No, not the “philosophy class” kind of first principles.
In the field, first principles is simple: every well should be producing near its maximum producibility, limited only by formation deliverability. If it isn’t, something is in the way. Surface Equipment. Setpoints. Downtime. Something.
The practical question for an Ops Manager is: Which wells are not producing near their limit, and why?
Good: A daily list of underperformers vs their recent best, with one reason code per well.
Better: Add constraints. Is it deliverability (formation) or controllable (operations)? If controllable, classify it: pressure too high, cycle too long, arrivals failing, fluid loading, equipment issue, line pressure, human delay, etc.
Best: Automate the loop. Live surveillance pulls SCADA production, flags wells drifting off their limit, suggests the next action, and tracks whether the action moved the needle.
We manage 4,000+ wells across our customers. The pattern is consistent: the operator who turns “why” into a daily workflow wins.
If you want to see what that workflow looks like, book a discovery call at Avenirre.com.
Larry Brazile 
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