Introduction The upward trend of oil production, which usually amplifies producing problems, combined with a search for improved economic and efficient methods have revealed the possibilities of automatic producing facilities along the Gulf Coast. In 1952 the Gulf Coast District of the Gulf Refining Company's Houston Production Division initiated a plan for testing and appraising various types of automatic lease equipment for use in bay fields and offshore operations. Under this plan a small lease was selected, where operating and flowing conditions are similar to coastal and offshore wells. By such a method the performance of all equipment could be observed and evaluated prior to more complex situations. Gulf's Provost Cyr Unit lease was selected for the installation. It consists of 158.70 acres and is located on the east flank of the Weeks Island field, in Iberia Parish, La. The first well was completed in March, 1950. When the drilling program terminated in January, 1953, production had been established from five wells. The calendar daily allowable for the ninth of June, 1953 was 1,254 bbls. All wells are produced by natural flow through positive chokes at the well-head. Flowing tubing pressures range from 800 psi to 1,800 psi. Two of the wells are producing salt water. API gravity of the crude ranges from 30.9 degrees to 35.0 degrees. Producing equipment on this lease consists of four 1,000 bbl stock tanks, one 500 psi oil and gas separator, two 125 psi oil and gas separators, one emulsion-type heater-treater, and one horizontal precipitator. All are connected with adequate manifolds and piping to serve their specific purpose in production of oil and gas. Electricity is available at the lease from a utility company. Requirements of Equipment Basic requirements must be met in order to completely produce a lease automatically. First, some type of tank switcher is necessary which will transfer flow from one tank to another when a predetermined fluid level (full) is reached. The set-up must insure that flow cannot be transferred to tanks either full or on pipeline run. Control must be maintained over the opening and closing of the wells. Wells must be closed in when:no tank space is available,a well is produced on a pre-determined schedule, ora failure occurs in the producing equipment. This should be an automatic operation, accomplished by closing in the well preferably near the well-head. In the event of a pumping well, the prime mover must be stopped.