Production Optimization Techniques: Advanced 5-Day Training Course

Course Overview

This comprehensive Production Optimization Techniques training program delivers strategic expertise for petroleum professionals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Oman, GCC countries (UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain), and Africa. The course covers well performance analysis, nodal analysis, network optimization, artificial lift optimization, gas lift allocation, reservoir management integration, and digital technologies essential for maximizing hydrocarbon recovery and field profitability in upstream oil & gas operations.

With the Middle East producing over 30 million barrels per day and facing mature field challenges, this training addresses critical competencies for professionals at Saudi Aramco, PDO (Petroleum Development Oman), ADNOC, Kuwait Oil Company, Qatar Energy, achieving 5-20% production increases through systematic optimization, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 energy efficiency and Africa’s upstream development goals.

Target Audience

• Production Engineers optimizing well and field performance in Saudi Arabia, Oman, GCC, Africa

• Reservoir Engineers integrating reservoir management with production optimization

• Operations Engineers maximizing daily production and facility utilization

• Production Technologists implementing advanced optimization techniques

• Asset Managers improving field economics and recovery factors

• Petroleum Engineers in upstream operations and development

• Field Supervisors managing production operations

Day 1: Well Performance Analysis Fundamentals

Morning Session: Inflow Performance & Pressure Analysis

• Well productivity: understanding well deliverability, factors affecting performance

• Inflow Performance Relationship (IPR): relating bottomhole pressure to production rate

• IPR methods: Vogel (solution gas drive), Fetkovich (gas wells), straight-line (undersaturated)

• Productivity Index (PI): definition, calculation, significance, tracking decline

• Skin effect: formation damage, positive/negative skin, causes, quantification

• Pressure transient analysis: buildup, drawdown, determining reservoir properties

• Flowing bottomhole pressure: measurement (gauge), calculation methods

• Reservoir pressure: depletion monitoring, pressure maintenance strategies

• Multiphase flow: gas-liquid-water behavior in wellbore, flow regime transitions

• Completion efficiency: completion skin, perforation density, damage assessment

• Regional applications: Saudi Arabia carbonate reservoirs, Oman tight formations

Afternoon Session: Vertical Lift Performance (VLP)

• VLP concepts: pressure losses from reservoir to wellhead, system components

• Tubing performance: flow regime, friction losses, liquid holdup, pressure gradient

• Multiphase correlations: Hagedorn-Brown, Beggs-Brill, Duns-Ros methods

• Wellhead pressure: separator pressure, flowline losses, back-pressure effects

• Critical flow: liquid loading in gas wells, Turner criteria, minimum velocity

• Tubing size optimization: balancing friction vs. liquid holdup, economic diameter

• Flow assurance: hydrates, wax, asphaltenes, scale affecting production

• VLP curves: constructing performance curves, intersection with IPR

• System analysis: identifying constraints, bottlenecks, optimization opportunities

• Workshop: IPR and VLP curve construction for oil and gas wells

Day 2: Nodal Analysis & System Optimization

Morning Session: Nodal Analysis Methodology

• Nodal analysis principles: dividing production system into components, analyzing at solution node

• Node selection: bottomhole, wellhead, separator, selecting based on optimization objective

• System components: reservoir inflow, tubing, surface equipment, facilities

• Pressure traverse: calculating pressures throughout system, identifying limitations

• Sensitivity analysis: evaluating impact of changes (tubing size, choke, separator pressure)

• Optimization strategies: maximizing rate, minimizing lifting costs, balancing constraints

• Software tools: PROSPER, PIPESIM, GAP, RESOLVE for system modeling

• Constraint identification: reservoir deliverability, tubing capacity, separator capacity, compression

• Debottlenecking: removing constraints systematically, economic evaluation

• Multi-well systems: field-level optimization, allocation, facility constraints

Afternoon Session: Choke Management & Surface Optimization

• Choke performance: critical vs. subcritical flow, choke sizing, erosion

• Wellhead choke optimization: balancing stability vs. production, erosional velocity

• Separator optimization: pressure, temperature, retention time, gas/oil/water separation

• Stage separation: two-stage vs. three-stage, pressure optimization, GOR management

• Compression optimization: suction pressure, discharge pressure, horsepower requirements

• Flowline optimization: diameter, length, pressure drop, loop lines, insulation

• Gas lift gas compression: allocation, priority ranking, incremental analysis

• Production manifolds: balancing wells, commingling issues, back-pressure effects

• Facility constraints: handling capacity, treating capacity, storage, export limitations

• Economic optimization: maximizing net revenue, considering operating costs, product values

• Workshop: Nodal analysis and system optimization using software simulation

Day 3: Artificial Lift Optimization

Morning Session: Gas Lift Optimization

• Gas lift performance: injection rate vs. production, operating point determination

• Optimal injection rate: incremental gas-oil ratio (IGOR), economic optimization

• Injection depth optimization: valve performance, operating valve identification

• Multi-point vs. single-point: injection strategy, stability considerations

• Multi-well gas lift allocation: prioritization methods, incremental analysis, optimization algorithms

• Equal slope method: allocating limited gas for maximum field production

• Constraints: total gas availability, individual well limits, surface facility capacity

• Gas compression: optimizing compressor operation, fuel gas consumption

• Monitoring and diagnostics: injection rates, casing pressures, identifying problems

• Automation: smart allocation systems, closed-loop optimization

• Regional: Saudi Arabia Ghawar gas lift operations, UAE mature field optimization

Afternoon Session: ESP & Rod Pump Optimization

• ESP performance optimization: speed control (VSD), submergence management, intake pressure

• Variable speed drives: benefits, efficiency curves, operating range optimization

• Pump wear monitoring: performance degradation, predictive replacement

• Energy efficiency: minimizing power consumption per barrel, kWh/bbl benchmarking

• Run life extension: proper sizing, operating conditions, maintenance strategies

• Sucker rod pump optimization: stroke length, pump speed, fillage, pump-off control

• Dynamometer analysis: optimizing based on downhole cards, identifying inefficiencies

• Prime mover selection: motor vs. engine, VFDs, energy costs

• Beam balance: counterbalance optimization, reducing peak loads, energy savings

• Controller optimization: adaptive controllers, pump-off control, minimizing downtime

• PCP optimization: speed control, torque management, temperature considerations

• Workshop: Artificial lift optimization scenarios for different systems

Day 4: Reservoir Management Integration

Morning Session: Production-Reservoir Integration

• Field development optimization: well spacing, drainage patterns, infill drilling evaluation

• Pressure maintenance: waterflooding, gas injection, optimizing injection/production balance

• Waterflood optimization: injection rates, patterns, well-to-well communication, sweep efficiency

• Voidage replacement: maintaining reservoir pressure, injection-production ratio

• Water cut management: understanding breakthrough, managing high water cut producers

• Gas-oil ratio (GOR) management: monitoring trends, gas coning prevention, gas recycling

• Well interference: understanding drainage areas, spacing optimization, avoiding well conflicts

• Reserves optimization: maximizing recovery factor, accelerating production economically

• Decline curve analysis: forecasting production, economic limit, abandonment planning

• Enhanced oil recovery (EOR): chemical flooding, thermal methods, applicability assessment

• Saudi Arabia EOR programs, Oman steam flooding (Mukhaizna)

Afternoon Session: Well Testing & Surveillance

• Well testing objectives: individual well performance, allocation, reservoir monitoring

• Test frequency: balancing cost vs. information value, regulatory requirements

• Test equipment: separators, meters (multiphase, conventional), sampling systems

• Multiphase flow meters: benefits, limitations, accuracy, applications in GCC fields

• Production logging: spinner surveys, flow profiling, identifying water/gas entry

• Pressure-temperature surveys: identifying completion issues, tubing leaks, flow restrictions

• Surveillance systems: SCADA, real-time data acquisition, alarm management

• Key performance indicators (KPIs): production rate, uptime, efficiency, decline rates

• Data quality: ensuring accuracy, validation, identifying anomalies

• Benchmarking: comparing well performance, identifying underperformers, best practices

• Workshop: Analyzing surveillance data and identifying optimization opportunities

Day 5: Digital Optimization & Advanced Technologies

Morning Session: Data Analytics & Digital Technologies

• Digital oilfield concepts: real-time monitoring, automation, optimization, collaboration

• Production data management: historians, databases, data quality, integration

• Data analytics: trend analysis, pattern recognition, statistical methods

• Machine learning applications: production forecasting, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance

• Artificial intelligence: optimization algorithms, adaptive control, decision support

• Digital twins: virtual field models, real-time calibration, scenario evaluation

• Automated workflows: routine tasks automation, freeing engineers for analysis

• Visualization: dashboards, KPI displays, mobile applications, field accessibility

• Alarm management: intelligent alarming, reducing nuisance alarms, prioritization

• Remote operations: control centers, offshore unmanned platforms, cost reduction

• Cybersecurity: protecting production systems, network security, operational technology

• Regional implementations: Saudi Aramco intelligent fields, ADNOC Panorama Digital Command Center

Afternoon Session: Integrated Production Optimization

• Field-wide optimization: multi-well, multi-facility, integrated approach

• Network modeling: wells, flowlines, manifolds, separators, compression, export

• Production allocation: optimizing under constraints (gas handling, water treating, storage)

• Real-time optimization (RTO): economic optimization, market-responsive production

• Constraint management: identifying, managing, dynamically adjusting to changing conditions

• Asset optimization: maximizing NPV, considering short-term and long-term objectives

• Uncertainty management: probabilistic optimization, robust decision-making

• Continuous improvement: measurement, analysis, action, verification cycle

• Organizational aspects: cross-functional collaboration, data sharing, change management

• Business case development: quantifying optimization benefits, justifying investments

• Success metrics: production increase, cost reduction, efficiency gains, reserves growth

• Best practices: Saudi Aramco, ADNOC, Shell, ExxonMobil optimization programs

• Future trends: autonomous fields, AI-driven optimization, energy transition integration

• Sustainability integration: minimizing emissions, water management, energy efficiency

• Final workshop: Comprehensive field optimization project integrating all techniques

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

• Analyze well performance using IPR, VLP, and nodal analysis methodologies

• Optimize production systems identifying bottlenecks and implementing improvements

• Optimize artificial lift systems maximizing production and minimizing costs

• Integrate reservoir management with production operations for field optimization

• Apply gas lift allocation techniques for multi-well systems

• Utilize digital technologies including data analytics, machine learning, digital twins

• Develop optimization strategies balancing technical and economic objectives

• Implement surveillance programs monitoring performance and identifying opportunities

Course Delivery & Certification

• Format: Technical lectures, software workshops, case studies, optimization exercises, group projects

• Software: Hands-on training with nodal analysis tools (PROSPER, PIPESIM, GAP demonstrations)

• Materials: Comprehensive manual, optimization workflows, calculation templates, case study library

• Certification: Professional certificate recognized across KSA, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Africa

• Language: English (Arabic support available)

• CPD Credits: Continuing professional development for petroleum engineers

• Locations: Riyadh, Dhahran, Khobar (KSA), Muscat (Oman), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Lagos, Cairo

Why This Course is Strategic

Production optimization delivers 5-20% increases in mature fields without drilling new wells. Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar field optimization adds millions of barrels through systematic approaches. ADNOC achieved $1 billion+ savings through digital optimization. Oman PDO extended field life 10-20 years through integrated optimization. Cost per incremental barrel is 10-50 times lower than drilling new wells. Leading operators invest heavily in optimization achieving 95%+ uptime, minimal deferment, maximum recovery factors.

This training delivers actionable expertise incorporating nodal analysis methodologies, Saudi Aramco optimization practices, Schlumberger/Halliburton technologies, addressing mature fields, complex systems, digital transformation, supporting production maximization, cost reduction, and Saudi Vision 2030 upstream efficiency and sustainability goals.

Optimize systematically. Maximize production. Enhance profitability.