Production and Operations Flashcards
7 cards from real SPE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Production and Operations flashcards as text
What is the main operational risk associated with hydrate formation in subsea flowlines?
Answer: Plugging of the flowline, potentially causing loss of production or structural damage
Gas hydrates can form ice-like plugs in subsea flowlines under high pressure and low temperature, blocking flow and risking line rupture.
Which inflow performance relationship (IPR) model accounts for turbulent flow near the wellbore in gas wells?
Answer: Forchheimer's non-Darcy flow equation
Forchheimer's equation adds a velocity-squared turbulence term to Darcy's law, capturing the non-Darcy pressure drop near high-rate gas wells.
In sucker rod pump design, what does 'fluid pound' indicate?
Answer: Excessive gas bubbles causing the pump to strike incompressible liquid with impact
Fluid pound occurs when the pump barrel partially fills with gas so the plunger slams into liquid on the downstroke, causing mechanical shock.
What is the purpose of a downhole safety valve (DHSV) in a production well?
Answer: To automatically shut off well flow if surface conditions indicate loss of control
A DHSV (or SCSSV) closes automatically if surface equipment fails or is damaged, preventing an uncontrolled blowout from the wellbore.
Which completion technique involves perforating multiple isolated zones and fracturing each separately in a horizontal well?
Answer: Multi-stage hydraulic fracturing
Multi-stage fracturing uses packers or plug-and-perf systems to isolate and fracture individual zones sequentially along a horizontal wellbore.
In production chemistry, iron sulfide scale often forms when which two conditions coexist?
Answer: H2S gas and iron ions in the produced water
Iron sulfide (FeS) precipitates when H2S reacts with ferrous iron from corrosion or formation water, forming scale that can plug perforations and equipment.
What operational parameter is typically monitored to detect liquid loading in a gas well?
Answer: Declining wellhead tubing pressure with falling production rate
Liquid loading manifests as a declining tubing pressure and erratic or declining gas rate as liquids accumulate and can no longer be lifted by gas velocity.