I can't resist:

Of course the reservoir pressures and flow rates are greater after a shut in.

They go up to eleven.

(See link at end of key post.)

It is actually why you will see credit given on occasion to techniques that don't realistically work. Since almost every time a well is shut in the production goes up initially when the well is re-opened, it gives possible credence to whatever "black box" treatment has been used to improve production during the shut-down. It can take a while to show that the "magic bullet" didn't actually do anything.

The most common measure of effectiveness for well interventions is 'skin' (SLB Oilfield Glossary defines it as the zone of reduced or enhanced permeability around a wellbore, often explained by formation damage and mud-filtrate invasion during drilling or perforating, or by well stimulation). Simply shutting in the well for some time and then re-opening will temporarily increase pressure and flow rates, but it will not affect skin. With a successful well intervention, the calculated skin will go down and the well will be more productive.

I gotta watch that movie again.

jt

It's a fine line between clever and stupid.