DeWoody Flow Testing, LLC

03/10/2023

WHAT DOES A FLOWBACK OPERATOR DO?

Flowback is a very volatile period of production. The pressure is high and sand is ever-present. The key people during this phase are the flowback operators.

A flowback operator is a field professional who specializes in troubleshooting equipment during the flowback phase. His job is to manage this period and keep the well flowing, come what may.

A flowback operator lives in a trailer on site and works twelve hours a day, seven days a week. His primary duties include recording hourly flow rates, troubleshooting equipment, and coordinating transport trucks and equipment techs on site.

03/10/2023

WHAT IS FLOWBACK?

After a well has been drilled, the casing cemented, the shale fractured, the pad laid, and the piping and production equipment installed, the flowback phase begins.

Flowback typically lasts between 30 and 120 days. The fluid produced during this phase is a mixture of crude oil, natural gas, water, and sand.

A producer’s goal during this period is to manage the sandy flowback fluid and keep the well open and running so it can normalize and more freely flow oil and gas.

The fluid first flows up the well bore and through the wellhead, which is often referred to as the “Christmas tree.” From there it moves to sand separators.

Sand separators spin the production fluid, which creates centrifugal force. This is where the bulk of the sand is processed out of the fluid. It is then piped to on-site frac tanks, which trucks will retrieve throughout the process.

Producers then flow the fluid through a variety of separators. These include two- and three-phase separators, free-water knockouts, and heater treaters.

These vessels separate the fluid into its three primary elements—gas, oil, and water. What sand remains sinks to the bottom of the vessels and gets processed out with the water.

03/10/2023

6 STAGES OF OIL WELL PRODUCTION

The process of producing a well follows six broad stages:

• Drilling—the ground is punctured and the well bore drilled
• Completion—the well is fracked
• Construction—all production equipment needed to flow the well is installed, including tanks, separators, and interconnecting piping
• Flowback—the well is opened and the volatile early stage of production begins
• Production—the well normalizes and produces consistently as long as downhole pressure remains
• Artificial Lift—after production, as the reservoir pressure decreases, producers may choose from a variety of artificial lift options

03/09/2023

03/09/2023