Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Office. Such discussions may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.
Time-sharing computers, such as the SDS 940, respond almost instantly to action by the user (e.g., when he makes a change in his program or supplies new data). They also accept new programming languages that are easily learned programming languages that are easily learned and natural to use. These features of time sharing make it easy for engineers to develop special-purpose programs to solve specific problems (as illustrated by a program especially problems (as illustrated by a program especially written to forecast oil production from the Mission Canyon reservoir, Cabin Creek Field, Fallon County, Montana).
This report does riot contain any new theory for analyzing and predicting reservoir performance. It does give a hint of the new power performance. It does give a hint of the new power that time-shared computing can add to conventional methods of analysis. This new potential arises from the two most important operating differences between time-sharing and ordinary computer usage:
The user is linked directly with the computer by an ordinary teletype terminal. This gives him closer and more responsive control than he has in the usual "batch" operation of a computer.
New programming languages are available with the time-sharing computers. These are easier to learn and more natural for engineers to use than FORTRAN, the most common technical programming language.
As a result of these differences, an engineer, who usually does not have the time to become a programming expert, can readily develop special-purpose programs using the approach he thinks is best suited for solving a particular problem. His engineering skill particular problem. His engineering skill can be used more effectively because he will no longer find it necessary to rely mainly upon "canned" programs that do not quite fit his problem, or upon programmers who understand computers but not engineers.
Just how easy is it to develop a special program on a time-sharing computer? Perhaps program on a time-sharing computer? Perhaps a partial answer can be given by discussing one partial problem. Less than two working days' time was needed to write, debug, and run the computer program for solving this problem.
