For two summers, 2019 and 2020, I worked in Drake's artificial lift pump shop, building and tearing down pumps. Performing tear-down analysis of failed pumps and reporting findings back to operators. In delivering pumps to wellsites, I was exposed to rig operations, site safety, and dialog with wellsite leaders and operations personnel. In addition, I was asked to help with Drake's invoicing system (not even engineering related). Using my knowledge both in Excel and Drakes product base, I created an automated process linking product numbers, pricing, and form creation to improve the quality and accuracy of their invoicing. They were appreciative of my contributions. An additional project was to work with an operator, Merrion Oil & Gas, to implement a smart plunger system on one of their Dakota wells. Working with the Merrion engineer, we set up and modified plunger controls such as off time and after flow, then analyzed the data taken from the smart plunger for additional modifications, all meant to achieve efficient operation. It was an enjoyable experience.

I served as an apprentice under my father, Paul Edwards, a BP production engineer for 3 months. Office and field. In the office, I mainly organized and condensed numerous cluttered wellfiles. I would not only clean them up, but generate detailed well histories, an understanding of drilling and completion practices, and regulatory requirements for both drilling and subsequent operations. I learned about using the Coleman equation (also Turner) as a means for designing flowing gas well tubing designs and gaining experience in identifying liquid loading and how to address. I learned forecasting techniques, not just exponential/hyperbolic/harmonic decline curve generation, but also using a simplified reservoir model to provide gas forecasts (using the gas deliverability equation). I performed several beam lift designs, using a Lufkin catalog and QRod to identify a properly sized unit for the well, then deriving a rod/pump design to balance the unit, achieve desired production, and be within the stress limits of the rods. As an apprentice, I would ask many questions of my mentor, have deep conversations, and gained a good base of knowledge of how a field is managed from an engineering perspective. In the field, I learned about artificial lift controllers for beam lift and pc pumps, each using a different controller. I learned the importance of using engineering controls to optimize downhole pump lives, thereby prolonging time between rig events, which has a profound impact on field economics. As this knowledge base was set, I then was able to 'get it' even more as I worked in the pump shop the following summers and witnessed first hand different failure mechanisms of many downhole pumps.