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Saturday, 11 January 2014 14:15

Glasspoint: Enhanced oil recovery


New systems for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) are constantly being developed. One of the more interesting approaches is GlassPoint's solar steam generators can replace natural gas in generating the steam injected into oil wells to boost recovery, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 80%.

Supporters for the technology include Petroleum Development Oman, which has selected the technology for a solar thermal EOR demonstration project, while Shell has become an investor in Glasspoint.

Traditionally natural gas is burned to generate steam for injection into reservoirs. The steam heats thick oil, helping it to flow more freely and boost production.

Gas, however, is a valuable resource in many oil producing countries, especially in the Gulf states of the Middle East where it is needed to generate power and desalinate water.

The gas saved can then be used where it is needed the most to generate electricity for industrial applications or exported as liquefied natural gas.

But conventional solar thermal technologies can be costly; the rows of mirrors which collect sunlight are made of expensive, heavy steel, and require substantial, concrete structures that anchor them to the ground against strong winds. Dust and debris collect on the mirrors, which makes them less efficient and call for frequent, labour-intensive cleaning.

California-based Glasspoint's founders engineers Rod MacGregor and Pete von Behrens came up with the idea of putting the entire solar field in a glasshouse.

“By enclosing the troughs in an agricultural-grade glasshouse, we can use low-weight, low-cost materials to reduce the capital cost of the field by more than half,” says MacGregor.

The troughs are so light that they hang from the glass ceiling, while an automated robot cleans the glasshouse roof, reducing operations and maintenance costs and conserving water.

Independent energy company Berry Petroleum of California recognised the technology’s potential and invited GlassPoint to install a pilot plant at a 100-year-old oil field in California. The plant started up in 2011 and was the world’s first commercial solar EOR project.



This was followed by a second project, 27 times bigger than the first, for Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest oil producer in Oman in which Shell has a 34% interest. The pilot plant started production in December 2012 and was officially commissioned in February 2013.

Between February and July it replaced around 400,000 m³ of gas, saving 800 tonnes of CO2 emissions that would otherwise have been emitted from the gas fired steam generators. To date, the project produces 10% more steam than originally expected.

“When Shell makes an investment in a small company like ours, potential customers take note,” said MacGregor. “Shell’s investment and interest legitimises the technology and helps put our company on the map.”


Published in Uncategorised