The Relation Between the Open-Flow Gauge and the Working Capacity of Gas Wells

Various difficulties have made very unreliable the conclusions drawn from open-flow gauge readings on gas wells. Studies to determine the relation of the open-flow gauge to actual working capacity were undertaken on a group of sixty-seven wells for which data covering a period of six years were available. It appears that the open-flow gauge has very doubtful value for any individual well and it disregards conditions under which the well must operate. Over a long period of time and using many wells the ratio of open-flow gauge to line delivery averages close to 33 per cent, this figure being usable as a factor in estimating delivery.