setpoints for lift gas, choke, pressure, steam, and production assist within asset constraints.
Definition
What is oil and gas production optimization?
Oil and gas production optimization uses well, facility, and network data to estimate production behavior, predict response to setpoint changes, and select operating targets for wells, groups of wells, fields, and multiple fields under real constraints.
Operating scope
From individual wells to multiple fields.
The optimization target changes by asset. A single well problem can involve lift gas, pressure, choke, pump behavior, or production assist. A field problem adds shared constraints: lift gas supply, backpressure, separators, compression, slug catchers, facilities, and downstream rate limits.
For non-assisted wells, choke and pressure targets matter. For gas-lifted wells, lift gas allocation and choke interact. For SAGD wells, subcool control uses surface measurements to hold the well pair near optimal heat without crossing into steam breakthrough risk.
Production optimization method
Estimate production, predict response, calculate setpoints.
Deduce well state
Use wellhead temperatures, pressures, choke or valve position, lift gas rates, and operating conditions.
Estimate rates
Model oil, gas, and water rates using committees of nonlinear predictive models and available reference measurements.
Predict response
Estimate how wells, groups, and networks respond to changes in lift gas, choke, pressure, steam, and assist setpoints.
Optimize constraints
Calculate setpoints that respect downstream rate limits, facility constraints, shared lift gas, and operating rules.
Write back or advise
Provide recommended setpoints or control-system write-back according to customer governance and safety logic.
Field evidence
Production optimization has been applied across oil sands, onshore fields, offshore platforms, and network-constrained assets.
90-98%
Real-time production estimate accuracy in a Canadian unconventional asset
15%
Field-wide gain reported on an offshore Southeast Asia platform
5-20%
Typical real-time optimization range versus manual offline optimization
Canadian oil sands
IntelliDynamics mapped surface operating conditions to subcool in real time using reliable surface sensors. The models were self-calibrating per well and inverted for model predictive control, writing simultaneous setpoints for steam, choke, and production assist.
Offshore production
An offshore Southeast Asia platform used production optimization to improve field production, reduce decline, improve production consistency, and restart a well that quit on low lift gas.
Network-constrained fields
Onshore proof-of-concept work generated optimal setpoints within network constraints. That example remains a proof of concept, not a realized production-gain claim.
Production-gain results vary by asset. Every field is different. Production-gain numbers require asset-specific data, constraints, and validation.
Optimization targets
The system optimizes the operating choices that actually move production.
Lift gasAllocate limited lift gas where incremental production response is strongest.
ChokeSelect choke positions for assisted and non-assisted wells under pressure and facility constraints.
Pressure targetsUse pressure behavior to support stable production and network performance.
Steam and subcoolFor SAGD, hold subcool near optimum while protecting the well pair.
Well groupsOptimize interacting wells rather than treating each well as an isolated asset.
Fields and networksCoordinate production against shared downstream constraints and operating objectives.
Q&A
Oil and gas production optimization questions
What is oil and gas production optimization?
Oil and gas production optimization uses well, facility, and network data to estimate production behavior, predict response to setpoint changes, and select operating targets for wells, groups of wells, fields, and multiple fields under real constraints.
What setpoints are optimized?
Depending on the asset, optimized setpoints include lift gas, choke, pressure targets, steam, production assist, and operating targets tied to downstream rate or facility constraints.
Why optimize multiple wells together?
Wells interact through shared lift gas, gathering systems, separators, compression, pressure limits, and downstream constraints. Maximizing each well independently does not maximize field production.
Where has IntelliDynamics applied this?
IntelliDynamics has applied production optimization in Canadian oil sands, offshore Southeast Asia, onshore Middle East proof-of-concept work, and other onshore and offshore production settings.
What data does the system use?
Typical data includes wellhead pressures and temperatures, choke or valve positions, lift gas rates, separator and facility measurements, well test history, allocation records, historian data, and control-system tags.
How are virtual meters related to production optimization?
Virtual meters estimate oil, gas, and water rates by well and phase. Those estimates give the optimizer current production behavior when physical measurement is incomplete or delayed.
Production opportunity
Have wells, fields, or facilities constrained by incomplete production visibility?
Bring the asset type, available measurements, current constraints, and production decision. IntelliDynamics will evaluate whether modeling, prediction, and optimization fit the opportunity.