Well Master

Over the past four decades, horizontal well technology has matured and become the standard in the oil and gas industry. This technology has substantially increased oil and gas production in the U.S. However, much can still be done to improve its sustainability and efficiency. New technologies must be developed to fill the gap left by the status quo as environmental consciousness grows and the need for operational efficiency increases.

Founded in 1984, Well Master has engineered and manufactured some of the most durable and innovative artificial lift systems for horizontal wells.

In the last 20 years, in particular, Well Master has taken a strategic turn toward revolutionizing plunger lift in the oil and gas industry by using advanced design tools and computational fluid dynamics. This technology—broadly used for fluid applications in the aerospace industry—has helped the company improve horizontal well performance, minimize the total cost of ownership, and maximize ROI for well owners.

“Much of the training and understanding within the industry, such as the best applicable science or best practices, come from rules of thumb or empirical observations with a little science behind them,” states David Green, executive VP and CTO of Well Master.

Well Master works to update this status quo by taking a more fundamental approach from a fluid dynamics standpoint. The company addresses problems and helps customers find better ways of optimizing their wells by educating them on the fundamentals of the equipment that drives gas wells.

Gas and plunger lift have been used in sync for quite a while now, but their performance is inconsistent. Here, Well Master leverages a thorough method of well assessment to determine the best places to land the tubing, identify ways to set up equipment, and use plungers in a multi-valve gas lift environment. The company also assists clients with the selection of various plungers and tools that need to go in the well for optimal operation.

Prior to Well Master, manufacturers did not consider the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic attributes of the plungers. However, this is an active part of Well Master’s design process. When the company conceptualizes a tool, its process for development includes 3D design and a simulated test run for the plungers in a comput environment. Tools get deployed in the field only after successfully conducting these tests.
Well Master has implemented its services for countless clients over the years and successfully acted as a trusted partner or consultant. Recently, Well Master was brought into a company to make a presentation about its full value proposition and solution process. The client asked Well Master to assist with their well project, and the company began to engage swiftly at the field level. It started by building knowledge within the organization from a preliminary basis and educating the client’s team on the fundamentals of gas-driven wells and their operations. During the teaching of eight classes in the first six months they began using Well Master’s horizontal-specific tools. The client immediately started seeing results, delivering a 20 to 30 percent uptick in performance.

The latest Well Master development which is gaining traction is real-time plunger velocity control. Traditional control systems use average plunger velocity as an operating parameter. This new, patented technology known as Advanced Flow Control (AFC) controls actual plunger speed as the tool rises. This has shown improved efficiency, extended tool life and much greater safety and environmental protection due to minimized surface impact. It uses Machine Learning with an edge processor and lends itself well to Artificial Intelligence initiatives.

Well Master is no stranger to impressive outcomes, a feat they attribute to its team of professionals who are on a mission to be the technology leaders of the industry. They are accustomed to seeing their ideas get adopted throughout the industry to yield impressive results