Energy

World’s Largest Solar Farm Will Help Companies Produce MORE Oil

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Andrew Follett Energy and Science Reporter
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GlassPoint Solar will produce oil by building the world’s largest solar field in Oman.

Solar GlassPoint
The solar plant, named Mirrah, will use a huge 1,021 megawatt solar array to heat water to produce steam. The steam will be shot into a reservoir to aid in the extraction of heavier crude oil. This technique only works on certain types of very viscous and very heavy oil.

The project in Oman will be the first time that this specific technique will use solar power to produce oil on a commercial scale. Mirrah will be capable of generating 6,000 tons of steam per day starting in 2017, and will cost approximately $600 million. Previously, the oil field in question used natural gas to power the process (and will continue to use natural gas at night, when solar power is unavailable.)

Oman has a history of using natural gas steam injection to boost oil production, as the country is heavily dependent on oil for its economy. Its energy sector accounts for about 50 percent of Oman’s GDP and 75 percent of government revenue.

Mirrah is a joint venture between the Omani government, Shell, Total, and California-based GlassPoint Solar.

An animation of the project claims “the oil industry is the next major market for solar energy.”

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Tags : oman
Andrew Follett