Flexible gas lift optimization

A method for operating wells of an oilfield comprising the following steps:

• (a) selecting a group of wells of an oilfield;
• (b) defining a production target rate for the group of wells;
• (c) allocating wells being operated with gas lift to a first sub-group of the group of wells;
• (d) allocating wells being operated without gas lift to a second sub-group of the group of wells;
• (e) setting a production target rate for the first sub-group and conducting gas lift parameter optimization for at least one well of the first sub-group to obtain the production target rate for the first sub-group, and transmitting control signals to wells of the first sub-group to operate the at least one well under condition of at least one optimized gas lift parameter;
• (f) monitoring the production rate of the first sub-group;
• (g) setting a production target rate for the second sub-group to obtain the difference between the production target rate for the group of wells and the production rate of the first sub-group, and transmitting adjustment signals to the wells of the second sub-group.