What does a choke do?

General Mineral Rights Discussion
1

Saturday, a company started flowing our well. Its only been 2 days and the report says it is at 408 barrels a day. this is in the Buda formation, Dimmit county. There is a choke 24 on it. i am wondering what the purpose of the choke is and all things staying the same, does production go up if they release the choke? Or can/do they release the choke?

Thanks in advance.

2

Maybe someone already has answered you, but my simple understanding is that wells are choked (or narrowed) so as to maintain higher natural gas pressures down within the well for a longer period of time, so as to hopefully thereby maximize the ultimate total oil production from the well. (Sometimes, slow and steady DOES win the race.)

The pressure ("natural" is better/cheaper than "artificial" via pumpjacks, etc.) is what continues to help push the oil up and out of the well.

Another basic reason for narrowing the choke is to keep frac sand, etc. better in place down in the well. If the frac sand all gushes up and out through a wide-open choke, there's nothing left behind in the (Buda) rock formation to keep the channels open down below so that the oil can yet flow up the well.

Good luck!

3

Dear Andy,

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. you put it in understandable language and i greatly appreciate that. this all makes more sense now.

Good luck and thanks again.

4

We're all in this together! I'm always happy to try to help others -- just as others have helped me.

5

The twenty four means the choke size is 24/64 of an inch. Look at the head of an ink pen. Not much bigger than that producing all that oil and gas at such high pressure. If the choke size is too high, then pressure drops very quickly and oil that was recoverable, become unrecoverable.

Buddy Cotten

6

Thanks Buddy,

its hard to believe they can get anything out of that small of a hole! it must mean there is lots of pressure down there. Your explanation is very much appreciated!

Thank you again for helping me understand.

7

Thanks, Buddy. That description makes it easy to visualize. I had no idea it was that small of a hole that it came out of.