Tools for selecting and sequencing operating parameter changes to control a hydrocarbon production system

The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein implementing valid change based on at least the selected change includes:

• identifying the selected change as the valid change in response to the selected change not violating the set of operating constraints;
• and
• determining whether any of the remaining proposed changes, when performed before the selected change, will offset the selected change to obviate violating the operating constraints in response to the selected change violating the operating constraints;
• and
• grouping the offset change with the selected change such that the offset change is implemented before the selected change.

A process for use in managing hydrocarbon production in a field implemented by a computing system, comprising:

• ranking a plurality of changes proposed to operating parameters of at least one well in the field by an estimated change in production from each proposed change;
• selecting the proposed change with the greatest estimated positive change in production;
• if the selected change does not violate a set of operating constraints, adjusting the selected change to further increase the estimated production;
• if the selected change violates the operating constraints, then:
• determining whether any of the remaining proposed changes, when performed before the selected change, will offset the selected change to obviate violating the operating constraints;
• grouping the offset change with the selected change;
• if the estimated production of the grouped changes meets or exceeds the estimated production of the proposed change with the second greatest estimated production by a first threshold amount without violating the operating constraints, then adjusting the grouped changes to further increase the estimated production;
• and
• abandoning the selected change if the estimated production of the grouped selected change and offset change fails to exceed the estimated production of the proposed change with the second greatest estimated production by a first threshold amount;
• iterating the above steps until either the increase in estimated production falls below a second threshold amount or all changes have been selected;
• and
• implementing the selected changes if they have not been abandoned and any respective grouped offset changes, if any, the selected change being implemented after any grouped offset change.

A production management system for managing a hydrocarbon producing system, the production management system comprising:

• a plurality of instruments distributed across the hydrocarbon producing system, each instrument monitoring an operating parameter of the hydrocarbon producing system and at least some of the instruments also controlling the respective monitored operating parameter;
• a computing apparatus;
• and
• a software tool residing on the computing apparatus that, when executed by the computing apparatus, performs a method comprising:
• selecting, from among a plurality of changes proposed to operating parameters of the hydrocarbon producing system, a change with the greatest estimated positive change in production from the plurality of changes proposed;
• assessing whether the selected change violates a set of operating constraints;
• producing a valid change based on at least the selected change in response to the assessment,
• iterating the above steps, the iteration excluding the valid change from the plurality of proposed changes;
• and
• implementing at least one valid change, the number of implemented valid changes being less than the number of proposed changes.