What are the career paths and opportunities for well testing and performance evaluation professionals?

1 Well Testing Engineer

A well testing engineer is responsible for designing, planning, executing, and analyzing well tests, such as pressure transient tests, production tests, and drill stem tests. They work closely with other drilling engineers, geologists, reservoir engineers, and service providers to ensure the optimal data quality and safety standards. A well testing engineer needs to have a strong background in fluid mechanics, reservoir engineering, wellbore hydraulics, and data interpretation. They also need to be familiar with the various well testing equipment, software, and techniques, such as surface and downhole gauges, multiphase flow meters, sampling devices, and pressure derivative analysis.

3 Well Testing Supervisor

A well testing supervisor is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the well testing operations at the wellsite, such as rigging up, running, and retrieving the well testing equipment, conducting the tests according to the engineer's plan, and collecting and transmitting the data. They work closely with the well testing engineer, the service company crew, and the rig personnel to ensure the smooth and safe execution of the well tests. A well testing supervisor needs to have a strong background in well testing operations, equipment, and procedures. They also need to have good leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

4 Well Performance Analyst

A well performance analyst is responsible for collecting, processing, and reporting the well performance data from various sources, such as production databases, sensors, meters, and logs. They work closely with the well performance engineer, the reservoir engineer, and the data analyst to provide insights and recommendations on the well behavior, trends, and anomalies. A well performance analyst needs to have a strong background in data analysis, statistics, and visualization. They also need to be familiar with the various data management software, platforms, and techniques, such as SQL, Python, Excel, Power BI, and machine learning.

5 Challenges and Opportunities

Well testing and performance evaluation professionals face many challenges in their careers, such as dealing with complex reservoirs, uncertain data, changing market conditions, and environmental regulations. However, they also have many opportunities to learn, grow, and innovate in their field, such as applying new technologies, methods, and models, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and contributing to the optimization and sustainability of the oil and gas resources.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?