Well Testing Operator Spotlight

Between Wellsite Operators and their wells, you’ll find Well Testing Operators. Looking at everything from wellbore pressure to saline percentages, Well Testing Operators gather the information that helps Operators determine well performance and identify production issues.

Data, meet operations.

What a typical day looks like:

A Well Testing Operator’s job begins when Wellsite or Drilling Operators realize they need more information. They need to know why a well is experiencing issues, or how it can perform better.

A Well Testing Operator travels with a Wellsite Supervisor or Sr. Advisor to each well site and works closely alongside them to keep the drilling crew and supervisors connected with the activities and data going on below the surface. Using a variety of surface and subsurface tools to inspect and collect data, Well Testing Operators study characteristics of the reservoir or wellbore like pressure, salinity and flow rate. This data helps the operator determine the cause of specific production issues in order to solve them.

The kinds of problems Well Testing Operators solve at work:

Drilling and service rigs can be loud, dirty and dangerous. That’s why Well Testing Operators have a constant safety mindset, participate in all company safety programs, follow company and site processes and highlight any findings that may put a well or workers at risk.

There are other risks to consider as well. Driving is required and Well Testing Operators may be asked to work or drive in poor weather conditions. They usually work outdoors in remote locations and may be away from home or live in a camp for periods of time.

Skills used most on the job:

Well Testing Operators are technically and mechanically inclined: they test, inspect, report. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

They also need to be masters of quality and precision, performing tests to find exact answers to questions. They check and double-check their results before accurately recording the outcomes. And when all of that’s done, they gather their field data sheets and present them in a neat organized manner to the job supervisor. Because, in the end, that’s what a Well Testing Operator does: connects Operators to their wells.