A system for automatically and optimally balancing lift gas in a pipeline network for lift-gas wells of an oil field. The system includes peer-to-peer sensors for (1) generating local gas values, (2) receiving system data including local gas target values for each of the sensors and first local gas request parameters from at least one other sensor, (3) controlling a corresponding flow control device based on the local gas values and target local gas values for the sensor, and the first local gas request parameters, (4) calculating second local gas request parameters for the sensor based on the local gas values, the local target values, and the system data; and (5) transmitting the system data including the second local gas request parameters to at least one other sensor.
