Production Test

How do experts determine the size of a gas or oil discovery based on the observed pressures within the hydrocarbon accumulation? A production test provides the answer. Over a limited period of a few days, teams produce gas or oil from a test well. A burning flare at the well is indicative of a successful well test. To prevent any gas from escaping into the environment, it is burnt off harmlessly in the flare.

A production test enables pressures and rates to be observed, recorded and processed. These figures are required for field development planning, designing processing facilities and assessing the commercial potential of the accumulation for future production. In other words, a production test is of particular significance in determining the economic viability of a discovery well.