Modelling and Robustness Analysis of Model Predictive Control for Electrical Submersible Pump Lifted Heavy Oil Wells

In this paper we consider the problem of automatic control of oil production wells equipped with Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP). To facilitate robustness analysis of automatic control algorithms for such systems, a high fidelity simulator of ESP lifted well producing heavy viscous crude oil, has been developed. Model Predictive Control strategy proposed by the authors in an earlier publication has been tested on this simulator with the main focus on controller performance and robustness. The results demonstrated sufficient robustness of the controller with respect to system nonlinearities, variations in operating conditions, disturbances and measurement noise.